In Hebrew culture, public displays of affection were permitted only between children. In the typical tribal social structure, children at play were presumed some relation to each other, whereas adults engaging in such behavior would be scandalous. It was too likely such affection between adults held an entirely different meaning, something that should be private. The bride is thus offering a vain wish for the intensity of her desire, scarcely able to keep her hands of her man, even in public.
As she continues in this vein, the imagery is uncomfortable for Westerners. It’s not that Hebrew people were loose about incest, but that the imagery was not taboo. For them, the whole scene flows smoothly as the bride exults in the symbol previously mentioned of sex in her mother’s bed. The business of offering refreshments is more of the sexual euphemisms we’ve seen throughout this play. The third verse is more blunt.
She then cautions the other maidens about messing with her man. It’s not combative or defensive, but almost humorous in tone. The maidens respond with singing the bride’s praises. Doesn’t she look glamorous in his company?
The bride returns to the image of the apple tree, an exotic and rare treat in Ancient Palestine. Her man was all of that from birth. She calls out to him, seeking to be his one and only. When love works as it should, it outlasts human existence itself. The whole world is not enough to purchase what only the heart can give. While on this theme, the bride’s family speak up about her childhood. Unspoken is the implication she bore the capacity for deep and lasting love even as a child.
Back then, they wondered how they would ensure she could qualify for the marriage she so richly deserved. As with any girl growing up, she had few feminine charms. This is all in the vein of anyone who sees a developing child and wonders what will become of them. They were determined to protect her chastity but didn’t want her to be too aloof. If she was cold like a stone wall, they would decorate her with jewelry, but if she was too social, they would guard her closely. She then notes that she was more like the wall with little interest in guys. However, her charms caught the attention of the one real man who saw past her facade.
She goes on to describe how Solomon’s harem is loaded with more sex toys than he could possibly use, offering the image of a vast commercial vineyard. This is not meant to insult the king about using his harem for prostitution, but how his wealth in everything, including women, was off the scale. Did he even know one wife from the next? (Solomon pokes fun at himself for being so extravagant.) She describes herself as a small private vineyard producing just enough of the very best wine for a man who was content with her alone. She had no interest in being part of some fancy harem.
The whole drama ends with the final affirmations using common romantic imagery. The groom asks that she pay no attention to anyone else but him. She responds by telling him to waste no time in taking her.
