The Banquet of Love

“I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
I have drunk my wine and my milk.”

“Eat, friends; drink, and drink deeply, lovers.”

The Beloved’s Withdrawal

I was asleep, but my heart was awake.
A voice! My beloved was knocking:
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
My dove, my perfect one!
For my head is drenched with dew,
My hair with the damp of the night.”

I have taken off my tunic,
How can I put it on again?
I have washed my feet,
How can I dirty them again?

My beloved extended his hand through the opening,
And my feelings were stirred for him.

I arose to open to my beloved;
And my hands dripped with myrrh,
And my fingers with drops of myrrh,
On the handles of the bolt.

I opened to my beloved,
But my beloved had turned away and had gone!
My heart went out to him as he spoke;
I searched for him but did not find him;
I called him but he did not answer me.

The Watchmen’s Wounding

The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
They struck me and wounded me;
The guards of the walls took my shawl away from me.

I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
As to what you will tell him:
Tell him that I am lovesick.”

The Daughters Question

“What kind of beloved is your beloved,
O most beautiful among women?
What kind of beloved is your beloved,
That you make us swear so?”

The Bride’s Glorious Description

“My beloved is dazzling and reddish,
Outstanding among ten thousand.
His head is like gold, pure gold;
His locks are like clusters of dates
And black as a raven.

His eyes are like doves
Beside streams of water,
Bathed in milk,
And sitting in their fullness.

His cheeks are like a garden bed
Of balsam, banks of fragrant herbs;
His lips are lilies
Dripping with liquid myrrh.

His hands are rods of gold
Set with topaz;
His abdomen is carved ivory
Inlaid with sapphires.

His legs are pillars of alabaster
Set on pedestals of pure gold;
His appearance is like Lebanon,
Choice as the cedars.

His mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
Daughters of Jerusalem.”

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Context and Meaning

This chapter follows the garden union of chapter 4 and opens with the voice of the bridegroom declaring he has come into his garden—intimacy has been consummated. But then a new movement begins. The bride hears him knocking, yet she delays. And when she finally opens the door, he is gone.

This is a painful moment—not of rejection, but of missed presence. Her hesitation costs her. She runs into the night to find him, only to be wounded by the very ones who are supposed to guard the city. But the search ignites her love again. She recalls his glory in exquisite detail—not to convince herself, but to declare to others: He is altogether desirable. This is my beloved, and this is my friend.

Theological weight presses here. Sometimes, intimacy with Christ is followed by a silence that tests the soul. He is not absent because He is cruel, but because our delay reveals our desire. The watchmen—the very structures that should protect—wound her. Still, she rises and remembers His worth.

Key Themes

1. Intimacy and Withdrawal: Deep communion gives way to painful distance.
2. Delayed Obedience: Hesitation costs presence.
3. Costly Seeking: The bride suffers as she searches—but does not stop.
4. The Wound of the Faithful: Even spiritual guardians can fail or harm.
5. Lovesick Longing: Her affection grows stronger in absence, not weaker.
6. Evangelistic Declaration: She describes her beloved to others—her love becomes witness.
7. Glory of the Beloved: His character and beauty are meditated upon in detail.
8. Friendship with Christ: The final phrase grounds all passion in deep covenantal friendship.

Reflection and Impact

This chapter sings in harmony with many other parts of Scripture.

Like the bride, the disciples in the garden fell asleep while Jesus was near. And when they rose, He was gone—taken, silent, suffering. Their delay led to absence and loss.

We also hear echoes of Revelation 3: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” There, Christ calls for fellowship, but not forever. When His bride hesitates, He withdraws—not in abandonment, but in loving discipline.

The painful reality is that sometimes we rise too late. Sometimes we hesitate in spiritual complacency. But in mercy, even in absence, love deepens. She searches. She is wounded. And she still loves.

Her final declaration to the daughters of Jerusalem is profound. It is not just emotional longing. She recounts His excellence with worship-like detail. His mouth is sweetness. His presence is strength. His appearance is majesty. He is altogether desirable. And finally: “This is my beloved, and this is my friend.” That line anchors everything—true love is not merely erotic or poetic, it is grounded in friendship, covenant, and mutual delight.

Christological Whisper
Christ is not only our Savior. He is our Beloved—and He is our friend. His withdrawal disciplines, not punishes. His worth is not lessened by our pain. In seasons when He is silent, let the memory of His beauty give voice to your seeking.

Application

• Respond Quickly to His Voice — Revelation 3:20
  Don’t delay when the Lord knocks. Obedience delayed is intimacy delayed.
• Seek Him in Absence — Psalm 63:1
  Let your soul thirst for Him when He feels distant. Seeking shapes desire.
• Endure Spiritual Wounding — Isaiah 50:6–7
  Even when hurt by those who should protect, keep your face set like flint.
• Proclaim His Beauty — 1 Peter 2:9
  Declare the excellencies of the One who called you, even in the dark.
• Anchor in Friendship — John 15:15
  You are not just His subject. You are His friend. He calls you by name.

Closing Thought

He came into the garden,
But I delayed.
And now He is gone.
Yet my heart burns still.
I will seek Him.
Even if wounded.
Even if alone.
Because He is my Beloved—
And He is my Friend.