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Bible book about sex |
While God invented sex (Genesis 1:28), many Christians
regard it as something from the Devil. And while it is a subject some
Christians do not like to mention, Scripture is not silent about sexuality.
Song of Solomon is a particularly sensual book. If you would rather
not know about its biblical message, stop reading now.
What we call the first verse of this book is actually its ancient heading. Verse
two is the true beginning of the book. And the book trumpets its sexuality
right from this beginning.
In most English translations, verse two says something like this:
This is a deliberate double meaning. You can take it as being romantic. You can
take it as being innocent. Or you can take it as having sexual overtones.
This opening verse signals the tone of the rest of the book, and if you don't
want to
read such things, it signals you right from the start to stop reading.
The opening verse is a comment by the woman in this relationship. (In Hebrew
you can tell who is speaking by the gender of the words. In English, we need
to place headings in the text to show who is speaking.) The woman's opening
words to the man are:
In chapter 7:11-12 the woman says to the man:
As we have already seen from the quotes above, in Song of Solomon
both the man and
the woman try to lure each other sexually. In our modern society, this role
has been taken by men, although it is increasingly being taken by women.
Scripture shows that both are to be involved in luring the other.
Pomegranates
Another example of this sexuality is where the woman
speaks in 8:2:
A rounded goblet
One of this book's most blatant sexual statements is
7:2 which in English translations usually reads:
Hiding the true meaning
It is understandable that English translations omit the sexual references
of such verses. Many people would be offended if such a translation was
unexpectedly read aloud in church as a public Scripture reading.
However, surely the double meaning could be rendered in footnotes of the
translations? That way the Bible-reading public could find a full exposition
of what God is trying to teach in Song of Solomon.
English translators are not the only ones to hide the true meaning of this book.
In some stages of history, Jews banned young people from reading Song of
Solomon until
they were 30. Being Jews, the young people understood the original Hebrew
language of the book and thus understood its double meanings. Older people
wanted to "protect" them from this.
However, there is nothing in Scripture to suggest that this
book should not be read by the young. In fact, the marriage habits
this book tries to teach should be developed well before a person is 30.
How unwise to stop people reading a Bible book that God provided!
No premarital sex
The book itself even suggests that the young should be among its readers.
It has several passages specifically addressing the young. One of these is 8:4:
Another passage against sex for the young is 8:8-9:
In our modern society, this reference to protecting a girl whose "breasts
are not yet grown" would seem to be a girl of 12 or younger. However, to
the ancients, this was probably a reference to a girl 17 or younger.
Over the last 250 years, the age at which women reach pubity has fallen
dramatically. Figures show that 250 years ago, this usually happened at about
age 17. Now, thanks to the huge amount of meat that has crept into the modern
diet, it can be about 12, or younger.
So the woman this verse depicts as being protected from early sex is a
woman of about 17.
Honeymoon reading
The present author and his wife made Song of Solomon their main Bible
reading on their honeymoon. The wife read aloud the female portions, and the
husband read aloud the male portions. They read it to each other
about a dozen times on their honeymoon.
To your present author, this seems a particularly suitable use of this Bible
book. It sets a biblical tone about marriage at the very beginning of the
married relationship.
Correct understanding
If we do not let our young people know the Bible's true position on sexuality,
they may adopt the Devil's views of sexuality. They may be swept along in the
tide of cheap sex. Or they may go to the opposite extreme of believing that
sex is something evil.
A correct understand of Song of Solomon will keep us from both of these
errors.
_________________________________________
Author: Phil Ward.
"Your loves are sweeter than wine."
However, in a few translations this verse reads quite differently:
"Your breasts are sweeter than wine."
So which is correct -- "breasts" or "loves"? Both are. In Hebrew, the plural of
this unusual word for "love" is spelt the same as the word "breasts." (In fact,
the Greek translation of the Bible most used by the New Testament Church
translates this word as "breasts.") "Your loves/breasts are sweeter than wine."
This is surely an invitation for the man to say the same to her... an invitation
he takes up in 4:10 when he also says to her,
"Your loves/breasts are sweeter than wine."
This is not the only use of this double meaning word in the book. In ancient
times the whole family often slept in one bed (Luke 11:7). So the
husband/wife sexual relationship usually occured elsewhere, such as in a
garden. "Let us go to the countryside....
Let us go early to the vineyards
to see if their blossoms have opened,
and if the pomegranates have bloomed.
There I will give you my love."
Or this last line can be:
"There I will give you my breasts."
The erotic nature of this husband/wife relationship could hardly be more clearly
stated. The fact that this is found in Scripture suggests that this is the type
of relationship God wants wives to have with their husbands. "I would lead you
and take you
to my mother's house,
she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
the nectar of my pomegranates."
Clearly this is "wine" is not coming from literal pomegranates. When you
realise that the pomegranate is a fruit shaped like a woman's breast, the
meaning of the passage becomes obvious. "Your navel is a rounded goblet.
It will never lack mixed wine."
This is a most unusual comment and disguises what the man is actually saying
to the
woman. The statement can read:
"Your virgina is a rounded goblet.
It will never lack mixed juices."
Thus, the husband is promising the wife a constant and frequent
sexual relationship. Obviously, the thought that sexual intercourse is only for
procreation is not found in this verse. "Daughters of Jerusalem,
Do not arouse
or awaken love."
Since this passage is addressed to the young, it is imply that these
"daughters" should be reading it to receive its message.
And the message it is giving is that young "daughters" should not arouse love
prematurely. "We have a young sister,
and her breasts are not yet grown.
What will we do for our sister...?
If she is a wall,
we will build silver towers on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with cedar panels."
To the ancients, a tower on a wall was something to protect the wall. The
comment about building a tower is a way of saying the younger sister should be
protected. Similarly, the comment to "enclose her with cedar panels" repeats
the thought of the younger sister being protected.