Troublesome Topic: “HIS BANNER OVER ME WAS LOVE” 2:4

Song of Solomon 2:4

Translation

He brought me to the house of wine,

and his banner over me

was love.

Paraphrase

He brought me to the place where his prosperity is evident and we experience happiness together;

I was motivated to commit myself to him with complete loyalty because his reputation is that of love.

A banner was often used in battles. It was used by the troops not just to help identify their regiment, but as a source of motivation and encouragement. When they saw their banner, it was an inspiration for them to fight a little harder, or hang on a little longer. The banner was a source of assurance. What a wife desires more than anything else on earth is to know, to be absolutely sure, that her husband loves her. She wants to be cherished, treasured. Nothing else can be a substitute for the assurance that it is so.

Banners were also used for identification. The tribes of Israel all had their own banners which they carried as they marched so that people could tell for sure that they were marching in the right place in the column. Above I have woven into the paraphrase an element of identity and the assurance it brings as part of the impact of this image. This does not supersede the meaning of “motivation” which remains the primary impact of this image, but it is my attempt to acknowledge that the people of ancient times would likely have seen several layers of meaning in this one image.

Another layer in this symbol is that a banner could inspire fear in the enemy. In a marriage relationship there is no room for the presence of other lovers. Our motivation to remain committed to our spouse should be obvious to all, including to our children and even to any who might think of stepping in to steal sexual favors that do not belong to them.

The Israelites would have seen yet another layer of meaning in this word, one which will take a few paragraphs to explain. In Exodus chapter 17 we read the story of how the Amalekites attacked the slow and weak travelers at the back of the Israelite column as they travelled. So God’s people engaged the Amalekites, and Moses went to the top of a mountain or plateau and raised his arms toward heaven with the staff of God in his hands (v.9) and in full view of Israelite army. When he kept his arms (and the staff) up, Israel advanced; when he put his arms down, Israel suffered losses. You may recall that Aaron and Hur came and held Moses’ arms up for him. At the end of that battle Moses built an altar and called it YHVH Nissi, meaning “God is our banner” (v. 15).

This would have reminded the Israelites of what they had known in Egypt. Egyptian temples all had tall poles from which they flew banners. These banners originated during military expeditions in order to keep the troops together and motivated. Most, if not all, armies of that part of the world during biblical times used banners. But to the Egyptians the banner represented more than just military unity and motivation. They saw it as a representation of their god of war who was fighting for them. The connection between a banner and the identity of the god it pointed to was so strong that the symbol of a banner became an Egyptian symbol for a god. When an Egyptian looked to his banner he was looking to his god. The banner was also something to follow, a guide. They were to keep their eyes on the banner, in both a military and a religious sense. In Exodus chapter 17 God tells His people, I am your banner, your motivation, the one you should follow, your guide, your authority, your strength and your victory.

Later we read about the snakes that bit many people (Num. 21). God told Moses to make a snake and put it on a “banner.” Those who looked to it, would be saved. This reminded them of what God had said to them earlier, “I am your banner,” and the implication was clear—“I am your salvation.” According to Isaiah 11:10 Jesus would be the shoot from the stem of Jesse, and he would stand as a “banner” for the nations. In John 12:32 we read how Jesus said, “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (NLT). This “lifted up” is a term used of banners. Jesus is our banner, our source of motivation, that which encourages commitment; we should look to him for guidance; He is our God, and we can be sure He will give us strength and victory.

The next lesson is: Do Not Arouse or Awaken Love Until It so Desires

Footnotes

1: “house of wine”

Did it refer to a banqueting hall where wine was served? Possibly. Was it just a wine cellar for storage? Sometimes. But those questions take us the wrong direction. The emphasis here, as far as the symbolism goes, is an emphasis on wine itself. Where it was served is of lesser importance. As such this line points to the qualities of wine, how it was used in celebrations, and how it served as a symbol of prosperity and happiness. Notice that it takes about 3 lines in the paraphrase column to begin to express what 3 words in the translation column communicate through symbolism.

2

“Love” is not used here as a symbol, but it is part of the symbolism of the word “Banner.” Usually a banner had an identifying image on it, be that a lion, an eagle, etc. but in this case the image on the banner was simply love. How that would be depicted is not something worth debating because it is not necessary for the imagery to make its point. His reputation, his very identity, and the person that she knows as Solomon are all characterized by love. She is saying that another name for Solomon is Love, and that has attracted her to him and motivates her to follow him.