Troublesome TopicLIPS LIKE SCARLET RIBBON 4:3

Lesson 13 of 16

Song of Solomon 4:3

Translation

Your lips

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are like a ribbon

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of scarlet;

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your mouth is lovely.

Your temples

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behind your veil

are like a piece of pomegranate.

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Paraphrase

Your words decorate our relationship with self-sacrifice;

what you say is pleasing to me [you don’t cut me down].

Your vulnerability, though

hidden from the sight of others,

is beautiful and sweet.

Footnotes

1

The term lips, like the mouth, has to do with words and speech. Notice that in calling both Isaiah and Jeremiah to be God’s spokesmen, God, or an angel, touched their lips.

2

A ribbon was used to decorate something. Sometimes a ribbon was braided into a woman’s hair to decorate it.

3

Scarlet was associated with blood and sacrifices. Self-sacrifice is a key element in every healthy marriage.

4: “temples”

The basic meaning of the word is “thin.” It can mean “temples” because they knew back then that the temples were the thinnest part of the skull. It could also mean “cheeks” because there too the protection is very thin, just a piece of skin. However, it is probably temples because there was another word for cheeks.

5

Pomegranates are a beautiful and colorful fruit, often mentioned in conjunction with the vine, the fig, and the palm, all of which symbolize prosperity and blessing. It was used prominently in the gold work for the temple Solomon built. Slices of pomegranate cause one to think of the color of the fruit inside, which is a strong pink color bordering on red. The inside is made up of hundreds of small seeds each surrounded by some of this reddish pulp. Even the inside of this fruit is very pleasing to the eyes. Being a fruit it combines sweetness with color; it appeals to the taste and to the sight.