My beloved is mine, and I am his;
Song of Songs 2:16-17 (ESV)
he grazes among the lilies.
Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle
or a young stag on cleft mountains.
The Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) can be a challenging read. What do we do with this book that is borderline erotic? Why is it even in the Bible?
These questions, and more, have been asked throughout history. Many have questioned its place in the canon and how to interpret it. It is one of the most controversial inclusions in the Bible. A book that celebrates sexuality and never mentions God.
Some have understood the Song as an allegory about God and his people or Christ and his church. And that might be. But it seems, at the surface level at least, to be simply about a woman and her beloved enjoying each other in a very intimate fashion—a celebration, if you will, of sex within marriage.
And that is what the quoted passage above is about: enjoying the pleasures of each other throughout the night. But this is not just a one-night stand or short-term relationship. The two are committed to each other.
The first line of the quote above is from the woman, but the sentiment is shared between them. “My beloved is mine, and I am his.” They belonged to each other. They were the one flesh that Genesis 2:24-25 referred to.
But that oneness between husband and wife is not only sexual. It is being one in heart and mind as well—valuing and cherishing one another above any other human relationship, thing, or activity. To belong together as one person. There is no better human relationship.
This oneness does not happen by accident. It takes two who are committed to the relationship and willing to put forth the effort and necessary self-sacrifice. But the effort and sacrifice are well worth it.
“I am my beloved’s, and she is mine.”
