Rachel weeping for her children

This is the account of the Wise Men who came to pay tribute to the Jesus the child and the attempt of Herod to do evil. The wise men came from the East, could be astrologers or descendants of Israel in captivity. They know the prophecies concerning the Messiah. Herod was troubled by this, but it also seemed that the whole Jerusalem also had something to worry from this. It is not clear why they were troubled if the prophecy of the coming Messiah was fulfilled, but if they realised their guilt they should be repenting and rejoicing. But instead Herod was secretly plotting to find out where Messiah was by using the wise men. It also shows the arrogance and pride in men in thinking they can change the plans of Almighty God.

Prophecy fulfilled: Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, .... Yet out of you shall come forth to Me"

The wise men eventually found the child Jesus and worshipped Him. They were warned in a dream not to return to tell Herod, and they obeyed the message in their dream. Another angel then appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to take his family to Egypt. Although Joseph biologically did not contribute to Jesus, God still regarded him as the rightful guardian of the child Jesus and gave him instructions. The angel also explained to Joseph the intention of Herod to destroy the children. Jesus would later return to Israel from Egypt.

Prophecy fulfilled: Hosea 11:1 "And out of Egypt I called My son".

While Herod was with the wise men, He asked about the timing of the star to work out the age of the child Messiah. When Herod realised the wise men did not return to him to tell him the location of the child Messiah, Herod estimated the child would be not older than 2 years old, hence he ordered that children under two to be destroyed.

Prophecy fulfilled: Jeremiah 31:15 - "Rachel weeping for her children"

Some time later when Herod was dead, an angel told Joseph that the danger for them is past and so Joseph returned with his family to Israel. But Joseph was concerned about the new successor of Herod, so instead of returning to Bethlehem, he moved his family to Nazareth in the Galilee region.

Prophecy fulfilled: "He shall be called a Nazarene"



Matthew 2
Wise Men from the East

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”[a]
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

The Flight into Egypt

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”[b]

Massacre of the Innocents

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”[c]
The Home in Nazareth

19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

I Sleep, But My Heart Is Awake

The chapter describes basically the Shulamite's woman loss of her Beloved. The Beloved seems to have been celebrating with his friends and did thought about the Shulamite woman.

Turning to the scene of the Shulamite woman, she had fallen asleep, waiting for her Beloved. She heard a knock on the door but there was no one there. So she went out to find him. It also seemed she was attacked while searching for him. When asked, she described to the daughters of Jerusalem, the very fine physical appearance of her beloved.




Song of Solomon 5


The Beloved

1 I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse;
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice;
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk.


(To His Friends)

Eat, O friends!
Drink, yes, drink deeply,
O beloved ones!


The Shulamite’s Troubled Evening


The Shulamite

2 I sleep, but my heart is awake;
It is the voice of my beloved!
He knocks, saying,
“Open for me, my sister, my love,
My dove, my perfect one;
For my head is covered with dew,
My locks with the drops of the night.”
3 I have taken off my robe;
How can I put it on again?
I have washed my feet;
How can I defile them?
4 My beloved put his hand
By the latch of the door,
And my heart yearned for him.
5 I arose to open for my beloved,
And my hands dripped with myrrh,
My fingers with liquid myrrh,
On the handles of the lock.
6 I opened for my beloved,
But my beloved had turned away and was gone.
My heart leaped up when he spoke.
I sought him, but I could not find him;
I called him, but he gave me no answer.
7 The watchmen who went about the city found me.
They struck me, they wounded me;
The keepers of the walls
Took my veil away from me.
8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
That you tell him I am lovesick!


The Daughters of Jerusalem

9 What is your beloved
More than another beloved,
O fairest among women?
What is your beloved
More than another beloved,
That you so charge us?


The Shulamite

10 My beloved is white and ruddy,
Chief among ten thousand.
11 His head is like the finest gold;
His locks are wavy,
And black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves
By the rivers of waters,
Washed with milk,
And fitly set.
13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices,
Banks of scented herbs.
His lips are lilies,
Dripping liquid myrrh.
14 His hands are rods of gold
Set with beryl.
His body is carved ivory
Inlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are pillars of marble
Set on bases of fine gold.
His countenance is like Lebanon,
Excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet,
Yes, he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved,
And this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem!

Behold, You Are Fair, My Love

This chapter is the first extensive praise from the Beloved to the Shulamite woman. The description is filled with intimacy. The praise compares the woman with the beauty of nature from the animals to the plants and fruits. One glimpse of the relationship in Israelite culture was that the spouse was also regarded like a sister. This supports the commentary that when Abraham called Sarah her sister, it was not entirely false, although intentionally misleading.


Song of Solomon 4
The Bridegroom Praises the Bride

The Beloved

4 Behold, you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove’s eyes behind your veil.
Your hair is like a flock of goats,
Going down from Mount Gilead.
2 Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep
Which have come up from the washing,
Every one of which bears twins,
And none is barren among them.
3 Your lips are like a strand of scarlet,
And your mouth is lovely.
Your temples behind your veil
Are like a piece of pomegranate.
4 Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built for an armory,
On which hang a thousand bucklers,
All shields of mighty men.
5 Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle,
Which feed among the lilies.

6 Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.

7 You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you.
8 Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse,
With me from Lebanon.
Look from the top of Amana,
From the top of Senir and Hermon,
From the lions’ dens,
From the mountains of the leopards.

9 You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.
10 How fair is your love,
My sister, my spouse!
How much better than wine is your love,
And the scent of your perfumes
Than all spices!
11 Your lips, O my spouse,
Drip as the honeycomb;
Honey and milk are under your tongue;
And the fragrance of your garments
Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12 A garden enclosed
Is my sister, my spouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.
13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
With pleasant fruits,
Fragrant henna with spikenard,
14 Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon,
With all trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes,
With all the chief spices—
15 A fountain of gardens,
A well of living waters,
And streams from Lebanon.


The Shulamite

16 Awake, O north wind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
That its spices may flow out.
Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant fruits.

Who is this Coming out of the Wilderness

This chapter illustrates the Shulamite woman looking for her Beloved at night. She found him at last and brought him back to her house. The second part is still the Shulamite woman speaking and describing Solomon's coming and the anticipation of it. In a very abstract way, the first part could be our seeking of Christ and eventually found him. Then the second part may represent His Second Coming in glory. Also noticed that in the first part Solomon was not named, but in the second part Solomon was named and crowned with glory for all to see. The coming of Christ again would surpass this description.



Song of Solomon 3
A Troubled Night

The Shulamite

3 By night on my bed I sought the one I love;
I sought him, but I did not find him.
2 “I will rise now,” I said,
“And go about the city;
In the streets and in the squares
I will seek the one I love.”
I sought him, but I did not find him.
3 The watchmen who go about the city found me;
I said,
“Have you seen the one I love?”
4 Scarcely had I passed by them,
When I found the one I love.
I held him and would not let him go,
Until I had brought him to the house of my mother,
And into the chamber of her who conceived me.
5 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the does of the field,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.


The Coming of Solomon
The Shulamite

6 Who is this coming out of the wilderness
Like pillars of smoke,
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
With all the merchant’s fragrant powders?
7 Behold, it is Solomon’s couch,
With sixty valiant men around it,
Of the valiant of Israel.
8 They all hold swords,
Being expert in war.
Every man has his sword on his thigh
Because of fear in the night.
9 Of the wood of Lebanon
Solomon the King
Made himself a palanquin:[a]
10 He made its pillars of silver,
Its support of gold,
Its seat of purple,
Its interior paved with love
By the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go forth, O daughters of Zion,
And see King Solomon with the crown
With which his mother crowned him
On the day of his wedding,
The day of the gladness of his heart.

If You Do Not Know, O Fairest Among Women

The Songs of Solomon is renowned as a series of love poems by Solomon. It also has much to teach about God fearing men in their relationship with God fearing women. In this first chapter, a conversation is presented between the Shulamite woman and the Beloved, who would be Solomon.



Song of Solomon 1
Solomon’s Love for a Shulamite Girl

1 The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.

The Banquet
The Shulamite[a]

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
For your[b] love is better than wine.
3 Because of the fragrance of your good ointments,
Your name is ointment poured forth;
Therefore the virgins love you.
4 Draw me away!


The Daughters of Jerusalem

We will run after you.[c]


The Shulamite

The king has brought me into his chambers.



The Daughters of Jerusalem

We will be glad and rejoice in you.[d]
We will remember your[e] love more than wine.


The Shulamite

Rightly do they love you.[f]
5 I am dark, but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the tents of Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not look upon me, because I am dark,
Because the sun has tanned me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me the keeper of the vineyards,
But my own vineyard I have not kept.


(To Her Beloved)

7 Tell me, O you whom I love,
Where you feed your flock,
Where you make it rest at noon.
For why should I be as one who veils herself[g]
By the flocks of your companions?


The Beloved

8 If you do not know, O fairest among women,
Follow in the footsteps of the flock,
And feed your little goats
Beside the shepherds’ tents.
9 I have compared you, my love,
To my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your neck with chains of gold.


The Daughters of Jerusalem

11 We will make you[h] ornaments of gold
With studs of silver.


The Shulamite

12 While the king is at his table,
My spikenard sends forth its fragrance.
13 A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,
That lies all night between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms
In the vineyards of En Gedi.


The Beloved

15 Behold, you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove’s eyes.


The Shulamite

16 Behold, you are handsome, my beloved!
Yes, pleasant!
Also our bed is green.
17 The beams of our houses are cedar,
And our rafters of fir.