5:1 I have come to my garden This section (4:1–5:1) climaxes as the man and woman consummate their love. The man responds to the woman’s invitation (4:16) by partaking of the sensual pleasures of her garden (4:10–15).

I have gathered my myrrh with my spice The man continues using exotic spices to describe the pleasures of physical intimacy with the woman (4:14).

I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey Earlier, the man used honey to describe the sweetness of the woman’s kiss (4:11). Here, he states that he ate the honeycomb along with the honey—most likely emphasizing the totality of his sexual intimacy with her.

I have drunk my wine with my milk Both milk and wine appear earlier (4:10–11). The man states that the woman’s love (or sexuality; see note on 4:10) is better than wine; milk describes her kiss (4:11).

Eat, O friends The speaker in this section (4:1–5:1) could be the man inviting others to celebrate their love, or, more likely, the lover’s companions—perhaps the daughters of Jerusalem—celebrating with and encouraging them to enjoy their love.

5:2 I was asleep but my heart was awake Possibly indicates that this section is a dream. The verb ur (“awake” or “stir”) may also indicate arousal. See 4:16 and note.

my sister A common term of endearment. See note on 4:9.

my dove The man also refers to the woman as his dove in 2:14; 6:9.

the moist night air The man has endured discomfort to be with the woman, adding to the urgency of his request.

5:3 I have taken off my tunic The woman may be saying that she doesn’t want to engage in sexual intimacy. More likely, she is teasing him by playfully turning him down. Her excuse of not being dressed is probably a playful excuse; given his intentions, her lack of a garment is a feeble reason for not allowing the man inside.

5:4 thrust his hand into the opening This phrase may describe the man finding a way to open the door—or, on a metaphorical level, the man initiating sex with the woman. The word chor (“hole”; Job 30:6) may refer to some kind of opening in the door; it also may be a sexual euphemism. The word yad (“hand”) can also be a euphemism (Isa 57:8).

my inmost yearned for him The woman responds to the man with excitement and anticipation.

5:5 open to my beloved The woman grants the man’s earlier request. See Song 5:2.

my hands dripped with myrrh As it does throughout the book, myrrh adds an exotic sensuality to the encounter (1:13; 3:6; 4:14; 5:13).

5:6 but my beloved had turned Since this scene is most likely a dream, the man’s absence when his beloved opens the door probably symbolizes some kind of break in the relationship or the woman’s longing and desire for her beloved (compare 3:1–5).

5:7 they beat me The woman’s encounter with the watchmen here starkly contrasts her encounter with them in 3:3. Here, they beat her and strip her of her garment. This encounter may symbolize an obstacle to intimacy between the lovers, or some kind of division in the relationship.

5:8 I adjure you This Hebrew word refers to swearing an oath. See note on 2:7.

lovesick Likely refers to being lovesick. See note on 2:5.

5:9 is your beloved In response to the woman’s plea for help in finding her beloved (5:8), the daughters of Jerusalem ask what makes her beloved superior to other men. This chorus serves as a transition from the dream/nightmare of 5:2–8 to the woman’s description of her beloved in 5:10–16.

5:10 radiant This Hebrew word describes a shimmering heat (Isa 18:4).

ruddy The Hebrew word used here (which may be translated “red”; see Gen 25:30) could indicate a brownish red skin color. It may also indicate that the man was healthy or fit.

distinguished among ten thousand The man’s appearance stood out. The word revavah refers to an unspecified large number (Psa 3:6). The woman is saying that he is better than everyone else.

5:11 His head is gold, refined gold Probably refers only to his face, since she describes his hair as black.

black as a raven Emphasizes his youth—his hair is black, as opposed to gray (Prov 20:29).

5:12 His eyes are like doves The same as the man’s description of the woman (Song 4:1).

bathed in milk May indicate the whiteness of his eyes, or symbolize wealth and abundance (Exod 3:8; Job 29:6).

5:13 His cheeks are like beds of spice The woman’s description of his cheeks emphasizes their smell. Since most men wore beards (Lev 19:27), the woman probably has the man’s beard in mind here.

dripping liquid myrrh Her description of his lips emphasizes their taste or scent. She is probably describing his kiss, just as he did when he described her lips as dripping sweet honey (see Song 4:11 and note).

5:14 His arms are rods of gold Since gold is not a particularly strong metal, the comparison here emphasizes the beauty and value of the man’s arms.

his belly The Hebrew word used here often refers to intestines (2 Sam 20:10), which were metaphorically affiliated with emotions (Isa 16:11). It can also refer to loins (Gen 15:4), which is probably intended here.

5:15 His legs are columns of alabaster The woman’s description of the man’s legs emphasizes their strength as well as their value.

choice as its cedars The woman describes her beloved as grand. She compares him to cedars—the most majestic tree.

5:16 desirable This Hebrew word can refer to taking pleasure in something (Gen 2:9) or to coveting (in the Ten Commandments; Exod 20:17). The woman emphasizes that the entirety of the man is desirable.