servants to take care of such things. The focus of this passage is not on any metaphorical aspect of shepherding, but rather the fact that if the woman visits him at noon, she will need to undertake a difficult journey. Moreover, if the beloved is Solomon, how does the Shulammite’s unique love for her man illustrate the central theme in chapter 8 that true love cannot be bought for any price (see 8:11–12)? Solomon, we are told, has an expensive vineyard worth a thousand shekels that he rents out