3:7–10
In 3:7–10 the author responded to the rhetorical question in 3:6 (“Who is this…”). People asked that question about the woman and the people coming with her. However, the response in 3:7 does not really answer that question. Instead, it describes the procession. It tells about the guards that surrounded the litter (3:7b–8d) and about how the litter was made (3:9–10).
It may seem strange that the author did not mention the woman again in 3:7–10. However, the way he described the litter and her guards shows that the woman was worthy of royal honor. The author seems to hide her from readers by not describing her until 4:1. She wore a veil, and it was also difficult to see her inside the litter. This mystery makes the woman seem even more interesting.
3:7a
Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage: Scholars interpret this clause in different ways. There are two main views about who is riding in Solomon’s carriage :
(1) The woman was riding in the litter that her beloved Solomon sent. For example:
Look! She is riding in Solomon’s wedding litter!
(2) The woman’s beloved (who is called Solomon here as a praise name) was riding in his litter. For example:
Look! It is Solomon carried in his state litter… (Revised English Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Although no English version makes this interpretation explicit, it is supported by many commentaries. It fits the context of 3:6–11 and helps readers understand the poem as a whole. Here the name Solomon is probably used to refer to the woman’s beloved.
Behold: The word Behold means “Look!” Here it indicates that the speaker wanted people to pay attention to what was coming from the wilderness. The bride was coming in Solomon’s litter. In this context the word “Look!” probably indicates excitement. In many languages there are special words or phrases to communicate such excitement. Other ways to translate it in English are:
Look (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Oh look over there!
-or-
Do you see that? It is…
it is Solomon’s carriage: This clause continues to describe the wedding procession, as in 3:6. In this context the author implies that the man sent his own litter and an armed guard to carry the woman from her family home to her new home in Jerusalem. They had to travel through dangerous areas, so he sent soldiers to guard her.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
There is the palanquin that Solomon ⌊sent⌋
-or-
⌊ King⌋Solomon’s litter is coming!
carriage: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as carriage is a general word for “bed.” However, here people carried it in a wedding procession. Use a word in your language that describes a type of bed or couch that can be carried. In this context it may have had curtains around it so that people could not see the bride.
The author refers to the bride only indirectly here. But the elaborate way that the author described the procession and litter (3:6–10) implies that she was magnificent. The carriage was appropriate for a queen to ride in. Some other ways to translate this meaning of carriage are:
litter
-or-
couch
-or-
⌊ royal⌋seat
Solomon’s: Here the name Solomon is used as a praise name for the woman’s beloved. The word Solomon’s indicates that the litter belonged to her beloved. The context implies that he sent the litter for the woman to ride in as she came to him.
3:7b–c
escorted by sixty of the mightiest men: This clause indicates that sixty strong men were around the carriage on all sides. They surrounded it to protect the woman inside it. They prevented anyone from getting close to her, and they made sure that no one was able to harm her.
Only kings, queens, and their relatives or very rich people were able to pay for so many soldiers to escort them. When the man provided such a large escort for his bride, it emphasized how much he esteemed her. It caused all the people who saw her to know her great status.
Some other ways to translate the clause escorted by sixty of the mightiest men are:
Sixty soldiers are escorting it
-or-
Sixty strong men are all around it
sixty of the mightiest men: The sixty of the mightiest men were an elite guard of trained soldiers. It was unusual to have such a large number of guards to escort a person to Jerusalem. The large number of guards emphasizes the security and protection that the man gave his bride. Other ways to translate sixty of the mightiest men here are:
sixty strong guards
-or-
sixty warriors (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
sixty soldiers (God’s Word)
3:7c
of the mightiest men of Israel: The phrase of the mightiest men of Israel indicates that the sixty men were chosen from among the best soldiers of Israel. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
of Israel’s best soldiers (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the finest soldiers in Israel (Good News Translation)
-or-
some of Israel’s mightiest warriors. (NET Bible)
-or-
and braver than any other in Israel.
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