UBF Daily Bread

MY PERFECT ONE

Passage: SongofSongs 6:4~7:9

Key verse: 6:9

He

⁴You are as beautiful as Tirzah,^(A) my darling,
    as lovely as Jerusalem,^(B)
    as majestic as troops with banners.^(C)
⁵Turn your eyes from me;
    they overwhelm me.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
    descending from Gilead.^(D)
⁶Your teeth are like a flock of sheep
    coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin,
    not one of them is missing.^(E)
⁷Your temples behind your veil^(F)
    are like the halves of a pomegranate.^(G)
⁸Sixty queens^(H) there may be,
    and eighty concubines,^(I)
    and virgins beyond number;
⁹but my dove,^(J) my perfect one,^(K) is unique,
    the only daughter of her mother,
    the favorite of the one who bore her.^(L)
The young women saw her and called her blessed;
    the queens and concubines praised her.

Friends

¹⁰Who is this that appears like the dawn,
fair as the moon, bright as the sun,
majestic as the stars in procession?

He

¹¹I went down to the grove of nut trees
    to look at the new growth in the valley,
to see if the vines had budded
    or the pomegranates were in bloom.^(M)
¹²Before I realized it,
    my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people.^[a]

Friends

¹³Come back, come back, O Shulammite;
come back, come back, that we may gaze on you!

He

Why would you gaze on the Shulammite
as on the dance^(N) of Mahanaim?^[b]

7 ^[c]How beautiful your sandaled feet,
    O prince’s^(O) daughter!
Your graceful legs are like jewels,
    the work of an artist’s hands.
²Your navel is a rounded goblet
    that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
    encircled by lilies.
³Your breasts^(P) are like two fawns,
    like twin fawns of a gazelle.
⁴Your neck is like an ivory tower.^(Q)
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon^(R)
    by the gate of Bath Rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon^(S)
    looking toward Damascus.
⁵Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.^(T)
    Your hair is like royal tapestry;
    the king is held captive by its tresses.
⁶How beautiful^(U) you are and how pleasing,
    my love, with your delights!^(V)
⁷Your stature is like that of the palm,
    and your breasts^(W) like clusters of fruit.
⁸I said, “I will climb the palm tree;
    I will take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,
    the fragrance of your breath like apples,^(X)
⁹    and your mouth like the best wine.

She

May the wine go straight to my beloved,^(Y)
flowing gently over lips and teeth.^[d]

Footnotes

Song of Songs 6:12 Or among the chariots of Amminadab; or among the chariots of the people of the prince
Song of Songs 6:13 In Hebrew texts this verse (6:13) is numbered 7:1.
Song of Songs 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-13 is numbered 7:2-14.
Song of Songs 7:9 Septuagint, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew lips of sleepers

Chapter 6 continues with the king’s praise of the Shulamite woman. Among many queens and concubines, he calls her ‘the perfect one,’ ‘unique,’ and ‘the favorite of her mother’ (9). He also calls her ‘prince’s daughter’ (7:1). Other women will call her blessed, and queens will praise her. As she is exalted as the king’s perfect bride, everyone longs to look at her (6:13).

The woman realizes her humble origin, tending crops in the valley. She met the king there and fell in love with him. And because of the king’s love, she has been exalted. Her desire for the king led her to take a seat as a queen among the royals (6:12).

Finding the right object of worship turns one’s life direction (John 4:19-26). Would you come and worship Christ, who calls you the perfect one and loves you for your unique qualities? The Lord is waiting for you with the most affectionate love. Come and see him for yourself, worship him, and rejoice in his love.

Prayer: Father, thank you for revealing yourself to me despite myself. I am overwhelmed by your love. Please help me to grow in a mature relationship with you to love and worship with the right attitude.

One Word: I am made perfect in your love.