What is the meaning of Song of Solomon 5:15? His legs are pillars of marble – Picture the beloved’s legs as gleaming, polished marble columns. This image highlights: • Solid support. Marble pillars hold great weight without shifting. In the same way, the bridegroom’s character provides immovable stability (Psalm 18:2; Isaiah 33:6). • Enduring strength. Marble endures centuries; the bride sees a strength that will not crumble (1 Corinthians 15:58). • Beautiful purity. Marble’s smooth whiteness suggests moral purity and blamelessness (Philippians 2:15). • Temple imagery. Solomon’s own temple boasted two mighty pillars, Jachin and Boaz (1 Kings 7:21). By echoing that architecture, the bride hints that her beloved, like those pillars, upholds what is holy. set on bases of pure gold – The support-points beneath the marble are gold, not plain stone. Gold carries ideas of: • Priceless worth. The bride prizes her beloved’s foundational virtues above all treasures (Proverbs 31:10; 1 Peter 1:7). • Incorruptibility. Gold does not tarnish; his faithfulness is unchanging (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). • Divine glory. Gold furnished the sanctuary (Exodus 25:17; 1 Kings 6:22); the beloved’s life radiates that same glory. The marble may illustrate visible strength, but the hidden bases of gold reveal a deeper, heavenly quality supporting everything else. His appearance is like Lebanon – Lebanon’s mountain range rises in commanding beauty, draped with snow in winter, green in summer. Comparing the beloved to Lebanon says: • He stands tall and noble, naturally drawing every eye (Psalm 93:1; Isaiah 52:7). • He carries refreshing fragrance, for Lebanon was known for its sweet-smelling forests (Hosea 14:5-6). • He offers refuge; mountains speak of security and permanence (Psalm 125:2). To the bride, just seeing him calms and elevates her spirit, as gazing on distant peaks lifts a traveler’s heart. as majestic as the cedars – Cedars of Lebanon grew straight, soaring up to 100 feet. They supplied timber for palaces and the temple (1 Kings 5:6). Saying the beloved is like those cedars stresses: • Height and dignity. He towers above lesser trees, inspiring awe (Ezekiel 31:3-5). • Strength and longevity. Cedars live for centuries; the beloved’s vigor will not fade (Psalm 92:12-14). • Shelter. Birds nested safely in cedar branches (Ezekiel 17:23); his presence offers protection and peace (Matthew 11:28-29). • Fragrance. Cedar wood carries a pleasant scent that resists decay, symbolizing life-giving influence (2 Corinthians 2:15). summary Song of Solomon 5:15 paints a composite portrait of the bridegroom: unshakable strength (pillars of marble), undergirded by priceless holiness (bases of gold), rising in noble beauty (Lebanon’s peaks), and inspiring awe with enduring, fragrant majesty (cedars). Literally, the bride delights in her husband’s physical stature, but the Spirit also invites us to behold Christ, whose steadfast character, glorious worth, towering authority, and life-giving presence meet every need of His people. |
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