What is the meaning of Song of Solomon 6:8?

There are sixty queens

- The narrator acknowledges a royal court already filled with “sixty queens” (Songs 6:8).

- In Solomon’s day, queens were legitimate wives of covenant rank, highlighting real marital bonds (1 Kings 11:3).

- Even in a setting where many hold honored titles, the Shulammite alone captivates Solomon’s heart (Songs 6:9), echoing the way God singles out His covenant people despite the many “rulers of this age” (1 Corinthians 2:8).

- The number sixty—structured, finite, complete—suggests that however impressive the roster, it still falls short of the one true beloved (Psalm 45:10-11).

---

and eighty concubines

- Concubines enjoyed legal protection yet ranked below queens (Exodus 21:10; 2 Samuel 5:13). “Eighty” enlarges the picture of abundance without equality.

- Solomon later amasses hundreds more (1 Kings 11:3), so the smaller figure here may hint at an earlier period, underscoring how the bride’s excellence already eclipses every rival (Proverbs 31:29).

- In gospel perspective, many may profess devotion, but Christ cherishes a distinct, redeemed bride purified “without spot or wrinkle” (Ephesians 5:27).

- The verse therefore magnifies exclusivity: quantity cannot rival covenant intimacy.

---

and maidens without number

- Beyond queens and concubines stand countless young women—potential additions to the harem yet unnamed and unnumbered (Esther 2:2-4).

- Their anonymity stresses the incomparable worth of the chosen bride: “My dove, my perfect one, is unique” (Songs 6:9).

- Spiritually, crowds may be attracted to religious experience (John 6:26), but only those called and known by name truly belong (John 10:3).

- The limitless pool of maidens highlights that human admiration, however vast, cannot substitute for the singular relationship sealed by loyal love (Isaiah 43:1-4).

---

summary

Song 6:8 layers sixty queens, eighty concubines, and numberless maidens to paint a scene of overflowing royal splendor. Yet the very abundance intensifies the message that one woman alone stands peerless. Literally, Solomon elevates the Shulammite above every other courtly candidate. Prophetically, the verse foreshadows Christ’s exclusive affection for His redeemed people: surrounded by multitudes, He prizes a single, covenant bride. Earthly status, sheer numbers, or casual admirers can never rival the delight found in a wholehearted, sanctified union.