How fair and pleasant you are
This phrase highlights the admiration and affection expressed by the speaker, often interpreted as Solomon, towards his beloved. The use of "fair" and "pleasant" suggests a deep appreciation for both physical beauty and character. In biblical context, beauty is often associated with God's creation, as seen in Genesis 1:31, where God saw everything He made as "very good." The Song of Solomon, as a whole, celebrates the beauty of love and marriage, reflecting the divine intention for human relationships. The admiration here can also be seen as a type of Christ's love for the Church, as described in Ephesians 5:25-27, where Christ cherishes and sanctifies the Church.

O love
The term "love" here is significant, as it denotes a deep, intimate connection. In Hebrew, the word used can imply both romantic and covenantal love, reflecting the multifaceted nature of love in biblical terms. This mirrors the covenant relationship between God and His people, as seen in Hosea 2:19-20, where God promises to betroth Israel to Himself in love and faithfulness. The use of "love" in this context also points to the ideal of marital love as a reflection of divine love, emphasizing commitment, passion, and mutual respect.

with your delights!
"Delights" refers to the pleasures and joys found in the beloved, encompassing both physical and emotional aspects. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, marriage was seen as a source of joy and fulfillment, as indicated in Proverbs 5:18-19, which encourages rejoicing in the wife of one's youth. The delights mentioned here can also be understood as the blessings and joys of a godly relationship, which are a gift from God. This aligns with the broader biblical theme of God desiring joy and abundance for His people, as seen in John 10:10, where Jesus speaks of giving life abundantly. The delights in this passage can also be seen as a type of the spiritual blessings found in Christ, who is the ultimate source of joy and satisfaction for believers.

1. The Beloved
The speaker in this verse is often interpreted as the bridegroom, expressing admiration for his bride. This reflects the intimate and loving relationship between the two.

2. The Bride
The recipient of the admiration, representing beauty and delight. In a broader sense, she can symbolize the Church or the individual believer in a spiritual allegory.

3. The Setting
The Song of Solomon is set in a pastoral and romantic context, often interpreted as a series of love poems between Solomon and his bride, or allegorically, between God and His people.The Beauty of Love
The verse highlights the beauty and delight found in love, encouraging believers to cherish and nurture their relationships, especially within marriage.

Spiritual Allegory
While the verse speaks of romantic love, it also serves as an allegory for the love between Christ and the Church, reminding believers of the deep, personal relationship they are called to have with God.

Value of Delight
The expression of delight in the beloved encourages believers to find joy and satisfaction in their relationships, both human and divine, as a reflection of God's love.

Holiness in Relationships
The admiration and purity expressed in this verse call believers to pursue holiness and integrity in their relationships, mirroring the love and commitment of Christ to His Church.Verses 6-9. - (Song of the bridegroom rejoicing over the bride.) How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights! This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. I said, I will climb up into the palm tree, I will take hold of the branches thereof: let thy breasts be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy breath like apples; and thy mouth like the best wine, that goeth down smoothly for my beloved, gliding through the lips of them that are asleep. The abstract "love" is plainly here used for the concrete, "O loved one." It is just possible that the meaning may be - How delightful is the enjoyment of love! but the bodily description which follows suggests that the words are addressed directly to Shulamith. We certainly have in 1 Corinthians 13, an apostolic apostrophe to love, which Delitzsch calls the Apostle Paul's spiritual song of songs. But it would be somewhat irrelevant here. The king is deeply moved as he watches the beautiful figure before him, and delights in the thought that so lovely a creature is his own. The rapture which he pours out may be taken either as a recollection of how he was captivated in the past, or the past may be used for the present, as it frequently is in Hebrew. The meaning is the same in both cases. The palm tree may be selected on account of its elegance, but it is commonly employed in Eastern poetry as the emblem of love. The mystical writers use it to denote the Divine manifestation. The comparison of the breasts to clusters of grapes is quite natural, but no doubt reference is intended to the fruit as luscious and refreshing. Both the palm and the vine in the East are remarkable for the abundance and beauty of their fruits. In the case of the palm - "dark brown or golden-yellow clusters, which crown the summit of the stem and impart a wonderful beauty to the tree, especially when seen in the evening twilight." The palm and the vine are both employed in Scripture in close connection with the Church. "The righteous shall flourish as the palm tree;" "The vine brought out of Egypt" (Ps Psalm 80.), and the "vineyard of the beloved" (Isaiah 5.), and the "true vine," to which the Lord Jesus Christ compares himself, remind us that the illustration was perfectly familiar among the Jews; and we can scarcely doubt that the reference in this case would be understood. The Lord delighteth in those "fruits of righteousness" which come forth from the life and love of his people. They are the true adornment of the Church. The people of God are never so beautiful in the eyes of their Saviour as when they are covered with gifts and graces in their active expression in the world. Then it is that he himself fills his Church with his presence. The ninth verse is somewhat difficult to explain. The words are no doubt still in the lips of the king. There is no change of speaker until ver. 10, when Shulamith replies to the king's adoring address. Ginsburg says, "Her voice is not merely compared to wine because it is sweet to everybody, but to such wine as would be sweet to a friend, and on that account is more valuable and pleasant." The Authorized Version is supported by some critics as the best, "causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak." Delitzsch adheres to this. The LXX. renders it thus: ἱακανουμὲνος χειλεσί μου καὶ ὀδοῦσιν, "accommodating itself to my lips and teeth." So Symmachus, προστιθέμενος. Jerome, Labiisque et dentibus illius ad ruminandum. Luther strangely renders, "which to my friend goes smoothly down and speaks of the previous year" (pointing יְשֵׁנִים as יְשָׁנִים). Another rendering is, "which comes unawares upon the lips of the sleepers." Some think it refers to the smacking of the lips after wine. "Generous wine is a figure of the love responses of the beloved, sipped in, as it were, with pleasing satisfaction, which hover around the sleepers in delightful dreams, and fill them with hallucinations." Another reading substitutes "the ancient" for "them that are asleep." The general meaning must be wine that is very good and easily taken, or which one who is a good judge of wine will praise. It is possible that there is some slight corruption in the text. The passage is not to be rendered with absolute certainty. Delitzsch and others think that it is an interruption of the bride's, but they have little support for that view. The bride begins to speak at ver. 10.

Parallel Commentaries ...


How
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

fair
יָּפִית֙ (yā·p̄îṯ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 3302: To be bright, beautiful

and how
וּמַה־ (ū·mah-)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

pleasant [you are],
נָּעַ֔מְתְּ (nā·‘amt)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 5276: To be pleasant, delightful, or lovely

O love,
אַהֲבָ֖ה (’a·hă·ḇāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 160: Love (noun)

with your delights!
בַּתַּֽעֲנוּגִֽים׃ (bat·ta·‘ă·nū·ḡîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8588: Daintiness, luxury, exquisite delight


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OT Poetry: Song of Solomon 7:6 How beautiful and how pleasant you (Song Songs SS So Can)