Wine is a sign of kingship, and so Solomon is a king of wine. His kisses are better than wine; he is himself a source of intoxication for the bride, Israel (Song 1:2, 4).
Solomon, though, is not merely a giver of wine, but in giving the wine of his love to Israel, he makes Israel into a nation of wine-givers. During his reign, every Israelite sits (enthroned) under a vine and fig tree. Every Israelite has his own vineyard, his own domestic “temple” and house of wine.
The Song depicts this by its transfer of wine imagery from the lover to the beloved. In the first three references to wine in the Song, it is the lover’s love that is intoxicating like wine (1:2, 4); he brings her to a “house of wine” (2:4). But then the bride becomes the wine-giver; her love is better than wine (4:10) and her mouth is the best wine (7:9). Eventually, she takes him to her “house of wine” (8:2). Elevated to royalty, her love becomes an intoxicant for her lover the king.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
