The Objective Grammar of Beauty
Introduction: The World's War on Women
We live in an age that is profoundly confused about men and women, and consequently, it is confused about beauty. Our culture wages a two front war on true feminine beauty. On one side, you have the pornographic culture of lust, which reduces a woman to a collection of parts to be consumed. It is a beauty that is plastic, airbrushed, and ultimately, inhuman. It is a ravenous and devouring thing. On the other side, you have a sterile and resentful feminism, which often views beauty as a patriarchal trap, a form of bondage to be resisted. One side makes an idol of the body; the other despises it as a problem. Both are forms of a new Gnosticism, a hatred for the created world as God actually made it.
Into this confusion, the Word of God speaks with breathtaking clarity, warmth, and delight. The Song of Solomon is not a book for the prudish, nor is it a book for the lecherous. It is a book for covenant keepers. It shows us that the human body, and particularly the beauty of a wife, is not something to be ashamed of or to be idolized, but rather something to be celebrated within the protective and exclusive bond of marriage. It is a good gift from a good God.
Here, Solomon is not just giving his bride a few passing compliments. He is defining her. He is speaking a reality into existence with his words of praise. This is a detailed, poetic, and robust appreciation of his wife. It is specific, personal, and profoundly theological. This is not the language of a one night stand; this is the language of a covenant for life. And as we will see, this glorious picture of marital love is itself a picture, a type, of the far greater love that Christ, the true Solomon, has for His bride, the Church.
The Text
"Behold, you are beautiful, my darling, Behold, you are beautiful! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil; Your hair is like a flock of goats That have leapt down from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes Which have come up from their washing, All of which bear twins, And not one among them has lost her young. Your lips are like a scarlet thread, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate Behind your veil. Your neck is like the tower of David, Built with rows of stones On which are hung one thousand shields, All the small shields of the mighty men. Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle Which feed among the lilies. Until the day breathes And the shadows flee, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense. You are altogether beautiful, my darling, And there is no blemish in you."
(Song of Solomon 4:1-7 LSB)
Guarded and Glorious (v. 1)
The praise begins with a general declaration, and then moves immediately to specific, poetic descriptions.
"Behold, you are beautiful, my darling, Behold, you are beautiful! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil; Your hair is like a flock of goats That have leapt down from Mount Gilead." (Song of Solomon 4:1)
He says it twice for emphasis. This is not flattery; it is a profound statement of fact from his perspective. This is his settled conviction. Then he begins the inventory of her loveliness. Her eyes are like doves. Doves are gentle, peaceful, and in the ancient world, they were symbols of purity and devotion. Her gaze is not predatory or flirtatious with the world. And notice, they are "behind your veil." This is crucial. Her deepest beauty is reserved for him. It is a guarded beauty, a private glory. This is the biblical category of modesty. Modesty is not about hiding the fact that you are a woman; it is about directing the glory of your womanhood to its proper covenantal recipient, your husband.
Her hair is "like a flock of goats that have leapt down from Mount Gilead." For the modern reader, this sounds like a backhanded compliment. But we have to see it with ancient eyes. Imagine standing in a valley and looking up at Mount Gilead, seeing a vast, dark flock of goats flowing down the mountainside in the sun. It is a picture of abundance, of life, of shimmering, cascading glory. It is a wild and wonderful beauty, not a tame and sterile one. Her hair is her glory, as Paul tells us in Corinthians, and Solomon sees it as a magnificent, living thing.
Fruitfulness and Purity (v. 2-3)
From her hair, he moves to her teeth and lips, focusing on health, purity, and the loveliness of her speech.
"Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes Which have come up from their washing, All of which bear twins, And not one among them has lost her young. Your lips are like a scarlet thread, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate Behind your veil." (Song of Solomon 4:2-3)
The imagery for her teeth is dense with meaning. They are white and clean like newly washed sheep. But there is more. They are complete, a full set, "all of which bear twins." This means they are perfectly matched, symmetrical. And "not one among them has lost her young," meaning none are missing. This is a picture of health, wholeness, perfection, and fruitfulness. In a world without modern dentistry, this was a sign of immense health and vitality.
Her lips are like a "scarlet thread." This evokes not just their color and shape, but also their value. A scarlet thread was precious. And it leads to the comment that her mouth, her speech, is lovely. The beauty is not just physical; it is the gracious and wise words that come from her. Her temples, the side of her head, are "like a slice of a pomegranate," again, "behind your veil." A pomegranate is plain on the outside, but when opened, it reveals a treasure of deep red, juicy seeds. This speaks of her mind, her thoughts. There is a hidden, rich, and fruitful inner life that is revealed to him alone. She is not a shallow person; her mind is a garden of delights.
Dignity and Strength (v. 4-5)
The metaphors that follow challenge our modern, sentimental notions of feminine beauty. She is not just pretty; she is strong.
"Your neck is like the tower of David, Built with rows of stones On which are hung one thousand shields, All the small shields of the mighty men. Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle Which feed among the lilies." (Song of Solomon 4:4-5)
To say his wife's neck is like a military tower is, for us, a strange compliment. But it is a powerful statement of her dignity, her strength of character, her regal bearing. She holds her head high. She is not a wilting flower. She is a fortress. The tower of David was a symbol of security, strength, and the glory of the kingdom. The shields hanging on it were the trophies of mighty warriors. Her husband's victories and his honor are her adornment. She is a pillar in his life, a woman of unshakeable character. This is the "virtuous woman" of Proverbs 31, whose husband's heart safely trusts in her.
Then the imagery shifts from strength to tenderness. Her breasts are like two fawns, twins, feeding among lilies. This is a picture of youthful beauty, perfect symmetry, and gentle innocence. They are in a place of purity and delight, the lilies. The imagery is intimate and tender, but it is not crude. It is the language of consecrated delight, not raw lust. He sees her strength and her softness together, and praises both.
The Holy Destination and the Final Verdict (v. 6-7)
Solomon's response to this catalogue of beauty is to resolve to go to her, and he describes their intimacy in the language of worship. This culminates in the summary declaration of the entire passage.
"Until the day breathes And the shadows flee, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense. You are altogether beautiful, my darling, And there is no blemish in you." (Song of Solomon 4:6-7)
His wife's body is, for him, a holy place. Myrrh and frankincense were key ingredients in the temple incense. They were used in worship. Solomon is saying that the marriage bed is an altar. Their physical union is an act of worship. This is the furthest thing from the world's view of sex as mere recreation or animal appetite. For the believer, it is a holy, consecrated act, a "mountain" and a "hill" to be ascended in reverence and joy. He will remain there with her through the night, until the morning comes.
And this leads to the glorious conclusion in verse 7. This is the verdict. This is the objective, covenantal declaration. "You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you." Is this literally true? Is she sinless? Does she never have a bad hair day? Of course not. She is a daughter of Eve. But in his eyes, through the lens of covenant love, she is perfect. He chooses to see her this way. His love covers a multitude of faults. This is not a denial of reality, but the creation of a greater reality between them. His word defines her for him.
The Gospel in the Song
This entire passage is a glorious picture of marriage, but it is not the ultimate reality. It points beyond itself. This is how Christ, the great Bridegroom, loves His bride, the Church.
We are not, in ourselves, beautiful. We are scarred by sin, misshapen by rebellion. We are anything but perfect. But Christ looks upon His people, those whom He has chosen and redeemed, and He makes this very same declaration. He says to the Church, "You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you."
How can this be? It is because He has taken all our blemishes upon Himself on the cross. He has washed us in His own blood. As Paul says, Christ gave Himself up for the church, "that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25-27).
Our beauty is an imputed beauty. Our perfection is a declared perfection, based entirely on His finished work. He gives us eyes like doves, turning our gaze to Him. He clothes us in the robes of His righteousness, a glory greater than any flock on Gilead. He makes our speech lovely and our minds fruitful. He makes us strong, a tower of His grace, adorned with the trophies of His victory over sin and death. He looks at us, His redeemed people, and He sees no flaw.
So husbands, this is your calling. Learn to speak this way. Praise your wife specifically and extravagantly. Let your words define her as beautiful, because in the covenant of your marriage, she is. And for all of us, believers, this is our status before God. We are the bride of Christ. He does not tolerate us. He does not put up with us. He delights in us. He sings over us. He looks at you today, if you are in Him, and says, "You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you." Our task is simply to believe it, and to live like it is true. Because it is.