Today in the Bible

Iyyar 3, 5785; from sunset April 30, 2025, to sunset May 1, 2025

(The third day of the second month)

Today in the Bible, we’re going to take a moment to celebrate spring and the joy of love by exploring a few verses from the Song of Solomon. It’s springtime in Israel and the grape vines and pomegranate trees are in bloom.

Lechah dodi, netze hassadeh, nalinah bakfarim.

Let’s go my love, let’s go out to the field, we will lodge in the villages.

נַשְׁכִּימָה לַכְּרָמִים

Nashkimah lakeramim.

We will go early to the vineyards.

נִרְאֶה אִם פָּרְחָה הַגֶּפֶן פִּתַּח הַסְּמָדַר

Nir’eh im parchah hagefen, pitach hasmadar,

We will see if the vines are budding, their blossoms are opening,

הֵנֵצוּ הָרִמּוֹנִים

henetzu harimmonim.

the pomegranate trees have bloomed.

שָׁם אֶתֵּן אֶת-דֹּדַי לָךְ

Sham eten et-dodai lach.

There I will give my love to you.

הַדּוּדָאִים נָתְנוּ-רֵיחַ

Haduda’im natnu-rei-ach,

The mandrakes will give us their fragrance,

וְעַל-פְּתָחֵינוּ כָּל-מְגָדִים

ve’al petacheinu kol-megadim,

and upon our doorways, all excellent things,

חֲדָשִׁים גַּם-יְשָׁנִים

chadashim gam-yeshanim,

the new ones, also the old ones,

דּוֹדִי צָפַנְתִּי לָךְ

dodi tzafanti lach.

my love, I will store up for you.

-Song of Solomon 7:11-13

It’s spring and love is in the air…and in the Hebrew!  The words listed below are all included in the above verses, and they all come from the same verb-root – דוד (dalet-vav-dalet) – meaning to love or fondle. 

A couple of days ago, we learned about the root of these words when we studied the commander for this month – Dodai. Dodai was appointed by King David (דָּוִד), whose name also comes from the same root word.

But how does a mandrake fall into the category of love? A mandrake is a plant which oftentimes has roots that appear humanoid…they can look like babies! In ancient times, they were thought to increase fertility.

Lechah Dodi

You may recognize the first two Hebrew words in Song of Solomon 7:12 – “lechah dodi.”  Lechah Dodi is the name of a song composed in the 1600s, inspired by the Song of Solomon.  In the song, my beloved and I are going out to meet the “bride” – which is the Sabbath.  It is sung on Friday evenings to usher in the Sabbath.

It is said that for six thousand years, between Adam and the advent of the Messianic Era, man is appointed to work.  These six thousand years correspond to the six days of Creation when God labored.  The weekly Sabbath is a foreshadowing of the one-thousand-year reign of the Messiah (a time when each man will have his own vine and fig tree).  In a Psalm attributed to Moses, we are told of the comparison of one day unto the LORD and a thousand years to mankind.  The apostle Peter echoes this sentiment in one of his epistles.

The song is traditionally sung in Hebrew; below are the translated lyrics.

Lechah Dodi

Chorus:

Let’s go, my beloved, to meet the bride,

and let us welcome the presence of Shabbat.

“Safeguard” and “Remember” in a single utterance,

We were made to hear by the unified God,

God is one and God’s Name is one,

In fame and splendor and praiseful song.

To greet Shabbat let’s go, let’s travel,

For she is the wellspring of blessing,

From the start, from ancient times she was chosen,

Last made, but first planned.

Sanctuary of the king, royal city,

Arise! Leave from the midst of the turmoil;

Long enough have you sat in the valley of tears

And He will take great pity upon you compassionately.

Shake yourself free, rise from the dust,

Dress in your garments of splendor, my people,

By the hand of Jesse’s son of Bethlehem,

Redemption draws near to my soul.

Rouse yourselves! Rouse yourselves!

Your light is coming, rise up and shine.

Awaken! Awaken! Utter a song,

The glory of the Lord is revealed upon you.

Do not be embarrassed! Do not be ashamed!

Why be downcast? Why groan?

All my afflicted people will find refuge within you

And the city shall be rebuilt on her hill.

Your despoilers will become your spoil,

Far away shall be any who would devour you,

Your God will rejoice concerning you,

As a groom rejoices over a bride.

To your right and your left you will burst forth,

And the Lord will you revere

By the hand of a child of Peretz,

We will rejoice and sing happily.

Come in peace, crown of her husband,

Both in happiness and in jubilation

Amidst the faithful of the treasured nation

Come O Bride! Come O Bride!

Come O Bride! Shabbat Queen!

“Safeguard and Remember” these lyrics harken back to the Ten Commandments and remind us that it is incumbent upon us to guard the Sabbath day and keep it holy.   On a weekly basis, we can “leave from the midst of the turmoil” which arises from the dustiness of our earthly lives; and, for one day a week, relish in the rest that God has prepared for us.  We can spend one day a week enjoying peace and prosperity under the vine and fig tree.

The song recognizes the “son of Jesse of Bethlehem” as our Redeemer and alludes to the resurrection of the dead (awake! rouse yourself!).  It calls us to dress in our “garments of splendor.”  It is traditional to save the best of the week for the Sabbath – the best food, the best wine, and wear your best clothes.  The “garments of splendor” which we wear on the Sabbath may be compared to the garments of “incorruption” and “immortality” spoken of by Paul in 1 Corinthians.

In our post “The First Yom Kippur?“, we compared the garments of skin, which God made for Adam and Eve after their sin, to Paul’s statement above. Adam and Eve were changed from immortal to mortal when they sinned. When we choose Jesus as our Savior, our mortal bodies will be changed to immortal in the resurrection – an undoing of what was done in Eden. By wearing our best clothing on the Sabbath, we are rehearsing for that day.

Exodus 31:13-18 tells us that the Sabbath was a sign between God and the children of Israel.  By keeping the Sabbath, they would know that He is the LORD who sanctifies them.  As believers in Jesus, it is no different for us.  Observing the weekly Sabbath is a statement we can make now to show that Jesus is our Messiah who has sanctified us. We can keep the Sabbath in honor of Him and His future Messianic reign.  Solomon wrote, “Nashkimah lekeramim” (we will go early to the vineyards) – by ceasing our labors on the Sabbath, we too can “go early” to the vineyards of the Messianic Era.