The speaker in vv. 1-5 is not Solomon nor the Shulammite but a third one, who signifies the Spirit. The Spirit is one with Christ (2 Cor. 3:17) and one with the believers (Rev. 22:17). Thus, when He speaks, it is as if the two are speaking.

Solomon is the lord of many vineyards (v. 12), which require much labor. At this point the Shulammite must become Solomon’s co-worker. This indicates that eventually Christ’s lovers need to share in the work of the Lord. Their qualification for this depends on their being equipped with all the attributes of the divine life. Verses 1-5 in this chapter are the Spirit’s review of the virtues of the lover, which presents a beautiful portrait of the lovely lover of Christ from her feet to her head as an expression of Christ, whom she loves (cf. S.S. 6:4-10). Such virtues are signs of her maturity in the divine life and qualify her to share in the Lord’s work (cf. 2 Cor. 1:12; 2:14-17; 11:10a; 1 Thes. 2:1-12).

Here the Spirit reviews her beauty in the gospel preaching (footsteps in sandals — Rom. 10:15) and in her standing power (thighs) produced through the skillful transforming work of God the Spirit (jewels — 2 Cor. 3:18).

This indicates that a lover of Christ should reach the maturity in His royal life to reign as a king with Christ (Rom. 5:17). This is a qualification for her to share in the Lord’s work.

Here the Spirit reviews her beauty in her inward parts (navel and belly), which are filled with the divine life received through the drinking of Christ’s blood (wine) and the eating of His flesh (wheat) by faith (lilies). See John 6:53-54 and note John 6:54².

This refers to her beauty in her active ability to feed others in a living way (John 21:15, 17; cf. S.S. 4:5).

Here the Spirit reviews her beauty in her submissive will (neck) wrought by the Spirit’s transforming work through sufferings for the carrying out of God’s will, in the expression of her heart, which is open to the light, clean, full of rest, and accessible (eyes like pools — cf. S.S. 1:15; 4:1; 5:12), and in her spiritual sense of high and sharp discernment (nose — cf. Phil. 1:9-10; Heb. 5:14).

Here the Spirit reviews her beauty in her thoughts and intentions (head), which are strong for God (Carmel — cf. 1 Kings 18:19-39), and in her submission and obedience for her consecration (locks of her head — cf. Num. 6:5a and note Num. 6:5¹), which are for the glory of God (purple) and capture (fetter) her Beloved, who is the King.

While the Spirit is speaking (vv. 1-5), Christ, the Beloved, inserts some words of praise for His lover (vv. 6-9a). In vv. 6-7 the Beloved praises His lover first in her beauty and pleasantness, which delight others, and then in her mature stature, in which she is like Christ (a palm tree — Eph. 4:13), and in her rich feeding of others (breasts like the clusters).

This indicates that the Beloved will enjoy her mature stature of Christ (palm tree — Eph. 4:13) and share it with the members of His Body (branches — John 15:5a). He wishes that her feeding of others would be rich (breasts like clusters of the vine), that her intuition (nose) would be fragrant for nourishing others in life (apples), and that her foretaste would be of the power of the age to come (best wine — v. 9a; John 2:10; Matt. 26:29).

The Shulammite interrupts and continues the words of her Beloved, wishing that He would enjoy smoothly what she could be, and that those who love God in losing consciousness of themselves (those who sleep — cf. 2 Cor. 5:14-15) would enjoy what the Lord would enjoy. This indicates that our working together with others must become their enjoyment.

Christ’s lover wants to carry out with her Beloved the work that is for the entire world (fields) by sojourning from one place to another (lodging in the villages). This indicates that she is not sectarian in carrying out the Lord’s work. She keeps the work open, so that others can come to sojourn there and she can go to sojourn elsewhere. This is to keep one work in one Body.

To share in the work of the Lord is not to work for the Lord but to work together with the Lord (1 Cor. 3:9a; 2 Cor. 6:1a). To work with the Lord, we need the maturity in life, we need to be one with the Lord, and our work must be for His Body. The Shulammite works as Solomon’s counterpart, taking care of all the vineyards (8:11), the churches and the believers on the whole earth. This indicates that our work should be for the Body, not just one city. We must have a work that is for the entire world. This is what Paul did by establishing local churches and then working to bring them into the full realization of the Body of Christ.

In her working together with her Beloved there is a mutual love (signified by mandrakes — Gen. 30:14-16) giving forth its fragrance between them as a couple who love each other, signifying the bridal love between the lover of Christ and Christ, and in their working places there are plenty of fragrant and choice fruits (cf. Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 5:9), new and old, which she stores up for her Beloved in love.

She and her Beloved work diligently not for herself but in the churches (vineyards) for other believers to bud, blossom, and bloom. In the churches she renders her love to her Beloved.