雅歌 5-6 Song of Songs 5-6
- 馬克牧師
- May 2
- 8 min read
各位平安，今天我們要一起來讀雅歌第五到第六章。
在上一章（第四章）中，我們看見男子用各種華麗的詞彙，深情地讚美他的佳偶，整體氛圍充滿熱戀與讚歎。但第五章開始，故事出現了一個戲劇性的轉折。
這裡我們看到，男子來到女子的門前，時間似乎是在深夜——因為他提到：「我的頭髮被夜露滴濕。」然而，女子卻出人意料地沒有立刻為他開門。她給出的理由看似微不足道——「我都脫了衣服，怎能再穿上？我已洗了腳，怎能再玷污呢？」這種態度像是撒嬌，也可能帶點小脾氣。
但沒過多久，她的愛戰勝了懶惰或倔強，於是趕緊起身去為他開門。然而，門一開，良人卻已離去，不見蹤影。她內心焦急不已，於是半夜裡獨自跑出家門尋找他、呼喚他，彷彿魂不守舍。她反覆相信他真的來過，但這到底是夢境？還是她的思念使她神志恍惚？我們無從得知。
接下來出現了另一個戲劇性場景：女子在街頭徘徊時，被城中守夜巡邏的人誤認為是不正當的女子，甚至遭到毆打與侮辱。這一幕更增添了整段經文的張力與心碎感。有點像是戲劇中出現誤會的場景，女主角陷入困難裡。
這一段的情節真實與否，其實經文並未說明，也許是在夢中、也許是過度思念的幻想，但有一點很確定：她的愛已經深入骨髓。第八節她說：「我因思愛成病」，再次讓我們感受到她強烈的情感與心靈的煎熬。
接著，我們來看女子在第五章最後的反應。
她對耶路撒冷的眾女子說：「你們若遇見我的良人，要告訴他：我因思愛成病。」（5:8）這是一種情感的呼喊，一種深情的表白。但她的朋友們似乎不太理解，於是反問她：「你的良人有何強處，勝過別人的良人？你這樣囑咐我們，是為甚麼呢？」（5:9）
這是一句很實際的質疑：“你男人到底有什麼好？”
於是，第五章後段到第六章初，女子開始傾心吐意，用詩意的語言形容她心愛的良人。
她說，他是：
卓越超群，超乎萬人之上，
頭像至精的金子，
髮如烏鴉般黑密發亮，
眼如溪水旁的鴿子，清澈安靜，
兩腮如香花畦，嘴唇滴下沒藥，
手如金管，鑲有水蒼玉，
身體如雕刻的象牙，光滑閃亮，
腿如白玉石柱，穩固挺拔。
整體形象是一個儀表堂堂、風采迷人、氣質非凡的男子。女子最後總結說：「他全然可愛，這就是我的良人，我的朋友。」（5:16）
在希伯來詩歌中，這種充滿比喻與象徵的描寫，是表達情感與榮美的常見手法。
為了幫助我們中文語境的讀者更能感受這種情感張力，這邊來對比一些中文古典詩詞的對照
句，讓大家可以更貼近感受這種熱烈的愛與傾慕之情：
《雅歌》語句 | 中詩對照語句 |
「我的良人，卓越超群」 | 「鶴立雞群，卓然不群」 - 晉書, 謝安傳 |
「他如香柏樹挺立」 | 「身如松柏之秀」 |
「他穿山越嶺，如羚羊，如小鹿」 | 「步若游龍之姿」 |
「他頭如至精的金子」 | 「玉樹臨風，一表人才」- 世說新語 |
這樣，給各位一些中文的語境，就更可以理解這對戀人中的愛慕之情了。
到第六章，之前這段小插曲就不足為意了，良人繼續讚美著女子，得撒是耶路撒冷北方一座城市，是以花園和天然景觀著名，而耶路撒冷更是千年聖城，既有美貌更有威榮。他繼續濃情蜜意地述說著他佳偶的美貌，更確定著他們之間的情感真摯不移。
《雅歌》令人讀起來常常感到困難，最主要的挑戰是：**它好像沒有什麼清楚的邏輯。**場景常跳來跳去，人物時而對話、時而獨白，內容看起來零碎又有些混亂。你會發現有些段落，好像在夢中，有些情節真假難辨；而整體的敘事也不像歷史書或教義書那樣有清楚的線條。
但即使如此，有一件事我們非常明確可以感受到：這是一段濃烈的愛情，一種擋不住的熱情。
那種情感幾乎是從紙上撲面而來，熱得發燙、濃得化不開。你讀著讀著，會有一種共鳴：「對！戀愛中的人就是這樣啊！」如果你曾談過戀愛，如果你曾經經歷過那種「心癢難耐、朝思暮想」的時光，你就會明白這段經文在說什麼。
當人陷入熱戀的時候，理性會暫時下線，腦袋會變得迷糊 —— 有人說：「一日不見，如隔三秋。」這不是誇張，這是真情流露。
當然，等到這段戀情過去，或是多年以後再回顧，我們也許會覺得那時的自己有點傻，有點誇張。但也正因如此，每當我們讀到像《雅歌》這樣的愛情詩篇，我們內心會再次被觸動——那段曾經的悸動、那場愛得義無反顧的青春，仍然有回音，仍然會讓人熱淚盈眶。
《雅歌》不是寫給理性的，而是寫給心跳的；不是為了論證什麼道理，而是為了讓人記得那種深刻的「被愛與愛人」的經歷。
所以，我們在讀《雅歌》時，不必急著去「搞懂每一句話」，也不必企圖「分析出它的神學系統」，而是讓自己浸泡在這份愛情的情感裡，去感受那份濃烈、專注、毫無保留的愛——那是一種願意為對方改變、奔跑、等待、付出的愛。
然而，這裡我們也先留下一個問題給自己思考：
如果這份愛會令人魂牽夢縈、甘願一切，那麼，當這份愛不只是人與人之間的戀情，而是基督對祂教會、祂百姓的愛時——那會是多麼震撼、多麼深邃的愛呢？
讓我們保留這份疑問，等到第七、第八章的時候，我們再一起揭開那更深的愛之奧祕。
Peace to you all. Today, we are going to read Song of Songs, chapters 5 and 6.
In the previous chapter (chapter 4), we saw how the man used poetic and lavish language to praise his beloved. The tone was filled with admiration and romantic passion. But as we enter chapter 5, the story takes a dramatic turn.
We see the man arriving at the door of his beloved—seemingly in the middle of the night, as he says, “My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.”
However, the woman surprisingly does not open the door immediately. She gives some seemingly trivial excuses: “I have taken off my robe—must I put it on again? I have washed my feet—must I soil them again?” Her response sounds playful, perhaps even a little pouty.
But not long after, her love overcomes her hesitation. She quickly gets up to open the door—but alas, he is already gone. Distressed, she rushes out into the night to look for him, calling out to him, emotionally distraught. She insists he had come, but was it real? Or was she simply overwhelmed by longing? The text doesn’t tell us clearly—it could have been a dream, or a hallucination born from intense desire.
Then comes another dramatic scene: while wandering the streets at night, she is mistaken by the city watchmen for an improper woman. They beat her and insult her—a painful and humiliating experience. Like a tragic twist in a drama, the heroine finds herself misunderstood and mistreated.
Whether this event was real or imagined, the Bible does not say clearly. But one thing is sure: her love has penetrated deep into her bones. In verse 8, she says, “I am lovesick”—a declaration that reveals the intensity and torment of her emotions.
Next, we see her response at the end of chapter 5.
She says to the daughters of Jerusalem, “If you find my beloved, tell him I am faint with love.” (5:8) It’s a cry of emotion, a confession of deep affection. But her friends don’t quite get it. They ask her, “What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you so charge us?” (5:9)
In other words: “What’s so special about your man?”
And so, from the end of chapter 5 into chapter 6, the woman begins to pour out her heart, describing her beloved with poetic and vivid imagery:
He is outstanding among ten thousand,
His head is like the finest gold,
His hair is wavy, black as a raven,
His eyes are like doves by streams of water,
His cheeks are like beds of spice,
His lips drip with myrrh,
His arms are rods of gold set with topaz,
His body is polished ivory decorated with sapphires,
His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold.
Altogether, he is the image of a noble, handsome, and charming man. She concludes, “He is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend.” (5:16)
In Hebrew poetry, such use of metaphor and symbolic imagery is a common way to express emotion and beauty.
To help readers in the Chinese cultural context relate to this passionate adoration, here are some classical Chinese poetic parallels for comparison:
Song of Songs Verse | Classical Chinese Parallel | Source |
“My beloved is outstanding among ten thousand” | “Like a crane standing among chickens, uniquely distinguished” | Jin Shu, Biography of Xie An |
“He stands tall like a cedar” | “Like a graceful pine or cypress” | Classical poetic imagery |
“Leaping over mountains like a gazelle” | “Like a dragon dancing in fluid grace” | Traditional idiom |
“His head is purest gold” | “Like a jade tree in the wind, a true gentleman” | Shishuo Xinyu (A New Account of the Tales of the World) |
With these poetic equivalents, readers can better appreciate the intensity of admiration and romantic longing between the lovers.
In chapter 6, the earlier misunderstanding fades into the background. The man continues to praise his beloved. He compares her to Tirzah, a beautiful city in the north, and to Jerusalem, the majestic holy city—full of beauty and glory. His words overflow with affection, affirming the sincerity and depth of their love.
Song of Songs can be difficult to read. One of the main challenges is that it doesn’t follow a clear logical structure. The scenes jump around. Sometimes it’s dialogue, sometimes monologue. The narrative feels fragmented, even chaotic. At times it reads like a dream—unclear whether what’s happening is real or imagined. Unlike history or doctrine, there’s no straightforward storyline.
And yet, one thing is clear: this is a story of intense love—passionate and uncontainable.
The emotion practically leaps off the page—hot, vibrant, and consuming. As you read, you may find yourself thinking, “Yes, this is exactly what love feels like.”
If you’ve ever been in love—truly in love—you know the feeling of yearning, of counting the minutes, of irrational joy and sorrow. In love, reason often takes a back seat. As the saying goes, “One day apart feels like three years.” That’s not an exaggeration—it’s love, unfiltered.
Of course, when that stage of love passes, or after years have gone by, we may look back and think we were a little foolish, maybe even dramatic. But because of that, every time we read Song of Songs, we are moved again. We remember that fiery season of love—wholehearted, vulnerable, all-in.
Song of Songs isn’t written for the head—it’s written for the heart.It’s not meant to argue theology, but to awaken memory—of what it means to love, and to be loved deeply.
So when we read Song of Songs, we don’t need to try and “figure out every line.” We don’t have to systematize its theology. Instead, we can simply immerse ourselves in the emotion—to feel that kind of bold, focused, and unreserved love. A love that runs, waits, and gives everything for the beloved.
But let’s pause here and leave ourselves with a question to ponder:
If this kind of love can move us to tears,if it can drive someone to wander the streets and long with all their heart—then what happens when this love is not just between two people,but is the love of Christ for His Church?
That kind of love must be even more breathtaking, more profound.
Let’s hold that question in our hearts, and when we reach chapters 7 and 8, we’ll explore the mystery of that greater love together.
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