all of them wearing swords and expert in war, each with his sword at his thigh, against terror by night.
Sixty of Israel's best soldiers ring Solomon's bed as it travels. Each one is trained, armed, and watching for danger in the night — so what night is this, and why does a king of peace need a guard?
The King in the Picture
The Solomon of this scene is not a sufferer. One writer draws a sharp line between the two Old Testament kings and what each one pictures:
William KellyNothing can be plainer. Solomon is not the figure of Christ in relation to the church. David may be. I do not mean that David always is. But David may be so above all others, because he at least knew more of the sufferings of Christ. He shared in rejection in a way that Solomon never did. Solomon never knew anything but glory: he was the man of peace. Everything about Solomon was bright and glorious. Clearly the one she looks for is not a suffering one.
Why the Night Matters
One phrase explains the swords: the fear that belongs to night. It also fixes when the scene happens:
William KellySixty valiant men surround Him — from the valiant men of Israel… for you see it is not yet the day. You must remember that. She is expecting, and looking for the day. You find her here, but it is a vision of the night. She is on her bed, so when she does go forth it is from her bed, and so on. It is not yet the day. The day is expected, looked for, counted on; but not yet come.
A Rest That Cannot Be Disturbed
The guard is not a sign of weakness in the King. It shows that the rest at the centre of the picture is guarded rest. Commentators read that rest forward into Christ's coming reign:
The Song of SolomonThe bed is the place of rest for the bridegroom and His bride. So it pictures the glorious rest that the redeemed remnant of Israel will enjoy with the Lord, the Prince of peace. (Solomon means peacefulness.) A strong bodyguard of sixty valiant men guards the bed. This shows that the glorious rest of our Lord and His redeemed Israel is safe from any power that would attack from outside… There will be ample power to deal with any force that would seek to disturb that wonderful peace.
Provided For, Yet at War
Commentators apply the picture differently. One takes the litter as the Christian's own journey — supplied by the King, and guarded because that journey means conflict:
Hamilton SmithThe bed, or litter, on which the bride journeys through the wilderness is provided by the King. In the same way the Christian does not travel at his own expense, or by his own ideas. He travels the way that God has provided. But this involves conflict. The wilderness journey develops Christian graces, and it also calls for Christian warfare. For this we need the "valiant men." Paul urges Timothy to "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." He also says, "Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:1-3).
Armed, Skilled, Ready — Three Separate Things
The verse says three things about each man: he holds a sword, he is expert with it, and he wears it. Owning the weapon is not the same as handling it well:
Hamilton SmithSo too the good soldier of Jesus Christ is armed with "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17)… But to have Scripture is not all that is needed. We must be expert in the use of Scripture. So Paul further urges Timothy to hold "an outline of sound words," "rightly dividing the Word of truth" (2 Tim. 1:13; 2 Tim. 2:15).
The third thing — the sword on the thigh — is about timing. One writer ties it to the builders who worked with their weapons strapped on:
Hamilton SmithWe must not only be "armed" and "expert" but ready — every man with "his sword upon his thigh." It was so in Nehemiah's day. "Every man had his sword girded by his side, and so built" (Neh. 4:18). The moment of attack will give no time for girding on the sword. We must be ready to "preach the Word," in season and out of season.
Night Duty as a Pattern for Service
Another writer turns this into a rule for everyone who serves God. The dark hours have their own work.
Edward DennettThe day for labour and the night for watchfulness. Satan loves the darkness. It is the element in which he lives and moves… So the servants of the Lord should never stop watching. They must make provision for the night as well as for the day.
Summary
- Night. The scene sits before dawn. The bride counts on a day that has not yet come, and that is why the swords are out.
- King. The Solomon here is the King in unbroken glory, the man of peace, not the rejected sufferer.
- Guard. Sixty of Israel's best encircle the royal rest. No force can disturb the peace of the King and His people.
- Sword. The believer's weapon is Scripture. Holding it, being skilled with it, and wearing it ready are three different things.
- Watch. Darkness is the enemy's element. So service means work by day and guard by night — never unarmed, never unready.