Victory dance

Chapter Six

verse 13

come back, come back O Shulammite, come back, come back that we may gaze on you!  Why would you gaze on the Shulammite as on the dance of Mahanaim?

(22a) 216  this is literally “the dance of the Mahanaim,” which means “dance of two camps.”  Many interpreters speculate on what such a dance would be like.  However, it is not the manner of the dance but the meaning of it that explains the reference to it here.  It is quite likely any dancing that celebrates reconciliation.  This meaning arises from the origin of the name:  Jacob’s division of all his people and property into two camps, and their likely celebration when the twin brothers Jacob and Esau reconciled (Genesis 32).  (22a) page 216

The original language presents this word in three forms:  singular, plural, and – distinctive to Hebrew and uncommon in English – a dual form referring to tow of the camps.  The word in singular and plural occurs about two hundred times, and commentators dutifully look for help in all these occurrences.  But it is the dual form that occurs in the Song that should be investigated.  In the dual form, it occurs only thirteen times outside the Song and once within it.  Every time it occurs outside the Song, it refers to the place where Jacob reconciled with Esau.  Most scholars acknowledge that we don’t currently know precisely where this is now.  So it is interesting to me that all the references to it occur in books of the Old Testament purporting to be prior to the time of Solomon and his Song.  Sometime after this era the exact location became unclear.  But the location and the significance it represented was evidently still known in the time of Solomon, just as it had been known at the time of his father, David.  (22a) pages 217-218

“Shulamite” means “a person of peace,”..  She was now a true Shulamite.  Her union with Solomon was inseparable and her identity with Him complete.  The mention of “two armies” refers back to Mahanaim in Genesis 32:2.  This was the place where Jacob met God’s host.  The word “company” should be translated “dance.”  Hence the answer was given in the form of a dance.  The Mahanaim dance must have been as exciting as it was spectacular.  You will see from Exodus 15:20 and I Samuel 18:6 that the dance was an expression of victory; and two in the Scripture is the number representing witness or testimony.  The sentence may therefore read, “What willye see in the Shulamite?  As it were a testimony in the dance of victory.” (28) pages 130-131

Why would you gaze on the Shulammite as on the dance of Mahanaim?

More likely it refers to an erotic dance, for this is exactly what follows in the context.  The Daughter of Jerusalem call shulamit back for they wish her to perform an erotic dance.  It must be remembered that the chorus is imaginary in the lyric idyll, and they are not really actors in the play.  The imaginary chorus is brought in to explain a situation, to give a warning, or to allow for a dialogue to take place or, as is the case here, to set the stage for what follows.  The request by the Daughters of Jerusalem for an erotic dance by Shulamit is really Solomon’s request, for as the following verses make clear, Shulamit is indeed dancing erotically. (24) pages 55-57

could be translated ‘how you gaze upon Shulamith as at a dance of Mahanaim.’  The king’s observation that the maidens praise the bride. (22) page 166

Sulammit is the feminine form of the name Solomon, in the new testament Salome is the feminine form of the name Solomon.  Salome is the girl who dances for Herod Antipas, (20) page 596.

She has accepted his apology and it appears she is physically active in expressing her acceptance.  He is firm in taking her away so they can be together, and in letting the friends know they aren’t invited.  She seems to be active in showing that she is glad the fight is over and that they are making up.  He expects her to hug and kiss him, but she goes way beyond   that as the next section will show.