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How beautiful your sandaled feet, O prince’s daughter!

As she serves him visually, the husband encourages her verbally as she dances naked before him. Solomon speaks frankly about all her body, proving that all the body is to be explored and enjoyed by one’s spouse. Open-toed sandals were regarded as very erotic, and he recognizes her beautiful and graceful feet as he watches his wife dance before him. From her feet he continues his description of his wife from toe to head, calling her his princess.

Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of an artist’s hands.

He speaks of the beauty of her inner thighs as crafted works of art as she dances before him.

Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine.

Sadly, it seems those who translated this verse from the original poetic Hebrew into English were more timid than God, choosing the word navel. The New Century Bible Commentary says, “If the order of bodily parts, from bottom to top, is followed consistently, the navel is in the wrong position between thighs and belly: it comes above those. The part of the girl’s body mentioned here is therefore more likely to be the vagina or vulva than the navel.”24 One Old Testament scholar said, “It is generally translated as ‘vulva.’ The description . . . ‘never lacks mixed wine’ speaks of it as a source of sexual pleasure and moistness.”25 The president of a Southern Baptist seminary said, “Verse 2 is badly translated, in my judgment, in virtually every English version. The problem is with the word ‘navel.’ . . . the word almost certainly is a reference to the innermost sexual parts of the woman, her vagina (vulva).”26 Another widely respected Old Testament scholar said, “This indirect reference to the vulva is in keeping with the poet’s strategy of tasteful, though erotic allusions to the woman’s body. Whether literally navel or vulva, the image evokes a comparison that is based on taste. The description of the woman’s aperture as containing wine implies the man’s desire to drink from the sensual bowl. Thus, this may be a subtle and tasteful allusion to the intimacies of oral sex.”27

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Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies.

Her navel and stomach are a rich, bronzed color with a sweet scent.

Your breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle.

“Two fawns” conjures images of playfulness that prompt a desire to pet and play with them, much like two fun baby deer one would encounter in a petting zoo.

Your neck is like an ivory tower.

Her neck was long and smooth.

Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim.

This city was known for its calm and beautiful pools, indicating the peace and stillness in her eyes.

Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus.

She had a very prominent nose. But he loves her big nose and rejoices in it, as she is his standard of beauty.

Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.

Mount Carmel sat beautifully atop rich fertile plains. Likewise, her head crowned her body.

Your hair is like royal tapestry; the king is held captive by its tresses.

He found her hair to be beautiful and alluring. As the Bible says, a woman’s hair is her “crown” and “glory,” which helps explain why it is important to many husbands.

How beautiful you are and how pleasing, my love, with your delights!

He delights in his wife’s sexual abilities and body.

Your stature is like that of the palm, and your breasts like

clusters of fruit.

I said, “I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit.”

To fertilize a female palm tree, someone would need to climb the male palm tree to get some of its pollen-bearing flowers. He would then climb the female tree and tie the pollen-bearing flowers to the female tree. To “climb a palm tree” literally meant to fertilize it; likewise, the husband is clearly saying that he desires to make love to his wife. Although he has enjoyed seeing her strip for him, he can no longer merely