The structure of the carriage (bed) is also inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem. This does not refer to the way in which it was made (lovingly), but rather to the activity that has taken place on the bed: physical acts of love.1 It is a metaphor describing the interactions between Solomon and the daughters of Jerusalem that take place here. It is striking therefore that the focus here, on Solomon’s wedding day, is on the love that the daughters of Jerusalem have for Solomon and not on the love Solomon has for his bride or her love for him. Solomon’s lovemaking to the many daughters of Jerusalem contrasts dramatically with the exclusive love of the man and his beloved.2
In contrast to what the young man is going to say about his bride in Song of Solomon 4:1–15, the superficial glory that so appeals to Solomon is not what has captured the man’s heart. Instead, the sight that he longs to see with aching eyes is the simple beauty of his beloved, whom he describes in equal detail (Song of Solomon 4:1–7). Solomon can keep his bed and all its glory. The man’s desire on his own wedding day is simply to behold his beloved, coming up out of the wilderness to share their new life together.3
A similar contrast with Solomon occurs in Song of Solomon 8:11–12.
10 He made its posts of silver, its back of gold, its seat of purple; its interior was inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem.