I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer. – Song of Songs 5:6

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 20, 2026): Song of Songs 5

Most couples have stories of times when there was a miscommunication. Maybe how we react to those moments is the real story of our relationships. My wife and I have had a few humorous moments, although they were probably not so funny at the time.

One such moment came early in our relationship. During our college years, we both lived in the dormitory with many other students. We hadn’t been dating for long when, one evening, a few of the guys came up to me to warn me that someone was making a move on my girlfriend. According to my “friends,” someone had decided that she was the one for him and, at this very moment, was proposing marriage. I have no idea if he was. Over the years, I have teased my wife about this moment, but we have never really discussed it.

As I mentioned, the event took place relatively early in our relationship, and I wasn’t sure what any of my “spies” expected me to do about the situation. I hung around some of the public areas I knew she frequented. Later that evening, we saw each other, and as I remember it, neither of us made a big deal of what had just happened. However, it is entirely possible that our relationship would have progressed differently if I had responded differently.

There is so much that could be said about this passage in Song of Songs. Experts make the most out of a possible “double entendre” throughout this group of verses and throughout the whole book. However, regardless of the meaning we find in this passage, it appears that the bride is hesitant about what comes next. There are excuses offered, but none of them change the reality that by the time the bride is ready to welcome her beloved, her beloved is no longer ready for her.

The groom could have been frustrated over his beloved’s hesitancy to welcome him. He could have stomped off angrily, but there is no evidence in this passage that he reacts in this manner. Instead, he patiently waits for his bride to welcome him. He leaves to give her the space she requires in this moment, rather than demand or force what it is that he wants. For a King in antiquity, it is an unusual response, but one from which we can all learn.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Song of Songs 6