If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar. – Song of Songs 8:9

Today's Scripture Reading (January 23, 2026): Song of Songs 8

I had several nicknames as a kid. Some were based on my name; I was often called "Watermullen," and one family friend called me "Garrybaldi." I hoped that the latter wasn't a comment on my future hairline, and so far, it hasn't been. Some nicknames were based on my age. For a while, I was just referred to as "kid." Some were based on my physical features, such as nicknames like "The Incredible Bulk," and one that connects more closely to this verse in Song of Songs: "The Brick Wall." This last nickname was based on the idea that, in several games, it was difficult to get anything past me. I remember several times when I was playing floor hockey, which can be a very physical game, at least the way I play it, opposing players would sometimes run into me and subsequently bounce off of me and land on the floor.

The idea of hitting an object and bouncing off of it is a feature of a well-built wall. I was the Youth Pastor at a church with a lower level featuring a central hallway that formed a square. And kids being kids, there was more than one time when the guys, it was almost always guys, would get into a chase around the square. Often, especially in winter, the guys were wearing only socks, which meant they would race down one straight hallway, then negotiate a 90-degree turn to race down another straight hallway. Often, one of the guys couldn't make the turn and ended up crashing into the wall. And a few times, the crash would put a hole in the wall, usually in the shape of a teenage head, which exasperated the building maintenance people. At other times, it was the kid who took the brunt of the damage. But there were no instances in which the collision caused the wall to fall. In every instance, the wall was the ultimate victor.

The friends suggest two possible outcomes: either the bride was a wall or a door. If she were a wall, if she were strong and stable and unable to be moved, then she would be adorned with silver. However, if she was easily moved or in the language of her friends, a door that could be easily opened or swayed, then precautions would have to be made to secure access to her. Theologian S. Craig Glickman phrases it this way: "If she could handle responsibility, they would give it to her; if not, she would be restricted" (S. Craig Glickman, "Solomon's Song of Love.)

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 10