Song of Solomon 8:11-12

The woman returns to the subject of her *vineyard. She mentioned that *vineyard in 1:6.

It was not usual for women to own their own land in ancient Israel. Sometimes they might receive land after their fathers’ deaths, if they had no brothers. So we cannot really say how she began to own this land. We could guess that her father gave her the property to help her to find a husband. But that is just a guess. Ruth had rights because of her family’s property in Ruth 4:3-5.

However, the Song says that this woman had her own *vineyard. Before her marriage, she neglected it. She did not want to neglect it. But her brothers forced her to work hard for them. So she did not have any time to look after her own *vineyard.

But now, after her marriage, she can manage her *vineyard. She is not working there herself. But she has employed workmen. However, this is not just a commercial arrangement, like the royal *vineyards in verse 11. Instead, the profits are her gift to her husband (whom she calls by the king’s name, Solomon). She gives him these rich profits because she wants to give a generous gift to her husband. She loves him, and this gift shows her love.