HEBREW WORD STUDY – WINE CELLAR – BIYTH HAYAYIN בית היין Beth Yod Taw Hei Yod Yod Nun

Song of Solomon 2:4: “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.”

Many of us remember that children’s song we used to sing in Sunday School where we made little hand motions of eating when we sang “He brought me to his banqueting table…” and then putting our arms over our head as we sang: “His banner, over me, is love.”

For one thing out rendition is grammatically incorrect in the Hebrew. The perfect infliction in the verb “brought” should continue over to the words: “over me love.” You will not find the English state of being verb “is” or “was” in Hebrew as there is not a state of being verbs. In fact, you have no tenses in Hebrew just two inflictions, perfect (completed action), and imperfect (incompleted action). Hence most of your modern English translation will follow the completed action “He brought me” to “over me” and insert the English state of being verb was in “His banner over me was love” and not “is love.” This is rather disappointing as in English it would suggest that the king loved her but now he doesn’t. The context clearly shows he continues to love her so I feel it is ok to consider this an exception to the grammatical rule (of which there are many in Hebrew) and go with the context using our English word “is” to avoid this disturbing misunderstanding that the king no longer loves his bride. Particularly when we make the allegorical comparison to our relationship with God. God will just not take us to the banqueting table and then just leave us there and no longer love us.

Ok, enough for splitting grammatical hairs, let’s start working on the scalp. The words for banqueting table are biyth hayayin which literally means house of wine and not table. But house would not rhyme as well as table so you cannot blame little artistic licenses Actually, it is likely not a reference to a banqueting hall, to begin with. Back in 2013 Archeologist digging in the area of Galilee uncovered a wine cellar that dates back to the time of King Solomon. It is called a cellar because it was underground to keep the wine cool from the blazing Middle Eastern sun and it was located adjacent to a dining hall or banquet hall. It was obviously owned by some rich nobleman so we can just imagine what King Solomon’s biyth hayayin wine cellar was like. So, likely King Solomon took his bride into his wine cellar. What’s the deal with that?

Archeologists have learned that during the time of Solomon wine was usually reserved for the elite and the wine produced in Israel was famous throughout the known world. Not so much today but back then it was sought after by the elites of many nations. This was because of their lush vineyards and access to the spring waters of the Gihon Springs. Very few were ever allowed into the king’s wine cellar and if the king was in his wine cellar, he could pretty well know he would not be disturbed. It would be a nice romantic place to take your beloved and share some quality time. In fact, it was a common practice in those days for kings to take their lovers. It was a nice secluded place to share a romantic, candle lite dinner.

I was reading in the Midrash that serving wine to a friend or loved one will draw the couple closer together. Perhaps because after a few snorts you tend to loosen up, lose your inhibitions and start to share your heart with the other person. I don’t know, I never drank wine myself. Still, the Talmud teaches in Sanhedrin 103b that the power of companionship when shared with wine can accomplish more than what even the Archangel Michael can accomplish. So, it is likely that King Solomon is bringing his beloved to the wine cellar as a symbol of wanting to draw close to her and create this mystical power to be found in a close fellowship where wine is being shared.

I mean think about it. Is not wine served in our communion? Jesus encouraged this practice when believers come together I Corinthians 11:6. What He was symbolically encouraging was to perform acts that would draw them closer together in fellowship. This is what communion is really meant to accomplish, not just a mere ceremony.

There is something else, the word brought is bo in Hebrew which is in a Hiphal perfect form. Hence, as a Hiphal we would more correctly render this as: “He came and brought me to the wine cellar.” He did not just invite her and she shows up at her door, he went and got her and brought her to this trysting place.

He would not have done this if she did not make herself available as we find in prior verses. If we make ourselves available to God, He is going to come and get us to bring us to a place of hayayin which means not just wine, but it also has the idea of rejoicing and creating happiness and joy.

I see this verse as a picture of us as believers who are living in a difficult world as this Shulamite woman lived. She was one who may very well have been a foreign Moabite slave, according to the Midrash. She was forced to care for the vineyards of others and not able to have vineyards of her own. She very likely lived a life filled with work and stress. Then along comes this king who falls in love with her and takes her off to his wine cellar as a place of protection where he lavishes attention, love, and pleasure upon her. All she had to do was love the king and make herself available. We live in a difficult world but if we love God with all our hearts, soul, and might and just make ourselves available to Him He will come and get us and take us to a place of protection where He can lavish us with attention, love, and pleasure.

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