We have a little sisterThis phrase introduces a familial relationship, indicating a sense of responsibility and care. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, family bonds were strong, and siblings often played significant roles in each other's lives. The mention of a "little sister" suggests youth and innocence, highlighting the protective nature of the family. This can be seen as a metaphor for the church or believers who are young in faith, needing guidance and protection.
and her breasts are not yet grown.
This phrase symbolizes immaturity and the process of coming of age. In the historical context, physical maturity was often linked to readiness for marriage. The imagery here suggests that the sister is not yet ready for the responsibilities and commitments of adult life. Spiritually, this can be seen as a representation of believers who are still growing in their faith and understanding, not yet ready for deeper spiritual responsibilities.
What shall we do for our sister
This question reflects a proactive concern for the sister's future. It implies a desire to prepare and protect her, ensuring she is ready for the next stage of life. In biblical terms, this can be seen as the responsibility of the church to nurture and prepare young believers for spiritual maturity. It echoes the biblical principle of discipleship and mentorship found in passages like Titus 2:4-5, where older women are encouraged to teach and guide younger women.
on the day she is spoken for?
This phrase refers to the time when the sister will be betrothed or married. In ancient Israel, marriage was a significant event, often arranged by families, and marked the transition to adulthood. The "day she is spoken for" signifies a future commitment and the need for readiness. Prophetically, this can be seen as a type of the church being prepared as the bride of Christ, as described in Revelation 19:7-8, where the church is made ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The Shulammite WomanThe central female figure in the Song of Solomon, often interpreted as a bride or beloved. Her voice and experiences are central to the account.
2.
The BrothersIn
Song of Solomon 8:8, the brothers of the Shulammite woman speak. They express concern for their sister's future and her readiness for marriage.
3.
The Little SisterThe subject of the brothers' concern in this verse. She is described as having "no breasts," symbolizing her youth and immaturity.
Teaching Points
Maturity and ReadinessThe verse highlights the importance of maturity before entering into significant life commitments, such as marriage. It encourages individuals to assess their readiness and growth in various aspects of life.
Family ResponsibilityThe brothers' concern for their sister underscores the role of family in guiding and protecting younger members. It suggests that family should be involved in nurturing and preparing individuals for future responsibilities.
Spiritual GrowthJust as the little sister is not yet ready for marriage, believers are called to grow spiritually before taking on new roles or challenges. This growth involves developing character and understanding God's will.
Community SupportThe involvement of the brothers reflects the importance of community in personal development. The church community can play a similar role in supporting and guiding individuals in their spiritual journey.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Song of Solomon 8:8?
2. How does Song of Solomon 8:8 reflect family responsibility in relationships?
3. What cultural practices are evident in Song of Solomon 8:8 regarding marriage?
4. How can Song of Solomon 8:8 guide us in protecting family purity today?
5. Connect Song of Solomon 8:8 to biblical teachings on sibling relationships.
6. How should we apply the protective concern in Song of Solomon 8:8 today?
7. What is the significance of the "little sister" in Song of Solomon 8:8?
8. How does Song of Solomon 8:8 reflect ancient cultural views on marriage and family?
9. What theological implications arise from the guardianship role in Song of Solomon 8:8?
10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Song of Solomon 8?
11. How do we reconcile the seemingly romantic and intimate focus of Song of Solomon 8 with the broader religious themes typical of other Bible texts?
12. How does Song of Solomon 8:5, which suggests a strong marital bond, align with biblical texts that portray marriage in more patriarchal terms?
13. Why does Song of Solomon 8:8-9 mention the brothers' protective stance, yet offer no clear historical context or evidence of such customs in ancient Israel?
14. (Song of Solomon 6:8) How can sixty queens and eighty concubines align with Solomon's reputed 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3)?What Does Song of Solomon 8:8 Mean
We have a little sister– “We have a little sister” signals family responsibility.
• The speakers—older brothers—recognize a duty similar to Romans 15:1, “We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak.”
• 1 Timothy 5:1-2 urges treating “younger women as sisters, in all purity,” underlining protective love.
• The wording echoes Genesis 4:9, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The brothers here answer, “Yes,” modeling godly care rather than Cain’s indifference.
• By identifying her as “little,” they admit her vulnerability, paralleling Matthew 18:6, where Jesus warns against harming “little ones who believe in Me.”
and her breasts are not yet grown– The phrase marks physical and developmental immaturity.
• Ezekiel 16:7 uses similar imagery to describe a stage before marital readiness; the text treats the fact straightforwardly, underscoring literal truth.
• Spiritually, Hebrews 5:13 speaks of those “unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a babe.” Like a young believer still on “milk,” she needs time to mature.
• The brothers’ observation distinguishes natural growth from moral permission; Song of Solomon keeps marital intimacy within God-ordained timing, echoing the repeated charge in 2:7; 3:5; 8:4 not to “awaken love until it pleases.”
• Practical application: families and churches should recognize stages of maturity, offering age-appropriate guidance rather than rushing children toward adult roles (Proverbs 22:6).
What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for?– A forward-looking question that blends protection and preparation.
• “Spoken for” anticipates betrothal, much as Genesis 24 shows Rebekah’s family negotiating her future with Isaac’s servant.
• The guardians seek wisdom, echoing James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,” highlighting prayerful planning.
• They intend to safeguard purity so she can be presented honorably, reflecting 2 Corinthians 11:2, “I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ,” and Ephesians 5:27, where Christ presents the church “without spot or wrinkle.”
• Their proactive stance mirrors Proverbs 31:21, where the household “is not afraid of snow… for all are clothed in scarlet,” illustrating loving foresight.
summarySong of Solomon 8:8 portrays caring brothers who acknowledge their sister’s youth, recognize her need to mature, and commit themselves to securing her future purity and honor. The verse champions responsible guardianship, patient growth, and wise preparation for covenant marriage, principles that apply to family life and to the church’s nurturing of new believers.
(8)
We have a little sister.--Commentators are almost all at one in the feeling that the poem properly ends with
Song of Solomon 8:7. Those who construct the poem on the plan of a drama can find no proper place for what follows (unless as a meaningless epilogue), and the want of cohesion with the main body of the work is so evident that many scholars have rejected it as a later addition; others have tried to find a place for it by re-arranging the whole poem. But if the various sections are, as above explained, only a succession of different presentments of the same story of courtship and marriage, made without any regard to order, but simply as they occurred to the memory of the poet, this conclusion presents no difficulty, either from its position or its meaning. With a view to artistic form, we might wish it away or in some other part of the poem; but the author had no regard to artistic form, or not the same conception of it as we have.
A little sister . . .--The recollection is carried back to the childhood of the bride. Her brothers are supposed to be debating how to deal with her when an offer of marriage should be made for her.
In the day when she shall be spoken for?--i.e., asked in marriage (comp. 1Samuel 25:29). At present she is unmarriageable.
Verse 8. -
We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? The term "little" refers, of course, to her tender age, as in
2 Kings 5:2, the "little maid;" and in
Genesis 44:20, "a child of his old age, a little one," referring to Benjamin. "She hath no breasts" is equivalent to saying she is not yet mature, of marriageable age (see
Ezekiel 16:7). The question which the bride asks of King Solomon refers to the promise which he is supposed to have made, and which he is virtually pledging himself to fulfil by this visit to the country home of his queen. "What shall be done for the advantage of my little sister? Let us consult together" (cf.
Genesis 27:37;
1 Samuel 10:2;
Isaiah 5:4). "The day when she shall be spoken for" is the day when she shall attract the attention of a suitor. It must necessarily be difficult to find satisfactory interpretations forevery detail in such a poem of human love as this. It might be sufficient to see in this reference to the younger sister the general idea of love's expansion. Those who are themselves the objects of it, being full of exquisite happiness, desire to call others into the same joy. This is true both of the individual and of the Church.
What shall be done for others? That is the question which is awakened in every heart where true love is at work. There is no need to explain the language further. But the allegorists have been very ingenious in attempting to find meanings forevery allusion of the poem. Who is the little sister? What is her virginity? What is the day in which she shall be spoken for? Some have said that the little sister represents the firstfruits of the Jews and Gentiles received into the Christian Church immediately after the time of our Lord's ascension, as Beza and others. Some, again, take it to mean the whole body of Jews and Gentiles yet to be converted. Others would see in it those that are weak in faith, the beginners in Christian life. And, again, it has been regarded as pointing to the "daughter of Zion" at the time of the first beginnings of her conversion to the heavenly Solomon, which is the view of Hengstenberg and others. There is no end to such fancies. The broad general meaning is all that we can rest upon. The bride naturally thinks of her sister. It is a lovely incident in a perfectly idyllic poem. The visit to the home is quite in harmony with the fresh, pure, and simple life which reveals itself in all the utterances of the bride, and is honoured by the devoted attention of the splendid monarch. It is a real touch of nature when the young bride, in her family life once more, asks what shall become of her sister. It is an exquisite type of that sisterly solicitude with which all true Christians will care for the souls around them. Delitzsch thinks that the question which is asked by the bride is answered by her brothers, as they were the actual guardians of the little sister (see
Genesis 21:50, 55; 34:6-8). But there is no necessity to introduce any new interlocutors at this point. The words are certainly addressed to Solomon. It is quite natural that he should reply to them in a royal style, with the
pluralis majestatis which suits the corresponding position of the bride as a suppliant for her sister.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
We have a littleקְטַנָּ֔ה (qə·ṭan·nāh)Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 6996: Small, young, unimportantsister,אָח֥וֹת (’ā·ḥō·wṯ)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 269: Sister -- a sisterand her breastsוְשָׁדַ֖יִם (wə·šā·ḏa·yim)Conjunctive waw | Noun - md
Strong's 7699: The breast of a, woman, animalare not yet grown.אֵ֣ין (’ên)Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particleWhatמַֽה־ (mah-)Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely whatshall we doנַּעֲשֶׂה֙ (na·‘ă·śeh)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 6213: To do, makefor our sisterלַאֲחֹתֵ֔נוּ (la·’ă·ḥō·ṯê·nū)Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 269: Sister -- a sisteron the dayבַּיּ֖וֹם (bay·yō·wm)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A dayshe is spoken for?שֶׁיְּדֻבַּר־ (še·yə·ḏub·bar-)Pronoun - relative | Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue
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OT Poetry: Song of Solomon 8:8 We have a little sister (Song Songs SS So Can) 
