Song of Solomon 1:11 (ESV)

11 We will make for you ornaments of gold, studded with silver.

The man promises his wife that he will give her even more beautiful jewelry. He is going to give her precious gold ornaments with small silver decorations on it or attached to it. He wants her to look even more beautiful that way.

Now the question may arise whether the things the husband is saying here are in accordance with the rest of God’s Word. Aren’t there other places in the Bible where a very strong warning is voiced against jewelry and the wearing of it? I will cite two examples:

  • Isaiah 3:16–24: “The Lord said: ‘Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet, therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts.

    In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; the signet rings and nose rings; the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.

    Instead of perfume there will be rottenness; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.’”

  • 1 Peter 3:3–4: Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

How is it now possible that the husband in Song of Songs, who lives in love with the Lord, promises his wife to give her more jewelry? Is it true that the Lord forbids any ornaments and any form of make-up?

We need to pay close attention to the words of Isaiah and Peter. Those passages are about women who want to stand out by wearing jewelry. It is about women who rely on their appearance, who aim to make an impression on other men and other women. They want to look attractive and provocative to others. The world of riches and glamour is their great inspiration. For them, outer beauty replaces inner beauty. Those who live with Christ, i.e., those who are controlled by the Spirit of God, live in fact for the other person. The woman who lives this way does not prioritize her outward appearance. To her that is not the most important thing. She does not live for sparkles and glitter, but when her husband gives her a piece of jewelry out of love, she will gladly wear it. She likes to wear it to appreciate his love with it, without flaunting any outer beauty or wanting to stand out. She desires to be beautiful for her husband.

We also do well to pay attention to what we read about the church of Christ coming down from heaven to the new earth (Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:9):

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband...Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.