It seems strange to modern readers to compare one’s lover to a mare! The young man however compares her to one of Pharoah’s mares. In those days, Pharoah’s mares would have been the finest of all mares. The horses that drew Pharoah’s chariots were heavily decorated with ornaments and embroidery to give them an appearance of great beauty and dignity.1 This is probably the comparison the young man is making. Song of Solomon 1:11 confirms this, when he speaks of her beauty being emphasized by jewelry such as earrings (that dangle on her cheeks) and strings of jewels around her neck.
9 I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.