Song of Songs: Hebrew title Shir Hashirim, meaning The Best Song
Song of Solomon: Because of verse 1:1, “Solomon’s Song of Songs.”
Canticles: Latin for Songs
2. Purpose:
Answers the question:
Should husbands and wives enjoy the amorous dimension of their
relationship? Yes! While the Bible addresses sexuality in other
books, it is usually about the divine regulations of sex, marriage, adultery,
divorce, and sexuality immorality. The
main purpose and reason for this book is to tell people that sex is wonderful
and is to be enjoyed in the bonds of marriage.
The Biblical view of sex in marriage is neither negative nor
repressed. Some scholars have called it “The
Bible’s Romance Manual for Marriage.”
3. Author:
Solomon: 1 Kings
4:32, “He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and
five. Again verse 1:1 says, “Solomon’s
Song of Songs.”
Unknown Author:
Some scholars have argued that the title is a dedication to
Solomon. The reason for this is some
find it hard to believe that a polygamous king would write so beautifully about
monogamous love.
4. Time Written:
About 965 B.C. This
would have been in the beginning of his reign.
This is also another reason it is believe the book was written by
Solomon, because it would have been before he took on so many other wives.
5. Audience:
Israelites living in their own land. At the beginning of Solomon’s reign he was a
kind of “Pop Star.” People truly loved
and admired his proverbs and songs.
6. Occasion:
Royal Wedding:
Some scholars believe that it was written for a royal occasion, such as
a state wedding. The bride and groom
would be “Every-Bride, and Every-Groom” depicting human romance.
Shulamite: Others
argue that it is a poem written by Solomon for an actual, historical romance
and marriage between the unnamed girl (Shulamite) and Solomon. This is the preferred view.
7. Genre and Literary Style:
Wisdom
Literature: Speculative wisdom,
emphasizing the value of romantic love in marriage. The poetic imagery is exquisite, lavish, and delicate,
even if modern lovers do not fully appreciate the vivid metaphors from the
ancient Near East. The lines of poetry
are short and the Hebrew style is appropriate to the subject matter. It is place in the third section of the Hebrew
canon called the Writings. It is among
the first of five scrolls in the Writings.
It is associated with the Passover festival.
8. Themes:
Desire, Commitment, and Giving of self to one’s lover
despite obstacles. The passionate desire
of the woman for her husband and of the husband for his wife is the major theme
of the book. The passion, however, lies
in the mutual commitment of one to the other.
True love is so strong that it overcomes all obstacles.
9. Structure:
It was originally a song, no clues about the original
musical notation have survived. Hebrew
test distinguished the characters by
changing gender and number in certain verbs and pronouns. Many translations have added subheadings to
clarify changes in speaker.
10. Key Text:
1:2-”Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for you
love is more delightful than wine.” Acts
10:9-16, teaches that what God has created and cleansed we should not misuse or
call common. We can enjoy love. God created it as a gift to us and a delight
for all our senses.
2:1-2-”I am a rose of Sharon a lily of the valleys. Like a lily among thorns is my darling among
the maidens.” The rose of Sharon and the
lily of the valley were common flowers.
The girls is saying she is nothing special, but Solomon is saying she is
extraordinary because she is a flower among thorns or others less her
beauty. There is nothing more vital than
appreciating the person you love.
4:12-”You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride;
you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.”
By comparing his bride to a locked garden, Solomon was praising her
virginity. While considered today by
many to be old-fashioned to wait until marriage, it was and still is God’s plan
for us to wait until marriage for sex.
6:3-”I am my lover’s and my lover is mine; he browses
among the lilies.” In marriage each
person should give themselves wholly to the other. It is only in marriage that we realize the
complete union of mind, heart, and body.
8:6-7-”Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal
over your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the
grave. It burns like blazing fire, like
a mighty flame. Many waters cannot
quench love; rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be
utterly scorned.” Love is a strong as
death. It cannot be killed by time or
disaster. It cannot be bought for any
price, because it is freely given. Love
must be accepted as a gift from God and then shared within the guidelines God
provides.
11.
Christ in Song of Songs:
In a deeper meaning the book was said by the Israelites
to be God’s love for Israel, and medieval Christians revised this to be Christ’s
love for the church. Bible scholar today
reject both readings as a misunderstanding of the books purpose. Theologians in the past and some ministers
today have been unwilling to admire the book as a literally true love poem with
erotic elements. While that being said,
Paul showed how marriage represents Christ’s relationship to his church in
Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ love the church and
gave himself up for her.” It might be
better to say that it is a love poem about a real human love relationship, and
that all loving, committed marriages are a reflection of God’s love.
12. “Two persons who love each other are in a
place more holy than the interior of a church.”
William Lyon Phelps
