In Today's Email:
Welcome to the Song of Solomon!
The Song of Solomon (sometimes called Canticles or Song of Songs) is I think the strangest book in the Bible. It is presented as a dramatic play in poetical form. To properly understand it you need to pay attention to who is speaking at the time. On the surface, it is a story of love between a man and his wife, as they meet and are joined in marriage. In this, it glorifies marriage and the joys of physical intimacy therein. It does a have a deeper meaning, based on a typological or allegorical interpretation. This shows it to be a picture of the love of God, either as expressed as God to Israel or as Christ to the Church. This book is like a multifaceted gem that has beauty through multiple viewpoints. The book itself defies any attempt to add strict structure to it.
A few quick facts about Song of Solomon:
The author is Solomon, as indicated in the first verse.
It is believed that this was written around the time of Solomon’s first marriage in 1017 B.C. to Naamah the Ammonite (mother of Rehoboam, I Kings 14:21).
The key verse is 8:7 – “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.”
I think it best to read this book as a drama. The divisions between sections and speakers are not clearly marked, which is common with ancient dramas. This leads to many opinions about who is speaking in many passages. This often relies on Hebrew pronouns that are used to distinguish between masculine and feminine, singular and plural. I have tried to reflect these voice changes in our notes. There are three voices we will note: the Bride, the Groom, and the Chorus. The first two should be self-explanatory. The last represents the greater world outside of the couple, usually as the daughters of Jerusalem. \
A brief outline:
Introduction – 1:1
Act I – Early Days of Love
Scene 1 – The Wedding – 1:2-2:7
Scene 2 – Reminiscences of Courtship – 2:8-3:5
Scene 3 – Bethrothal Day - 3:6-5:1
Act II – Abiding Love
Scene 1 – Troubled Dreams – 5:2-6:3
Scene 2 – Praise of the Bride – 6:4-7:10
Scene 3 – Invitation to the King – 7:11-8:4
Scene 4 – Love’s Renewal – 8:5-14
Song of Solomon 1 Notes
In this chapter the Bride declares her love for the Groom as they are married.
vs. 1 – The title page for the drama, giving its title and author.
vs. 2-4a – The Bride confesses her love to the Groom. Her attention is consumed on him. The consummation of the marriage is in vs. 4 as she is taken to his chambers
vs. 4b – The last phrase of this verse is the Chorus speaking.
vs. 5-7 – The Bride considers herself unworthy of the love of such a great man who could have chosen from dozens of potential women. In vs. 5-6 she describes herself as being black, that is, darkly tanned. She is not used to the luxury of the palace and is well acquainted with the toils of life. The Groom is pictured as a shepherd in vs. 7, a fitting description of a king. The Bride asks where he takes his flock to rest in shade from the noonday sun. She longs to be with him in this restful time.
vs. 8-11 – The Groom responds. If the Bride wants to know where he rests with the flocks, she should come with him and feed the tender lambs. He then praises her beauty and promises wondrous gifts.
vs. 12-14 – The Bride compares the Groom to sweet perfumes.
vs. 15 – The Groom praises the beauty of the Bride.
vs. 16-17 – The Bride describes the setting of their marriage. The description of a green place to rest and the trees that cover them makes me think this is an outdoor setting, fitting for the imagery of shepherds that have been used. I think we may see here that the Bride is not enamored with a wealthy king in his splendor but would happily love and follow her beloved even if they were simple shepherds.
Song of Solomon 2 Notes
In this chapter the Bride rejoices in married bliss and recalls their courtship.
vs. 1 – The Bride describes herself as one of the wildflowers of the plains. This is a statement of humility, saying she is but one of many beautiful women.
vs. 2 – The Groom responds that none can compare to the beauty of the Bride. Other women are thorny bushes compared to her.
vs. 3-7 – The Bride compares the Groom and his love to a fruit tree that refreshes her. She then compares the same to a great feast celebrating their love. She is held in his embrace and begs that they are not disturbed.
vs. 8-10a – The Bride continues speaking with a change of tone. She is recalling the day when the Groom took her from her home as his wife. She then recalls his invitation.
vs. 10b-14 – The Groom speaks in the memory of the Bride. He calls her to join him as his wife and enjoy the splendors of married life.
vs. 15-17 – The Bride speaks of duties or problems that keep her from instantly rushing to her beloved’s side. Remember that she tends the vineyards (1:6) and she must deal with the problem of little foxes spoiling the vines before they can bring forth a harvest. This may represent a misunderstanding between the two. She declares her love for him and begs him to return at night.
Song of Solomon 3 Notes
In this chapter the Bride continues to remember their courtship and then wedding.
vs. 1-5 – The Bride impatiently waits for her beloved to come for her at night as she requested in 2:17. He does not arrive and she goes out to seek him. She finds him, takes hold of him, and brings him to her home. She then begs the daughters of Jerusalem not to disturb them as she did in 2:7. She then continues to reminisce.
vs. 6-11 – The Bride recalls the day her husband came to take her as his wife. This practice of a grand procession arriving at the bride’s home and leading the couple to the groom’s is well attested to in Scripture, as in Matthew 25:1-13. The Groom is Solomon in all the wealth and splendor his rank afforded him.
Song of Solomon 4 Notes
In this chapter the Groom serenades the Bride of his love.
vs. 1-16a – The Groom speaks of the beauty of his Bride. Some of the comparisons may seem strange today, but this was surely swoon-worthy in its day.
vs. 16b – The Bride responds to the Groom’s wooing of her and declares her eagerness to become his wife.
Closing Thoughts
One of the purposes of Song of Solomon is to show us an example of true love. Our world has a perverted sense of the term. The highest form of human love is committed love in a marriage between a man and a woman. There is no comparison to this. Inside of marriage the joys of intimacy are to be reserved and enjoyed. Such teachings abound in Scripture, but here we have it vividly displayed for us as an example to strive toward.
Hymn for Today
“Thou Shepherd of Israel” was written by Charles Wesley and first appeared in 1788 with no title, simply listed as “HYMN XCII”. It takes up the beautiful pictures from 1:7 and applies them to our relationship with Christ.
Thou Shepherd of Israel, and mine,
The joy and desire of my heart,
For closer communion I pine,
I long to reside where thou art:
The pasture I languish to find,
Where all who their Shepherd obey,
Are fed, on thy bosom reclin'd,
Are screen'd from the Heat of the day.
Ah! shew me that happiest place,
That place of thy people's abode,
Where saints in an extacy gaze,
And hang on a crucify'd God;
Thy love for a sinner declare,
Thy passion and death on the tree;
My spirit to Calvary bear,
To suffer and triumph with thee.
'Tis there with the lambs of thy flock,
There only I covet to rest,
To lie at the foot of the rock,
Or rise to be hid in thy breast:
'Tis there I would always abide,
And never a moment depart,
Conceal'd in the cleft of thy side,
Eternally held in thy heart.