Introduction and Title
The Song of Solomon is a love song written by Solomon and abounding in metaphors and oriental imagery. Historically, it depicts the wooing and wedding of a shepherdess by King Solomon, and the joys and heartaches of wedded love.
Allegorically, it pictures Israel as God’s espoused bride (Hos. 2:19–20), and the church as the bride of Christ. As human life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of man and woman, so spiritual life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of God for His people and Christ for His Church.
The book is arranged like scenes in a drama with three main speakers: the bride (Shulamite), the king (Solomon), and a chorus (daughters of Jerusalem).
The Hebrew title Shir Hashirim comes from chapter 1, verse 1, “The song of songs.” This is in the superlative and speaks of Solomon’s most exquisite song. The Greek title Asma Asmaton and the Latin Canticum Canticorum also mean “Song of Songs” or “The Best Song.” The name Canticles (“Songs”) is derived from the Latin title. Because Solomon is mentioned in chapter 1, verse 1, the book is also known as the Song of Solomon.
Author
Solomonic authorship is rejected by critics who claim it is a later collection of songs. Many take chapter 1, verse 1, to mean “which is about or concerning Solomon.” But the internal evidence of the book strongly favors the traditional position that Solomon is its author. Solomon is specifically mentioned seven times (1:1, 5; 3:7, 9, 11; 8:11–12), and he is identified as the groom. There is evidence of royal luxury and rich imported goods (e.g., 3:6–11). The king by this time also had sixty queens and eighty concubines (6:8). Solomon’s harem at its fullest extent reached seven hundred queens and three hundred concubines (1 Kin. 11:3).
First Kings 4:32–33 says that Solomon composed 1,005 songs and had intimate knowledge of the plant and animal world. This greatest of his songs alludes to twenty-one species of plants and fifteen species of animals. It cites geographical locations in the north and in the south, indicating that they were still one kingdom. For example, chapter 6, verse 4, mentions both Tirzah and Jerusalem, the northern and southern capitals (after Solomon’s time, Samaria became the northern capital). Because of the poetic imagery, the Song of Solomon uses forty-nine words that occur nowhere else in Scripture.
Date and Setting
This song was written primarily from the point of view of the Shulamite, but Solomon was its author, probably early in his reign, about 965 B.C. There is a problem regarding how a man with a harem of 140 women (6:8) could extol the love of the Shulamite as though she was his only bride. It may be that Solomon’s relationship with the Shulamite was the only pure romance he ever experienced. The bulk of his marriages were political arrangements. It is significant that the Shulamite was a vineyard keeper of no great means. This book was also written before Solomon plunged into gross immorality and idolatry. “For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God” (1 Kin. 11:4).
The Shulamite addresses the king as “my beloved” and the king addresses his bride as “my love.” The daughters of Jerusalem were probably attendants to the Shulamite. The term Shulamite appears only once (6:13), and it may be derived from the town of Shunem which was southwest of the Sea of Galilee in the tribal area of Issachar. The song refers to fifteen geographic locations from Lebanon in the north to Egypt in the south: Kedar (1:5); Egypt (1:9); En Gedi (1:14); Sharon (2:1); Jerusalem (2:7); Lebanon (3:9); Mount Gilead (4:1); Amana (4:8); Shenir (4:8); Hermon (4:8); Tirzah (6:4); Heshbon (7:4); Damascus (7:4); Mount Carmel (7:5); and Baal Hamon (8:11).
Theme and Purpose
The purpose of this book depends on the viewpoint taken as to its primary thrust. Is it fictional, allegorical, or historical? (1) Fictional: Some hold that this song is a fictional drama that portrays Solomon’s courtship of and marriage to a poor but beautiful girl from the country. But the book gives every indication that the story really happened. (2) Allegorical: In this view, the primary purpose of the Song was to illustrate the truth of God’s love for His people whether the events were fictional or not. Some commentators insist that the book is indeed historical but its primary purpose is typical, that is, to present Yahweh’s love for His bride Israel and/or Christ’s love for His Church. But this interpretation is subjective and lacking in evidence. There are other places in Scripture where the husband/wife relationship is used symbolically (cf. Ezek. 16; 23; Hos. 1–3), but these are always indicated as symbols. This may be an application of the book but it should not be the primary interpretation. (3) Historical; The Song of Songs is a poetic record of Solomon’s actual romance with a Shulamite woman. The various scenes in the book exalt the joys of love in courtship and marriage and teach that physical beauty and sexuality in marriage should not be despised as base or unspiritual. It offers a proper perspective of human love and avoids the extremes of lust and asceticism. Only when sexuality was viewed in the wrong way as something akin to evil was an attempt made to allegorize the book. But this is part of God’s creation with its related desires and pleasures, and it is reasonable that He would provide us with a guide to a pure sexual relationship between a husband and wife. In fact, the union of the two sexes was originally intended to illustrate the oneness of the Godhead (see Gen. 1:27; 2:24; 1 Cor. 6:16–20). Thus, the Song is a bold and positive endorsement by God of marital love in all its physical and emotional beauty. This interpretation does not mean that the book has no spiritual illustrations and applications. It certainly illustrates God’s love for His covenant people Israel, and anticipates Christ’s love for His bride, the church.
Keys to Song of Solomon—
Key Word: Love
Key Verses (7:10; 8:7)—“I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me” (7:10).
“Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised” (8:7).
Key Chapter—Since the whole book is a unity, there Is no Key Chapter; rather, all eight beautifully depict the love of a married couple.
Christ in Song of Solomon—In the Old Testament, Israel is regarded as the bride of Yahweh (see Is. 54:5–6, Jer. 2:2; Ezek. 16:8–14; Hos. 2:16–20). In the New Testament, the church is seen as the bride of Christ (see 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:23–25; Rev. 19:7–9; 21:9). The Song of Solomon illustrates the former and anticipates the latter.
Contribution to the Bible
The Song is a unit rather than a collection of songs. It is a dramatic poem built on a dialogue between the same two characters (and an occasional chorus) throughout. There is a continuity of style, imagery, and expression in this unique biblical book. Solomon emphasized the intellect in Ecclesiastes, but the emotions clearly dominate his Song.
This book was one of the antilegomena (“spoken against”)—its inclusion in the canon of Scripture was delayed because of questions over its religious value, its use of God’s name only once (8:6), its unusual subject matter, and the lack of quotations of the Song in the rest of the Scripture. The Song has traditionally been read at the Feast of the Passover.
Survey of Song of Solomon
Solomon wrote 1,005 songs (1 Kin. 4:32), but this beautiful eulogy of love stood out among them as the “song of songs” (1:1). The great literary value of this song can be seen in its rich use of metaphor and oriental imagery as it extols the purity, beauty, and satisfaction of love. It is never crass, but often intimate, as it explores the dimensions of the relationship between two lovers: attraction, desire, companionship, pleasure, union, separation, faithfulness, and praise. Like Ecclesiastes, this little book is not easily outlined, and various schemes can be used. It abounds with sudden changes of speakers, and they are not identified. The beginning of love is seen first (1:1–5:1), and then broadening of love (5:2–8:14).
The Beginning of Love (1:1–5:1): King Solomon has a vineyard in the country of the Shulamite (6:13; 8:11). The Shulamite must work in the vineyard with her brothers (1:6; 8:11–12); and when Solomon visits the area, he wins her heart and eventually takes her to the palace in Jerusalem as his bride. She is tanned from hours of work outside in the vineyard, but she is “fairest among women” (1:8).
This song is arranged like scenes in a one-act drama with three main speakers—the bride (the Shulamite), the king (Solomon), and a chorus (the daughters of Jerusalem). It is not always clear who is speaking, but this is a likely arrangement:
The bride: 1:2–4, 5–7, 12–14, 16–17; 2:1, 3–6, 8–17; 3:1–4; 4:16; 5:2–8, 10–16; 6:2–3, 11–12; 7:9–13; 8:1–3, 6–7, 10–12, 14.
The groom: 1:8–10, 15; 2:2, 7; 3:5; 4:1–15; 5:1; 6:4–10, 13; 7:1–9; 8:4–5, 13.
The chorus: 1:4, 11; 3:6–11; 5:9; 6:1, 13; 8:5, 8–9.
Chapters 1–3 give a series of recollections of the courtship: (1) The bride’s longing for affection at the palace before the wedding (1:2–8); (2) expressions of mutual love in the banquet hall (1:9–2:7); (3) a springtime visit of the king to the bride’s home in the country (2:8–17); (4) the Shulamite dream of separation from her beloved (3:1–5); and (5) the ornate wedding procession from the bride’s home to Jerusalem (3:6–11).
Solomon praises his bride from head to foot with a superb chain of similes and metaphors (4:1–5:1). Her virginity is compared to “a garden enclosed” (4:12), and the garden is entered when the marriage is consummated (4:16–5:1). The union is commended, possibly by God, in 5:1.
The Broadening of Love (5:2–8:14): Some time after the wedding, the Shulamite has a troubled dream (5:2) in the palace while Solomon is away. In her dream Solomon comes to her door but she answers too late—he is gone. She panics and searches for him late at night in Jerusalem. Upon his return, Solomon assures her of his love and praises her beauty (6:4–7:10). The Shulamite begins to think of her country home and tries to persuade her beloved to return there with her (7:11–8:4). The journey takes place in 8:5–7 and their relationship continues to deepen. Their love will not be overthrown by jealousy or circumstances. At her homecoming (8:8–14) the Shulamite reflects on her brothers’ care for her when she was young (8:8–9). She remains virtuous (“I am a wall,” 8:10) and is now in a position to look out for her brothers’ welfare (8:11–12). The song concludes with a dual invitation of lover and beloved (8:13–14).
Wilkinson, B., & Boa, K. (1983). Talk thru the Bible (pp. 177–180). Nashville: T. Nelson.