The Book of Song of Solomon:

Transcription

1 The Book of Song of Solomon: The Holy Bible It is also referred to as God s Word, or the Holy Scriptures. This book is made up by 66 books penned by various authors over a period of approx years, although written by men; God is the ultimate author (2 Tim.3v16-17, 2 Pet.1v20-21). The Title of the Book of Song of Solomon The book is called: The Song of Solomon: The Song of Songs: This gives the suggestion that it is the greatest of all songs that Solomon wrote. This song is one of 1,005 that Solomon wrote (1 Kings 4v32). The title Song of Songs means this is the best one. The Hebrew title is commonly understood to mean the most excellent of songs. Canticles: The ancient versions follow the Hebrew; derived from the Latin word for songs Canticles. The date and author of the book a): The author Solomon is named in the book itself as the author in v1. Although the Solomonic authorship of this book has been called in question, but evidences, both internal and external, fairly establish the traditional view that it is the product of Solomon s pen. b): Date of Writing: Solomon most likely wrote this song during the early part of his reign. This would place the date around B.C. However the Jewish encyclopaedia dates it in the period B.C. ( It was probably written by Solomon while travelling in Israel s northern villages to a local village girl, whom he later comes back to and carries to Jerusalem to be one of his wives. The division of the book

2 The book can be divided into 3 sections: The poetry takes the form of a dialogue between a husband (the king) and his wife (the Shulamite). We can divide the book into three sections: the courtship (1v1 3v5); the wedding (3v6 5v1); the maturing marriage (5v2 8v1). The Book of Song of Solomon (Summary) There is no mention of God in the book like Esther. This is a very unique book in the Old Testament, and it makes no direct theological statements, although some believe some may be implied or allegorical. Sometimes it is not easy to identify the different characters or who is speaking, apart from The two main characters their seems to be A group of friends standing by on some occasions and The daughters of Jerusalem are also mentioned. This view of the Tower of David from inside the wall of Jerusalem is probably similar to how it appeared to Solomon. This gives us ideas for Song 4v4 and other images from Solomon s song; Your neck is like the tower of David, built with elegance The song begins with a bride-to-be longing to be with her betrothed, the king.

3 The king praises the Shulamite s beauty, overcoming her feelings of insecurity about her appearance. The Shulamite has a dream in which she loses Solomon and searches throughout the city for him. With the help of the city guards, she finds her beloved and clings to him, taking him to a safe place. Upon waking, she repeats her injunction not to force love. On the wedding night, the husband again praises the beauty of his wife. As the marriage matures, the husband and wife go through a difficult time, symbolised in another dream. In this second dream, the Shulamite rebuffs her husband, and he leaves. Overcome with guilt, she searches the city for him; but this time, instead of helping her, the guards beat her symbolic of her pained conscience. Things end happily as the lovers reunite and are reconciled. As the song ends, both the husband and wife are confident and secure in their love, they sing of the lasting nature of true love, and they yearn to be in each other s presence. Interpretations of the book: There is a great debate over how to understand or interpret this book. 1. The Allegorical Interpretation. Early Hebrew and Christian scholars long maintained that the love story is an allegory of God s love for humankind, or of the intensity of divine love within the human heart. It is also seen as an allegory showing that the story demonstrates the love of God for Israel. In this love poem between a bride and groom; God is the Groom, and Israel is the bride. This view seems to account for the Song as the scripture to be read at the Passover festival by later Judaism. A variation of this view held by some early church fathers thought that as some saw it as allegorical to God s relationship to Israel, it was also applied to the relationship between Christ and his love for his bride the the Church, under the emblem of the bridegroom and the bride. 2. The Dramatic View. A view that originally the poem was a drama in which the settings and actions were supplied by pantomime or stage curtains. Some see the story as a love play in which Solomon s love for a young Jewish country maiden is portrayed. 3. The Collection View. Some think the book is not a unit but rather a collection of wedding songs such as were used at wedding festivals and as are still used today in some Middle Eastern countries. However the Song of Solomon does seem to have a plot which develops throughout and it is not likely that a collection of isolated poems would give a story like this. The structure: a) Love awakened b) Love tested c) Love triumphant 1) The joy of love 4v10; 1v2, 4; 7v6 2) The strength of love 8v6 3) The commitment of love 6v3; 2v16; 7v10 4) The value of love 8v7 5) Love is not to be treated lightly 8v4; 2v7; 3v5

4 4. A Modernist View. One recent modernistic view (i.e. The Interpreters Bible) has claimed the song was borrowed from pagan religious rites. This view proposes that the song was taken over by Israel and gradually lost its identity with paganism. This view has nothing but conjecture to support it. 5. A View of Pure Married Love. Another approach is to view the book as a celebration of love as God intended it to be experienced between a man and a woman. The Song of Solomon is a lyric poem written to extol the virtues of love between a husband and his wife. The poem clearly presents marriage as God s design. A man and woman are to live together within the context of marriage, loving each other spiritually, emotionally, and physically. The Bible Commentary says the simplest and most natural (interpretation) appears to be that which regards it as a poem of pure wedded love. E. J. Young says, And it reminds us, in particularly beautiful fashion, how pure and noble true love is. The key verses are Song of Solomon 2v4: He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. Song of Solomon 2v16: My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies (NKJV). Song of Solomon 8v6-7: Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on 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. Seeing Jesus in the Song of Solomon Some Bible interpreters see in Song of Solomon an exact symbolic representation of Christ and his church. Christ is seen as the king, while the church is represented by the Shulamite. While we believe the book should be understood literally as a depiction of marriage, there are some elements that foreshadow the Church and her relationship with her king, the Lord Jesus. Song of Solomon 2v4 describes the experience of every believer who is sought and bought by the Lord Jesus. We are in a place of great spiritual wealth and are covered by his love. Verse 16 of chapter 2 says: My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies (NKJV). Beloved: 2v1: I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. Lover: 2v2: Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens. Here is a picture of not only the security of the believer in Christ (John 10v28-29), but of the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep believers and lays down his life for us (John 10v11). Because of Jesus, we are no longer stained by sin, having had our spots removed by his blood (compare 4v7 with Eph.5v27).

5 The Old Testament consistently speaks of God s love for Israel in terms of a husbands love for his wife (Ps.45; Hos.1-2), and the New Testament speaks of Christ s love for his church in the same way (Eph.5v22-33). Practical Application: Our world is confused about marriage. Marriage, says the biblical poet, is to be celebrated, enjoyed, and revered. This book provides some practical guidelines for strengthening marriage: 1) Give your spouse the attention he or she needs. Take the time to truly know your spouse. 2) Encouragement and praise, not criticism, is vital to a successful relationship. 3) Enjoy each other. Plan some getaways. Be creative, even playful, with each other. Delight in God s gift of married love. 4) Do whatever is necessary to reassure your commitment to your spouse. Renew your vows; work through problems. God intends for you both to live in a deeply peaceful, secure love. This book combats two extremes: the denial of all pleasure and the pursuit of only pleasure. The marriage profiled in Song of Solomon is a model of care, commitment, and delight. Personal Notes: