Song of Solomon 1, Intro. to Song of Solomon (1)

Today we begin a brief introduction to the “Song of Songs” or “Song of Solomon.” 

·       Authorship and Date.  This is, according to Song 1:1, another work from King Solomon.  While some consider 1:1 to be a dedication of the book by whoever wrote it, the language of the verse is the only convenient way in Hebrew to show possession or authorship.  As for the date, there is no reason to believe it was written outside of the time of Solomon. 

·       Nature of the book.  Perhaps no book of the OT suffers more from the great variation of opinion concerning its nature than does this book.  E. J. Young, in An Introduction to the Old Testament, gives a total of eight views which are held concerning the Song of Songs:  Jewish allegory, Christian allegory, a drama, a collection of love songs, a type (of Christ), an adaptation of a pagan liturgy, a scene in a harem, and a parable.

There is more agreement on the belief that the Song has something to do with love than any other.  The great problem is how that love is to be interpreted and applied. 

o   Is it to be applied to Israel or to the Church?  In other words, is this an allegory describing God and His bride Israel?  Or is it speaking of Christ and His bride, the Church?  I have what I would call “devotional” books on the Song that apply the book in this way. 

o   Or is the book an attempt to raise the standards of human marriage?  Is it intended to be an assignment for pre-marital or marital-improvement counselling?  This would seem to me that this is the most common approach to the Song these days, that it is an encouragement to Christian marriage.

On that subject, I always remember Paul’s words in the marriage passage (Eph. 5) where he says, “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.  Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife … and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Eph. 5:32-33).  I take that to mean that the principles in both settings are the same.  Thus, to me, in terms of application, the Song can be an encouragement to both our relationship with our Lord as well as our relationship in marriage.

Having said that, we have not really come to answer the question as to “interpretation.”  The best answer, for those of us who believe in a literal approach to Bible study, is to say that we must determine what the Song, in it’s original setting, was saying.  As we already said, most agree the Song speaks much of the nature of love.  I’ll close today’s post with a quote from a seminary professor, Dr. Robert Alden I think was the professor: “The Song may then be taken to dramatize the kind of love God expects Israel to have for Him in their covenant relationship.”  Having said that, we must remember that in the Bible the marriage relationship is also built on a covenant (e.g. Malachi 2:14).