Victory Baptist Church Bible Institute
3rd year, 1st semester; russkellyphd@yahoo.com
Song of Solomon was read first at the first feast of the year (Passover). The Hebrew indicates that it was considered the best and most exquisite song of songs.
(1) Identical imagery and local color predominate in all parts of the song, for example, the bridegroom (beloved) is compared to a young stag in 2:9,17; 8:14. The bridegroom feeds his flock “among the lilies” in 2:16; 4:5; 6:2-3. The bride is called the “most beautiful among women” in 1:8; 5:9; 6:1. (2) The same persons appear in all parts of the poem: the bride (1:5; 2:16; 3:4; 6:10; 7:10-11; 8:2,8), the bridegroom (1:7; 2:13; 4:8-5:1; 6:1; 7:11-13) and the daughters of Jerusalem (1:5; 2:7; 3:5,10; 5:8,16; 8:4).
Edward J. Young sets forth a species of literal interpretation that is vaguely typical, viewing the poem as didactic and moral and holding that it celebrates the dignity and purity of human love (Introduction to the O. T. [1949], p. 327).
Most modern interpreters resort to a shepherd hypothesis in which a third main character is introduced as the shepherd lover of the bride whom Solomon, villainlike, tries to seduce from her lover. The poem is thus made the triumph of pure love over lust, but under an obviously objectionable representation of Solomon. More serious, the shepherd has no tangible existence.
Allegorical Interpretation. This interpretation was common among ancient Jews and popularized among Christians by Origen. The Jewish interpretation represented the poem as setting forth Jehovah’s love for Israel. To the Christian, it represented Christ’s love for His church. Details were subject to extravagant interpretations. The view has much to be said in its favor. It accords the book a higher spiritual meaning and gives purpose to its canonical recognition. Furthermore, both the OT and the NT set forth the Lord’s relation to His people by the figure of marriage.
In the OT, however, Israel is presented as the wife of Jehovah (Hos 2:19-23), in her sin and unbelief now divorced and yet to be restored (Isa 54:5; Jer 3:1; Hos 1:1-3:5). On the other hand, in the NT the church is portrayed as a virgin espoused to Christ (2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:23-32; Rom 7:1-4; Rev 19:6-8).
The allegorical view fails in unnecessarily ruling out the actual historicity of the events and is subject to extravagant, farfetched interpretation.
Typical Interpretation neither denies the historical background nor encourages fantastic interpretations of details, since the typical foreshadows the antitypical in only a few salient points. It avoids the secularity of the literal interpretation and finds an adequate purpose in the book in the typical relation between Solomon, elsewhere a type of Christ, and the Shulamite, a type of the church as the bride.
There are no SS texts quoted in the NT.
The following words do not occur in the Song of Solomon: God, Lord, LORD, creator, maker, divine.
Song 1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
Song 2:1 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
Song 2:2 As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
Song 2:3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
Song 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
Song 2:14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
Song 4:1 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.
Song 4:2 Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.
Song 4:4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.
Song 4:5 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
Song 4:7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
Song 4:9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.
Song 4:10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
Song 4:11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.Song 4:12 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
Song 4:44 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.
Song 5:3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
Song 5:10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
Song 5:11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
Song 5:12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.
Song 5:13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
Song 5:14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
Song 5:15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
Song 5:16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Song 6:5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.
Song 6:7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.
Song 7:2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.
Song 7:3 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.
Song 7:4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.
Song 7:5 Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.
Song 7:8 I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples;
Song 7:9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.
Song 7:10 I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.
Song 7:12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.
Song 8:3 His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
Song 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.
Song 8:9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
Song 8:10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.
