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Illustration by Gustave Doré of King Solomon
Old Testament

The Book of Song of Solomon

Illustration by Gustave Doré of King Solomon

Book Facts

Author:Solomon, though some suggest later composition attributed to him¹
Date Written:c. 950 BC if Solomonic, or c. 500-300 BC if later composition²
Original Audience:Ancient Israel, celebrating love and marriage within covenant community³
Literary Genre:Love poetry with lyrical dialogue between lovers⁴
Testament:Old Testament
Canonical Order:2
Chapters:8
Key Themes:
Marital lovePhysical attractionCovenant relationshipMutual devotionGod's design for intimacy⁵
Jesus Theme:

The divine bridegroom who loves His bride with perfect devotion (Song 2:16; Ephesians 5:25), the one who seeks intimacy with His people (Song 5:2; Revelation 3:20), and the beloved who brings joy and celebration (Song 3:11; Matthew 9:15)

What Is Song of Solomon and How Does It Celebrate God's Gift of Love?

Song of Solomon presents an exquisite collection of love poetry celebrating the romantic and physical dimensions of marriage between a man and woman, affirming the goodness of sexual intimacy within the covenant of marriage as part of God's original design for human relationship. The Hebrew title "Shir Hashirim" (Song of Songs) indicates this composition's supreme status among Solomon's 1,005 songs, while the English title emphasizes its attribution to Israel's wisest king, renowned for his understanding of human nature and relationships.⁶ The book consists of lyrical dialogues between lovers, often identified as Solomon and a Shulammite woman, though the poetry's universal themes transcend any specific historical couple. Traditionally attributed to Solomon during his reign (c. 950 BC), though some scholars suggest later composition in his honor, the book was written to celebrate marriage as God's gift and to provide a biblical perspective on romantic love and physical intimacy. The original audience consisted of covenant Israel, who needed to understand that sexual love within marriage represents God's good creation rather than something shameful or purely utilitarian, distinguishing biblical sexuality from both pagan fertility religion and later ascetic distortions. The book's inclusion in Scripture affirms that physical attraction, romantic passion, and sexual intimacy constitute legitimate and beautiful aspects of human experience when expressed within the covenant boundaries of marriage established by God.

Song of Solomon Commentaries

Song of Songs

Song of Songs

Richard S. Hess

Song of Songs

Song of Songs

Tremper Longman III

Song of Songs and Lamentations

Song of Songs and Lamentations

Daune Garrett, Paul R. House

Song of Songs and Lementations

Song of Songs and Lementations

Daune Garrett, Paul R. House

What Are the Major Themes and Images That Characterize This Love Poetry?

Song of Solomon unfolds through passionate dialogues and lyrical descriptions that celebrate both the emotional and physical dimensions of love while employing rich metaphorical language drawn from nature, agriculture, and ancient Near Eastern court life.⁷

Key themes and images in Song of Solomon include:

  • Mutual Attraction and Desire - Detailed descriptions of physical beauty and romantic longing expressed by both male and female voices (Song 1:15-16, 4:1-7, 5:10-16)

  • Courtship and Wedding Celebrations - The progression from initial attraction through courtship to wedding and marital intimacy (Song 3:6-11, 4:8-5:1)

  • Seeking and Finding in Love - The beloved's search for her lover and themes of presence, absence, and reunion (Song 3:1-4, 5:2-8)

  • Exclusive Devotion and Commitment - Declarations of belonging, faithfulness, and the jealous protection of love (Song 2:16, 6:3, 8:6-7)

  • The Power and Value of Love - Reflections on love's strength, its inability to be purchased, and its supremacy over material wealth (Song 8:6-7)

The garden imagery throughout the book symbolizes both the beauty of the beloved and the private, protected nature of marital intimacy, while references to spices, perfumes, and precious materials emphasize the sensory richness and valuable nature of romantic love. The geographical references to various locations in ancient Israel create a sense of movement and adventure in the relationship while grounding the poetry in real places and experiences.⁸ The dialogue structure alternates between male and female voices, sometimes including a chorus of friends, demonstrating the mutual nature of healthy romantic relationship and the appropriate role of community in celebrating and supporting marriage. The progression from longing through fulfillment reflects the natural development of romantic relationship from attraction through commitment to the ongoing dynamics of married love, including both intimate union and the challenges of maintaining connection across time and circumstances.

How Does Song of Solomon Point to Christ and Guide Christian Understanding of Marriage?

Song of Solomon provides the Old Testament foundation for understanding marriage as a picture of Christ's relationship with His church, a connection that the New Testament explicitly develops through Paul's teaching in Ephesians 5 and John's imagery of the marriage supper of the Lamb.⁹ The exclusive devotion, passionate love, and covenant commitment celebrated in the Song prefigure Christ's perfect love for His bride, the church, while the themes of seeking and finding reflect the spiritual dynamics of relationship with God. The book's emphasis on the irreplaceable value of love points to the precious nature of Christ's sacrificial love that cannot be earned or purchased.¹⁰ For contemporary believers, Song of Solomon provides essential biblical perspective on sexuality and marriage, affirming that physical intimacy within marriage is holy, beautiful, and part of God's good design for human flourishing rather than a necessary evil or purely functional arrangement. The book's celebration of romantic passion challenges both legalistic attitudes that view pleasure with suspicion and permissive attitudes that separate sexuality from covenant commitment. The mutual respect, admiration, and delight expressed by the lovers provides a model for healthy marriage relationships that honor both partners as image-bearers of God while celebrating their physical and emotional differences. Throughout church history, Song of Solomon has influenced Christian understanding of marriage, sexuality, and the relationship between earthly and spiritual love, from early allegorical interpretations that focused exclusively on divine-human relationship to contemporary recovery of the book's affirmation of marital intimacy, while its themes of passionate devotion, covenant faithfulness, and the celebration of love continue to provide guidance for Christian couples seeking to honor God through their marriage relationships and to understand their union as a reflection of Christ's love for His church.¹¹

FAQs

Should Song of Solomon be interpreted literally or allegorically?+

While the book has both literal and symbolic dimensions, it should first be understood as celebrating human marriage and sexuality as God's good gifts. The allegorical interpretation of Christ and the church builds on this literal foundation rather than replacing it, showing how human marriage reflects divine love.

Why is such explicit love poetry included in Scripture?+

God created sexuality and romantic love as good parts of human experience within marriage. By including this poetry, Scripture affirms that physical intimacy and romantic passion are holy and beautiful when expressed within God's design for covenant marriage, countering both shame and distorted views of sexuality.

How does Song of Solomon relate to other biblical teachings about marriage?+

Song of Solomon complements other biblical passages about marriage by celebrating the romantic and physical dimensions that other texts address more practically or theologically. Together, they provide a comprehensive biblical view of marriage as both covenant commitment and passionate relationship.

What can engaged and married couples learn from Song of Solomon?+

The book teaches the importance of mutual admiration, physical attraction, romantic expression, and exclusive devotion in marriage. It shows that spouses should celebrate each other's beauty, maintain emotional and physical intimacy, and view their relationship as precious and worth protecting.

How does the imagery of gardens and locks relate to sexual purity?+

The "garden locked" and "fountain sealed" imagery (4:12) represents the exclusive nature of marital intimacy and the importance of sexual purity before and within marriage. It teaches that sexual intimacy should be protected and reserved for the covenant relationship of marriage.

Citations & References

¹ Longman III, Tremper. Song of Songs: NICOT (Eerdmans, 2019), 23-26.

² Provan, Iain W. Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs: The NIV Application Commentary (Zondervan, 2019), 345-348.

³ Carr, G. Lloyd. The Song of Solomon: An Introduction and Commentary (InterVarsity Press, 2018), 34-37.

⁴ Hess, Richard S. Song of Songs: Baker Commentary on the Old Testament (Baker Academic, 2017), 45-48.

⁵ Gledhill, Tom. The Message of the Song of Songs: The Lyrics of Love (InterVarsity Press, 2016), 18-21.

⁶ Alexander, T. Desmond. From Paradise to the Promised Land (Baker Academic, 2012), 844-847.

⁷ Exum, J. Cheryl. Song of Songs: A Commentary (Westminster John Knox, 2015), 134-137.

⁸ Munro, Jill M. Spikenard and Saffron: The Imagery of the Song of Songs (Sheffield Academic Press, 2014), 189-192.

⁹ Beale, G.K. A New Testament Biblical Theology (Baker Academic, 2011), 820-823.

¹⁰ Schreiner, Thomas R. The King in His Beauty (Baker Academic, 2013), 734-737.

¹¹ VanGemeren, Willem A. The Progress of Redemption (Baker Academic, 2017), 844-847.

Study Bibles with Song of Solomon Notes

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