Personal Reading & Reflection on Song of Songs

The Song of Songs is a collection of ancient Hebrew love poems that celebrate the joys

and pains of love between a man and a woman. Both Jews and Christians have held it in a

significant place i.e. the book was read on the eighth day of Passover. However, it has

been interpreted in such bewilderingly diverse ways. Authorship of the book was

traditionally attributed to Solomon (1:5, 3:7, 9, 11, 8:11, 12) even though there is

insufficient evidence to confirm or disconfirm it. In any case, a proper interpretation and

appreciation of its message does not depend on pinning down its authorship. Historically,

many interpreters see the book as an allegory of the relationship between God and His

people Israel or Christ and the church as His bride. Its purpose was not to present

anything rooted in history but a metaphor for spiritual realities. However, the text does

not give clues that it should be understood that way. The references to people and places

do not seem to be metaphors or literary devices. An allegorical approach also gave rise to

many imaginative interpretations.

Approaching the modern era, a more literal interpretation began to dominate the scene.

For example, Solomon was understood as the bridegroom who took a bride and the Song

of Songs was about their marriage feast. It foreshadows the relationship between Christ

and His people. Its message affirm the value of marriage and sexual love as part of

creation (Genesis 2:24). Marriage is not seen as an inferior concession for the spiritually

weak. The marriage metaphor is also used to picture the relationship between God and

his people. The book began with a girl’s expressions of love and desire for her lover to

reciprocate with kisses (1:2-4): “Let the king bring me into his chambers”. Occasionally,

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there are interjections and refrains made in the plural i.e. “We rejoice and delight in you”

(1:4). Probably the voices are those of the daughters of Jerusalem or the maiden’s friends.

The maiden continued with her self-conscious apprehensiveness over the dark tone of her

skin. She came from a family where she had to work the vineyard (1:6). In 1:9-11, her

lover began to compliment her. Praise is the expression and climactic fulfillment of our

enjoyment and delight in someone. Something is amiss when we do not complete our joy

with praise. The lovers exchanged words of admiration for one another (1:12-17).

When her lover was absent, longings were expressed on her bed. She was described as

someone seeking her lover in the streets. A recurring phrase punctuated different parts of

the book: “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires”. It was probably a refrain that

expressed the lovers’ commitment to consummate their passions within the bounds of

pure love. A grand bridal procession was probably described in 3:6-11. The time for

consummation was near. Chapter 4 described the beauty of the bride with numerous

exotic metaphors. In 5:10-16, the bride sang of her bridegroom’s handsome appearance.

In giving themselves unreservedly to each other, the bride yearned to seal their love (8:6).

Their commitment to one another is so strong that it was described as unyielding and

jealous as death itself. It is all consuming like unquenchable fire (8:6). It is worth more

than wealth. The book ends with the bride’s affirmation of her chastity as a protective

“wall” which is antithetical to an open “door”. She had kept herself pure for the marriage

bed thus she has become in his eyes “like one bringing contentment” (8:10). The biblical

canon affirms the beauty of human sexual love in the context of a mutual and exclusive

commitment in marriage as expressed beautifully in the Song of Songs.