Introduction to Song of Solomon

7/29/2019 Introduction to Song of Solomon

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Introduction to Song of Solomon

Place in the Bible: -Only mention of God is in 8:6The LORD- Different genre than any other Bible book

- Why is a book with so much romance and sex

and almost no mention of God in the Bible? (not G-

rated)

Traditional Jewish View of the Works of Solomon:

Proverbs Outer Temple Courts

Ecclesiastes The Holy Place

Song of Solomon The Holy of Holies

Author: Solomon (as traditionally accepted by Jews and

Christians and according to 1:1Some argue that the book was written in

Solomons honor but not by he himself)

Genre: Reads like a Drama (not meant to be acted out, but it

does have speaking parts for the different charactersa dialogue)

Characters: Groom (Shepherd?...Solomon?)

Bride (A Young Shulammite Woman 6:13)


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Chorus/Others (The Daughters of Jerusalem?)

King Solomon?

Possible Interpretations:

1) Allegory of Love Between God and Israel (Jews) or Christ and theChurch (Christians)

a.Many lines in our hymns reflect this view:i. Jesus, Rose of Sharon (from 2:1)ii. Hes the Lily of the Valley (from 2:1)iii. His banner over us is love (from 2:4)

b. Eph. 5 does make an extended analogy between Christ/churchlove and husband/wife love

c. Problems:i. Never says to interpret it this wayii. Does all the sexual language fit with this view?

2) Collection of Inspired Love Poetry, but with no Central Storya.Basis of this view

i.The Song of Songs, which is Solomons (1:1)ii. 1 Kings 4:32 His (Solomons) songs were 1,005

iii. The SONG would be an anthology of Solomons LOVESONGS out of the 1,005


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b. Problemsi. Song of Songs most likely means the Best of allSongslike Jesus being King of Kings, Lord of Lordsii. The same characters run throughout the story, and itshard to argue that there is not a plot

3)Story of King Solomon and taking a Bridea.Basis

i. Bride: The king has brought me into his chambers (1:4)ii. 3:6-11 King Solomon and his wedding (3:11) mentioned

in the same context

iii. According to 1:1, The SONG Belongs to Solomonb. Problems

i. The Bride refers to Solomon in the 3rd person in 8:11 andthe Groom could be the speaker in 8:12 in saying hisvineyard is greater than any of Solomons

ii.Shepherding language and verses like 1:7 suggest that theGroom is a Shepherd, which Solomon is not

iii. The view that this is Solomons marriage to the daughterof Pharaoh mentioned in 1 Kings 3:1 cannot be so if thiswoman is a Shulammite (from Shunem Josh. 19:18; 2

Kings 4:8near Tirzah, which is mentioned in Song 6:4)


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iv. With his harem of foreign wives and concubines (700wives and 300 concubinesmany of them forbidden by

God for him to marry 1 Kings 11:1-8), would Solomon beGods choice for the great example of marital love to

show to His people in the SONG of SONGS?

4)Story of King Solomon, the Bride, and Her True Lover (A Shepherd)a.Basis

i.Solomon is wanting to marry the woman, so he hasbrought her into his chambers (1:4)

ii. He is trying to woo her throughout the story but she isresisting, longing for her beloved whom she longs to

marry instead

iii.She returns home to marry the shepherd instead ofSolomon

b. Problemsi. How would you know when Solomon is speaking and when

her True Lover is speaking?

ii. Would Solomon really be the bad guy in a work that hewrote or at the least was dedicated to him?5)Love Story of 2 Commoners (A Simple Shepherd and His Bride)

a.Most of the storys setting is in the countryside, not in apalace


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i. Vision of a forest bedroom (1:16-17)ii. Flowery and fruitful landscape (2:10-15)iii.

Gardens (6:2-3)iv. Under an apple tree (8:5)

v. Vineyard (all through the SONG)b. Bride: Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture

your flock (1:7)

c. Pastoral (Shepherding) Imageryi. Your hair is like a flock of goats (4:1)ii. Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes (4:2)iii. My beloved has goneto pasture his flock in the

gardens (6:2)

iv. Hewho pastures his flock among the lilies (6:3)v. Your teeth are like a flock of ewes (6:6)

Theme Verses

Do not awaken love until it pleases (2:7; 3:5; 8:4)

Put me like a seal over your heart,Like a seal on your arm.

For love is as strong as death,

Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;


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Its flashes are flashes of fire,

The very flame of the LORD.

Many waters cannot quench love,Nor will rivers overflow it;

If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,

It would be utterly despised. (8:6-7)

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Introduction to Song of Solomon