God intends that such love -- grossly distorted and abused by both ancient and modern people -- be a normal part of marital life in his good creation see Ge ; Indeed, in the Song the faithful Israelite could ascertain how to live lovingly within the theocratic arrangement.
Such marital love is designed by the Creator-King to come to natural expression within his realm. No one who reads the Song with care can question the artistry of the poet. The subtle delicacy with which he evokes intense sensuous awareness while avoiding crude titillation is one of the chief marks of his achievement. This he accomplishes largely by indirection, by analogy and by bringing to the foreground the sensuous in the world of nature or in food, drink, cosmetics and jewelry.
To liken a lover's enjoyment of his beloved to a gazelle "browsing among lilies" , or her breasts to "twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies" , or the beloved herself to a garden filled with choice fruits inviting the lover to feast -- these combine exquisite artistry and fine sensitivity. Whether the Song has the unity of a single dramatic line linking all the subunits into a continuing story is a matter of ongoing debate among interpreters.
There do appear to be connected scenes in the love relationship see Outline. Virtually all agree that the literary climax of the Song is found in , where the unsurpassed power and value of love -- the love that draws man and woman together -- are finally expressly asserted.
Literary relaxation follows the intenseness of that declaration. A final expression of mutual desire between the lovers brings the Song to an end, suggesting that love goes on. This last segment is in some sense also a return to the beginning, as references to the beloved's brothers, to her vineyard and to Solomon the king link with In this song of love the voice of the beloved is dominant.
It is her experience of love, both as the one who loves and as the one who is loved, that is most clearly expressed. The Song begins with her wish for the lover's kiss and ends with her urgent invitation to him for love's intimacy.
Song of Solomon reminds us that both marriage and the physical union that follows originate in God; we should therefore consider each of them as evidence of His grace working itself out in the world. View Chuck Swindoll's chart of Song of Solomon , which divides the book into major sections and highlights themes and key verses. Song of Solomon. Who wrote the book? Where are we? Why is Song of Solomon so important? And even more, the final two chapters of the book name their authors, Agur Prov 30 and Lemuel Prov Brevard Childs, a Hebrew Bible scholar puts it this way:.
As Moses is the source [though not the only author] of the Torah , and David is the source [though not the author] of the book of Psalms , so is Solomon the father of the wisdom tradition in Israel… The connection of the Song of Songs to Solomon in the Hebrew Bible sets these writings within the context of wisdom literature.
King Solomon would have been the royal sponsor responsible for aggregating and presenting this wisdom in the finished works we see in Hebrew and Christian Bibles. Actually, it's not only found in the Song of Songs, but the book of Proverbs has a number of poems celebrating the passion and physical intimacy between a man and woman see Prov The imagery and language of this poem is very similar to what you find in the Song of Songs, which should not surprise us.
Again, Brevard Childs puts it this way:. Another noticeable feature of this book is the pervasive use of garden imagery. Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices Song This book is simply permeated with images and scenes of garden love, as the lovers chase and play and embrace each other in poem after poem.
What is going on here? The garden of Eden is an image of human love—relationships as they were meant to be. Hebrew Bible scholar Tremper Longman, author of an excellent commentary on the Song of Songs, fashions this idea in the following:. What is a book like the Song of Songs doing in the Bible? Without the Song we would be left with only spare and often negative words about a reality that is crucial to the human experience: love and sex.
God in his wisdom has spoken through the poet of the Song to both encourage and warn us about the unquenchable power of love and desire. The Song is a divine affirmation of love and an acknowledgement of the pain that often accompanies it.
The Song of Songs is a unique book in the Bible that offers a unique gift. Her voice also serves to advise other young people about the need to wait for maturity and reciprocity. Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden.
Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at jessicabrodie. She has a weekly YouTube devotional, too. You can also connect with her on Facebook , Twitter , and more. Who Wrote the Book Song of Songs? Context and Background of Song of Songs If the book was written by Solomon, it would have been sometime during his reign, between and B.
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