Summary
Love, devotion, and the beauty of covenant faithfulness.
by Dr. David Silver2 min read
Read the Summaryby Dr. David Silver2 min read
Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) is part of the Megillot (collection of five scrolls in the OT read at Festivals), and this scroll was read during the Passover. Traditionally the author was Solomon. It was felt to be an allegory for many centuries, but it is more accepted now as a love song depicting human love within a marriage. Marriage does point to our spiritual relationship with God however (Ephesians 5: 31-33). It is a poetic wisdom book filled with potentially over twenty poems.
Major sections of the book can be divided as the following: 1: 2- 3:5 (courtship); 3: 6-5: 1 (honeymoon); 5: 2-8: 4 (lasting marriage). This sexually provocative and explicit book displays love as a beautiful gift and sexuality within marriage as God’s idea. A man and a woman express their feelings, longings, and admiration for each other, with a chorus of witnesses (friends) cheering them on. Some envision this story with three characters: Solomon, the Shulammite, and a shepherd. But Solomon and the Shulammite seem to be the main characters and the ones who are marrying (ironically Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines).
The woman (beloved) begins speaking in 1: 2, and the courtship is underway. She desires her lover’s kisses and she enjoys his fragrance. Her ‘lover’ wastes no time admiring her physical features (cheeks, neck, and eyes). She enjoys his company (2: 3). She feels loved. “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires,” is a recurring phrase.
The wedding procession begins in 3: 6-7 with Solomon’s carriage. He is wearing the crown on the day of his wedding (3: 11). Chapter four expresses erotic love during the honeymoon. The groom comes to the garden (4: 12), and the bride welcomes him (4: 16).
The friends asked the beloved how her husband was better than others (5: 9). She claimed he was outstanding among ten thousand (5: 10) and boasted about his physical features for the rest of the chapter. Her husband admits there may be other queens and concubines, but she is unique (6: 8-9). She desires to show her husband public affection, as a brother (8: 1). Love is as strong as death, and it cannot be easily washed away (8: 6-7).
Structure
Chapters 1:2–3:5
The beloved and her lover praise each other and long for each other, with a chorus of friends looking on and a refrain: do not awaken love before it desires.
Chapters 3:6–5:1
Solomon’s carriage comes up from the wilderness, the groom wears his crown, and the garden is entered and welcomed.
Chapters 5:2–8:4
A night of missed connection, a search through the city, and renewed delight; she is unique among all others.
Chapter 8:5–14
The great statement of the book: love is a seal on the heart, strong as death, and many waters cannot quench it.
Key Themes
01
Two people take unembarrassed pleasure in one another.
02
Among all others, there is one; the language is of belonging.
03
Three times the refrain warns against awakening love before its time.
04
Physical love within marriage is treated as beautiful, not shameful.
05
Love here is a seal and a bond, not only a feeling.
The Challenge We Face
The book is first of all what it appears to be: a love song. But Scripture itself makes marriage a picture — Paul quotes Genesis on a man and his wife becoming one flesh and says he is speaking about Christ and the church.
Read in that light, the delight, the seeking, the belonging and the unquenchable love of this song describe the love of Christ for His people.
Apply Scripture
Desire and delight within marriage are God’s idea, not a concession.
Love is worth speaking out loud; the lovers here say what they see.
Do not awaken love before its time.
Covenant love is a seal, not a mood.
Marriage is a picture of something larger than itself.
Study guides
You've seen the big picture. Now explore the book verse by verse with our practical Bible Study Guide.
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