SONG OF SOLOMON

“In the glorious temple of revelation, a place which the Lord our God has chosen to cause his name to dwell there, even in brighter glory than in the temple of the material world, does this book stand, like one of the apartments in the temple on Mount Zion, small indeed, but exquisitely finished, the walls and ceiling of something richer than cedar, richer than bright ivory overlaid with sapphires, and filled with specimens of truth brought down from heaven by the Holy Spirit, and here deposited for the comfort and delight of those who love the habitation of God’s house, and the place where his glory dwelleth.”

—George Burrowes

MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (So 1:2). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.


The Disciples Study Bible offers the following introduction:

Love—how does the believer express love to another human being? That is the issue in the Song of Songs.
The issue was real for God’s people when these love songs were written and sung for them. Relationships between the sexes were not simply a private matter for Israel. The worship services of their neighbors involved sexual relationships between the worshiper and a member of the staff of the high places where worship was held. We refer to such practices as cultic prostitution and the staff members of the high places as cultic prostitutes.

The Baal religion of Canaan taught that this use of sexual relationships in the worship of Baal guaranteed rain, good crops, and fertility for human parents. Those who refused to participate in such worship faced outrage from their neighbors when drought or plagues brought a poor crop year.

The Bible resolutely declares that all of life stands under God’s control. The one God who created everything rules over the agricultural and fertility realms just as He rules over the political and historical realms.

The Song of Songs declares the independence of God’s people from religion which imprisons love and sexual relationships within the realm of Baal worship or any other false ruler. The sexual acts of the Baal worship constitute neither a ritual of worship nor a sign of love. Instead, the Song of Songs gives new definition to love. Love and sexual union are a God-given privilege for a man and a woman to share. God’s people in the privacy of their existence together, not in the worship place, may participate properly and happily in this dimension of life.

Later traditions of Judaism and Christianity have used allegorical and typological methods of interpretation to extend the meaning of the Song of Songs to God’s love with His people and Christ’s love for the church.

Disciple’s Study Bible Copyright © 1988 Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, TN. All rights reserved.

Although perhaps confused by this beautiful book let us prayerfully proceed and be blessed.