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v • d • e Books of the Bible   Books originally written in Hebrew and/or Aramaic, the so-called Old Testament Historical Literature Primary History The Book of the Law (Genesis · Exodus · Leviticus · Numbers · Deuteronomy · Joshua)  Judges — Ruth* The History of Kings (1&2 Samuel · 1&2 Kings) Chronicler's History 1&2 Chronicles · Ezra/Nehemiah — Esther* Wisdom Literature  Job • Psalms • Proverbs • Ecclesiastes • Song of Songs Prophetic Literature  Major Prophets Isaiah • Jeremiah • Lamentations • Ezekiel • Daniel Minor Prophets Hosea · Joel · Amos · Obadiah · Jonah · Micah · Nahum · Habakkuk · Zephaniah · Haggai · Zechariah · Malachi * Neither Ruth nor Esther fit into their groups listed here   Hebrew Scriptures as organized by the Jews, a.k.a. the Tanak Torah   Genesis · Exodus · Leviticus · Numbers · Deuteronomy Prophets Former Joshua · Judges · Samuel · Kings Latter Isaiah · Jeremiah · Ezekiel · The Twelve (Hosea · Joel · Amos · Obadiah · Jonah · Micah · Nahum · Habakkuk · Zephaniah · Haggai · Zechariah · Malachi) Writings "Truth" Psalms · Proverbs · Job "Five" Song of Songs · Ruth · Lamentations · Ecclesiastes · Esther History Daniel · Esdras · Chronicles   Books originally written in Greek, the so-called New Testament Gospel Accounts   Matthew · Mark · Luke-Acts — John Epistles Pauline Churches  — Romans • 1 Corinthians · 2 Corinthians • Galatians • Ephesians • Philippians • Colossians • 1 Thessalonians · 2 Thessalonians Persons  — 1 Timothy · 2 Timothy • Titus • Philemon General Hebrews • James • 1 Peter · 2 Peter • 1 John · 2 John · 3 John • Jude Apocalyptic Literature The Revelation according to the Apostle John   New Testament by where and when in Chronological Order From Corinth to Rome Judea Rome Roman Prison Ephesus Jewish Christian Matthew • James Hebrews Jude* Pauline/Lukan 1 Thessalonians • 2 Thessalonians • Galatians • 1 Corinthians • Romans • 2 Corinthians • Ephesians Philippians • Colossians • Philemon Luke-Acts 1 Timothy • Titus • 2 Timothy Markan/Petrine Mark 1 Peter • 2 Peter Johannine 1 John • 2 John • 3 John • Revelation • John Timeline 52-61 61,62 62,63 64,65 69-98 * The circumstances of Jude's composition are not known

v • d • e « Song of Songs » Inspired in the Hebrew language « Ecclesiastes « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 » Book of Isaiah » Greek Latin English Hebrew Greek:Song of Songs Latin:Song of Songs Traditional Literal Traditional:Song of Songs English:Song of Songs Hebrew:Song of Songs There is also a Targum for this book, a translation-as-commentary, or a paraphrase

The Song of Songs or Song of Solomon is the 22nd book of the Bible and part of the Wisdom Literature. Put simply, it is a poem portraying the romantic relationship between a man and a woman, and a warning such a relationship is only safe only in the marriage covenant. In the whole history of Biblical interpretation, this book has the dubious distinction of being the most misunderstood for the longest time. The Song is chiastic in structure, and is written in the form of Ancient Near East erotic love poetry. Its metaphors and similes are foreign, but nevertheless comprehensible, and all the more necessary given our current Western preoccupation with, and confusion over sex.

The Hebrew title שיר השירים (Shir Hashirim) comes from verse one. Hebrew lacks the superlative, so this is a paraphrasis for "the greatest song" (compare "King of Kings" or "Lord of Lords"). The Greek title ᾌσμα ᾈσμάτων ("Asma Asmaton") and the Latin "Canticum Canticorum" also mean "Song of Songs" or "The Best Song." The name Canticles ("Songs") is derived from the Latin title. Because Solomon is mentioned in verse 1, the book is also known as the Song of Solomon.

Contents 1 History of Interpretation 1.1 Allegorical 1.2 Erotica 1.3 Number of Speakers 2 Structure

History of Interpretation

Allegorical

By the time of Second Temple Judaism, the Song had a long history of allegorical interpretation. The man is assumed to be God and woman Israel. In the Patristic Period, Materialistic Dualism had intruded enough to make sex anathema, and the book nothing but an extended metaphor. However, without any basis for deriving similes, wild and diverse theories abounded. For example, according to Cyril of Alexandria, 1:13 with it's "sachet of myrrh between two breasts" referred to Christ, nestled in-between the Old and New Testaments!^[1]

Best practice is to let Scripture interpret Scripture. The closest things we have to the Song is Proverbs 5, with its images of wells and cisterns and gardens. No one treats the Warning Against Adultery as indicative of Christ and the Church. It is also worth pointing out that Christ does not love the church because of how she is (Eros), but in spite of it (Agape).

All that being said, the pendulum has swung radically in the other direction since 1990. Now, preachers like Mark Driscoll preach lewd sermons on the Song, worry free. What this shift fails to account for is the repeated use of Solomon as a typological figure in the Song and the correct understanding of Marriage as expressed in Ephesians 5:22-33.

Finally, there are two poles of a dialectic we must hold onto and not compromise either with regard to the Song. On the one hand, our sexual ethic is to be totally dissimilar from the worlds, bound up with selfless love, chaste and yet supra-passionate. On the other hand, we are all  — men and women alike — to see ourselves as the bride of Christ  — represented by Solomon (Matthew 12:42) — who will no longer marry nor be given in marriage in the Great Eschaton.

Erotica

The Song is erotic poetry. Is it pornography? Carey Walsh (Exquisite Desire) rightly says No. But what’s the difference?

Walsh suggests several differences. Erotic writing forms empathy with the lovers by exploring desire and internal psyche, the psychology of wanting. Pornography reduces people to objects, and body parts. Erotic writing, further, honors time; it is about waiting and yearning; porn can’t wait. Pornography, for the same reason, is repetitive; it’s only about the sex act itself, over and over again. Erotica is about the “quality of the time spent waiting.”

The Song describes sex in metaphorical terms; it is “not trying to solve the mystery of love but rather is heightening the wonder.” For this reason, erotica plays off the imagination: the Song “uses allusions and metaphors that force the reader to slow down and feel them” and thus “teases” and “draws the reader into the feelings of desire being described.” Porn doesn’t have time for metaphor. It doesn’t heighten wonder but strips sex to bodies in motion.

In short, erotica is about desiring, yearning human persons; pornography is about sexual machines.^[2]

Number of Speakers

Debates have also raged regarding the number of speakers involved. Some modern Redactionists say that the book is nothing but a compilation of over a dozen love poems, and so the number of speakers range from twelve to over 50. Traditional has said that there is a bride, the king (Solomon), but argue over a proposed third speaker, a chorus (daughters of Jerusalem). Alternately, there need only be two people and a small cadre of women in some scholar's minds. While Solomon is mentioned periodically and in the opening verse, some take his appearance to be a kind of hyperbole, perhaps by himself is he is the author of the book.

Structure

Main article: Outline of the Song of Songs

With little or no consensus, modern scholars estimate the number of sections in the text between four and 28 pieces! However, with the new Literary Criticism comes an attempt to analyze the text as it stands and not piece together how it arose. Using seven units, a clear-cut chiasm emerges:

Title (1:1)

• A. Longings Awakened -Mutual love and desire (1:2-2:7)
  • B. The Bride Adores Her Beloved - Young man's invitation to the young woman (2:8-17)
    • C. The Bride's Dream - Young woman's nighttime search (3:1-5)
      • D. Wedding (3:6-5:1)
    • C' Young woman's Nighttime Search (5:2-7:10)
  • B' Young Woman's Invitation to the young man (7:11-8:4)
• A' Closing words - Mutual love and desire (8:5-14)

For those who subscribe to this model, the book is not in strict chronological order and maintains the necessity of marriage before intimacy. However, the traditional chapter divisions and paragraph titling are not conducive to this interpretation. The end of the story is in the middle and the beginning is at the ends. Additional information is to be gleaned by contrasting matching section in the chiasm.