Song of Songs Commentary...

[christianwarrior]

When I first read Song of Songs I was completely lost. This was because of my lack of familiarity with Hebrew culture and Hebrew customs. The Jews have interpreted Song of Songs to be talking about the love that God has towards his people (the Jewish people). The Christians have interpreted to be talking about the love of God towards the church. http://discussions.godandscience.org/vi ... 22&t=39908 Both of these views are valid application of the text. According to Jewish tradition, Song of Songs was written by Solomon during his early years before his heart turned from God under the influence of his foreign wives. Solomon likely wrote the Song of Songs to be sung during a wedding ceremony. Some Biblical scholars believe that Solomon wrote Song of Songs for Abishag the Shulamite who take care of King David in his old age (1 Kings 1:1-4,15,2:17-22). The meaning of Song of Songs depends on whether or not the reader interprets the shepherd as a separate character from the king or the shepherd as the same man as the king. If the shepherd is a separate character from the king then Song of Songs is about a love triangle between King Solomon and a shepherd where the woman chooses the shepherd over the king. However if the beloved shepherd is the same man as the king, these songs are a love story of the lover courting his beloved and marrying her then continuing their love for each other. I favor the view that the lover is both a shepherd and a king. "I got myself male and female servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle more than all that were in Jerusalem before me:" (Ecclesiastes 2:7) The shepherd in the Song of Songs does not seem like ordinary shepherd. The traditional Jewish understanding of Song of Songs is that the shepherd and the king are the same character. The love triangle view of the Song of Songs was first mentioned by 12th century rabbi, no other popular rabbinical literature made reference to a love triangle. Here is what the Jewish Encyclopedia said about the love triangle view:

" This theory, however, rests on unwarranted interpretations of particular passages. The alleged rivalry between a king and a shepherd appears nowhere in the text: there is only one lover, as there is only one maiden; Solomon is introduced as an actor in only one place (iii. 6-11), and here he is represented as the shepherd bridegroom himself. Both the views described above (and the various modifications of them) regard the poem as a drama: it is divided by expositors into acts and scenes. It is, in fact, dramatically conceived (like the Job poem, for instance), since it consists not of narratives, but of lyric utterances put into the mouths of certain characters; but it is not a drama. Not only is there no definite indication of time or place, all being vaguely rhapsodical; but there is no movement, no culmination or catastrophe." http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/ ... -songs-the

For information on the love triangle view: read the Song of Songs section of the Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald (which overall is a great Bible commentary), and these websites: http://www.answering-islam.org/Andy/Son ... ntary.html http://godsbreath.net/2009/08/18/song-of-songs/

To aid understanding of the passages I suggest you go to BibleGateway and listen the dramatic audio reading in either the NIV (https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/dram ... niv/Song.1) or King James (https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/dram ... kjv/Song.1). Here is a verse by verse commentary available online: http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/22.htm

I am not an expert theologian or a romantic man so my commentary may be completely off.

Notes on Chapter 1:
Verse 11: "We will make you ornaments of gold with studs of silver" seems to indicate a shift from courtship to commitment to get married. The ornaments would have been part of the engagement gift and bridal price. When the servants of Abraham went to go get a bride for Isaac: "The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother." Genesis 24:53 With regards to the Beloved having dark skin, perhaps she was a Cushite but the most likely explanation is that she became tan through working the fields. In ancient times having skin that was tanned and sunburned would be considered a negative because it would indicate that the woman come from a lower class economic background where she had to labor out in the sun all day. The Beloved seems to doubt her own beauty: "Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me:" (verse 6) but is reassured by her maidens and her lover. Today body self-image issues are worse than they have ever been. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/a ... ssues.html It is even spreading to men too. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org ... -disorders It is a shame that many people have a poor self-image when they are beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=litXW91UauE This part of the song was written to remind couples to build each up and to constantly encourage each other.

Notes on Song of Songs 2: The Eyrusin, the bethrothal would occur under a chuppah near a banqueting table. This is what the beloved is referring to in the Song of Songs 2:4: "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." http://www.flora2000.com/blog/wp-conten ... huppah.jpg

In ancient Hebrew times, a man could only break a pledge of marriage if he presented the virgin woman with a certificate of divorce. The takeways from this passage to not awaken love until the right time. http://www.boundless.org/relationships/ ... lationship It was a reminder to
However in a relationship there should be a clear path towards commitment. http://www.boundless.org/relationships/ ... girlfriend

Notes on Song of Songs 3: Today in Jewish weddings the Nissuin ceremony would be performed immediately after the Eyrusin. In ancient Hebrew times, the Eyrusin and the Nissuin happened at separate times. The man would go away from his bride-to-be after the Eyrusin. During the engagement period ,the man would spend that time to build a dwelling place for his bride. When the groom returned to start the Nissuin, he would come with a caravan.

The first part of this passage 3:1-5 seems to be her longing and her dream of Solomon being there with verse 6 her awakening from the dream with Solomon's caravan actually arriving.
"Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart" means that King Solomon, on his wedding day with a glad heart, is wearing the same crown his mother gave him when he took the throne. This purpose of this passage was to uphold the beauty of marriage.

It should be remembered that Song of Songs was written before Solomon's heart turned from God. Bible skeptics point out that that the Bible contradicts itself when it upholds marriage between a woman and a man but has several people (Abraham, Jacob, Solomon, etc.) who committed bigamy. However they fail to distinguish between the Bible recording actions that a person took as a historical account with God's approval. The Bible records many actions that God disapproves of because they were historical events. http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/ ... lomon.html The actions of Abraham, Jacob, and Solomon caused a great deal of harm and conflict. God set-up marriage as between a man and a woman from the beginning. When people claim that Jesus never talked about gay marriage they are ignoring his teachings on divorce also clearly affirm that marriage is between a man and woman.

"The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so." Matthew 19:3-8 http://www.reasonablefaith.org/a-christ ... osexuality

Notes Song of Songs 4: After their wedding ceremony, the newly wed couples have a time to get intimate and a time to get to know each other. (You likely could have figured that out on your own without my commentary.)

This passage was to remind the unmarried that certain intimacies should only occur in the context of a marriage after the wedding.
http://www.gotquestions.org/premarital-sex.html
http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/394 ... -the-brain
There is the healing power of the Holy Spirit for those who made mistakes in the past. http://powertochange.com/experience/sex ... virginity/

Notes on Song of Songs 5:
Verse 2, "I sleep, but my heart waketh:it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying,Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night." She is asleep but her heart is awake. This appears to indicate that verses 2-7 is a nightmare in her head. Her lover has gone to tend his vineyards and to fulfill his royal duties (6:11-12) but he does not return in a timely fashion so the beloved has the nightmare.

When the beloved speaks of being sick of love it is a love-sickness caused by absence of her lover. The Lover ,based on the legitimate reason of providing for the needs of his beloved and to take care of royal duties, has neglected the relationship. This happens in so many relationships ,where based on what starts out as good reasons (providing the needs of his family, doing ministry, doing well in school, etc.), the relationship suffers damage. In this passage when the lover does not return, the beloved goes through nightmares and searches frantically for the lover. This passage speaks about the importance of not sacrificing a relationship. There are families where the fathers or mothers who work many long hours but hardly ever sees their family. While in times of economic distress this might be necessary situation it should be avoided if possible. Do not use providing for a family or ministry as an excuse for neglect. http://thomrainer.com/2013/08/17/confes ... tors-wife/

In the book of Revelation ,the Angel delivers Christ's message to the Church in Ephesus:

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. (Rev. 2:2-4) The church had worked and labored hard. They had countered the teachings of the false apostles but they had neglected their relationship with Christ. We can get so caught in labor that we forget to spend time with those we labor for.*

Notes on Song of Songs 6: The Restoration of the relationship. The couple is re-united in the garden.

The beloved shows her love and appreciation for her lover (5:10-16, 6:2-3) even though the absence of the lover caused her angst. In a relationship (romantic and non-romantic) there should be edification and appreciation.
"There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her." The Enduring Word commentary had this to say:

"The beauty and intensity of the romantic love described in the Song of Solomon does not seem to come from a man who actually romanced and loved many woman (and they came to ruin him spiritually according to 1 Kings 11:1-4). There are a few possible explanations for this problem:

1. Solomon wrote this as a young man on the occasion of his first love, his true love. Of all the 700 wives, one had to be first, and the maiden of the Song of Solomon was this one. If this is true, then the reference to the queens, concubines, and virgins was simply theoretical and does not describe women that actually belonged Solomon.
2. Solomon wrote this as a middle-aged man with many wives and concubines (though perhaps somewhat early in the count), meaning that he wrote this about an ideal that he did not live or benefit from. If this is true, then the reference to the queens, concubines, and virgins is literal.
3. Solomon wrote this as a man late in life, having tasted the good and ideal but wasting the vast majority of his life upon foolish romances and sexual liaisons; he wrote this remembering the ideal and attempting to promote it to others. If this is true, then the reference to the queens, concubines, and virgins is theoretical." (http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/2206.htm)
My personal view is that while Solomon had inherited a haram of women from King David, this Song was written to his first wife early in his reign as a young man. It seems that Solomon is saying: "As King, I have access to many women, I could have any woman I want but you only are my love." Either way I am going to repeat what I wrote about a previous section: Bible skeptics point out that that the Bible contradicts itself when it upholds marriage between a woman and a man but has several people (Abraham, Jacob, Solomon, etc.) who committed bigamy. However they fail to distinguish between the Bible recording actions that a person took as a historical account with God's approval. The Bible records many actions that God disapproves of because they were historical events. http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/ ... lomon.html The actions of Abraham, Jacob, and Solomon caused a great deal of harm and conflict. God set-up marriage as between a man and a woman from the beginning.


Song of Songs 7 and 8 notes: Even after their marriage the lover and the beloved continue their courtship. Beloved: "Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves." The bride is suggesting a way that they can continue their courtship together while the husband discharges his duties. Her suggestion incorporates spending time together while making sure that the husband checks on his vineyards. A couple should not neglect neither their relationship nor their work duties. This passage is suggesting to the newly wed Hebrew couples that there should be a continued effort to keep the courtship after marriage. With regards to God's people there should be effort into sustaining fellowship with God.

Song of Songs go through the various stages of relationship from courtship to marriage to struggles to restoration to continued courtship. Song of Songs also serves to remind us of the love that God has for us. We should not allow any of our relationships towards people we love to stagnant whether it is with our friends, spouse, God, etc.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

Your post is way, way too long. My guess is that nobody will read it. Condense it into a few sentences and then we'll talk.

FL

[1over137]

I would recommend to highlight main parts/sentences within the long text.

[christianwarrior]

Thanks everyone I have deleted the text since everyone could use Bible Gateway or use their personal Bible. It should be more accessible now.