The Lover

The Song of Songs

The Song of Songs (meaning ‘the greatest of songs’) is a series of six love poems or ‘songs’ shared by a man and a woman. In the opening verse of the Hebrew text, the songs are attributed to Solomon (c.970-930BC), so the book is sometimes called the 'Song of Solomon'. But it may well have been written later.

The Songs can be interpreted in different ways:

Literally - The songs may simply be an expression of human love in a beautiful courtship.
Dramatic - The songs were written to be sung or performed at a wedding.
Symbolic - The songs have a hidden meaning about the relationship between God and Israel.

Scholars have discussed these interpretations for centuries, starting well before Jesus was born. Today, the poems may be read as a picture of God’s loving relationship with all his people, or as a practical guide to courtship and marriage.

 

Couple walking in the park (Bill Branson)

The Song of Songs is a series of love poems shared by a couple.   (Bill Branson)

 

Song 1  (Songs 1:1 – 2:7)

Songs 1:2   The woman: “Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth because your love is better than wine.”

Songs 1:6   The woman: “Don’t look at how dark I am, at how the sun has made me.”

Songs 1:9   The man: “My darling, you are like a mare among the king's stallions.”

Songs 1:14   The woman: “My lover is like a bunch of flowers from the vineyards at En Gedi.”

 

David river at En Gedi ( Ziko van Dijk )

Valley of the Goats at En Gedi   ( Ziko van Dijk )

 

Songs 2:1   The woman: “I am a rose in the Plain of Sharon, a lily in the valleys.”

Songs 2:4   The woman: “He brought me to the banqueting room and the banner over me is love.”

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