This is also called "the Song of Songs, or The Canticles," though it is one poem, and not a collection of poems. The first verse states that it is by Solomon. The book stands alone, and has been variously interpreted. A favourite theory of German theologians and of many English is that it is literally a love story: that Solomon sought to draw away a lowly maiden from a shepherd, to whom she was betrothed; but to whom she remained faithful. That such a poem, with no higher teaching than this, should find a place in holy scripture, is impossible for the Christian who believes in inspiration to accept. With others it is held to represent ’the pure love and mystical union and marriage of Christ and His church,’ which will be seen to be the idea in the headings of the chapters in the A.V. Passages in the N.T. that refer to the union of Christ and the church are referred to as bearing out this interpretation.
But a great deal of damage has been done to the right understanding of the O.T. by supposing that wherever blessing is there spoken of, it must refer to the church. God has blessed and will bless others besides the church, especially His ancient people Israel. He uses also endearing terms to Israel. He says to her, "I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgement, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies." This declaration is associated with a day when she will call Jehovah Ishi (that is, husband), and shall no more call Him Baali (that is, master). Hos 2:16; Hos 2:19. This is doubtless the key to the Song of Solomon. This is the union spoken of, with which the words of affection, that pass between Christ as Jehovah and the remnant of Israel that will be brought into blessing, are in accord. The song is prophetic, but does not reach to Christ and the church, though, when its right interpretation is seen, the Christian can apply some of its language as his own to the same Lord, who will also be manifested as the Bridegroom of the church. There is however this important difference: in the Canticles the result is more in anticipation, while with the Christian there is present realisation of relationship: in other words, more of desire than of satisfaction.
From the above it will be seen that the bride is not simply a person, but symbolic of the earthly Jerusalem and the remnant whose names are registered as connected with God’s foundation, embracing all the faithful of Israel, looked upon as ’the daughters of Jerusalem,’ which represents the whole nation. This agrees with the language in many parts: for instance, "Draw me, we will run after thee. The king hath brought me into his chambers; we will be glad . . . . the upright [plural] love thee." Son 1:4. Further, it is helpful to see who is the speaker in the various parts of the Song. As far as the bridegroom and the bride are concerned this is pointed out by the gender in the Hebrew. It seems evident too that a company, usually called virgins, also take part in the Song. The heart of Jerusalem is now being turned to the One they once refused: comp. Mat 23:37.
Son 1:2. BRIDE AND VIRGINS. They value the love of the bridegroom more than wine. The bride owns that she is dark, but she is comely: the rays of affliction have scorched her like the sun: cf. Isa 3:24. She has been keeping the vineyards of the nations, not her own.
Son 1:8. BRIDEGROOM. He delights in her, and esteems her as the fairest among women.
Son 1:12. BRIDE. The bridegroom is ’the king:’ her spikenard sends forth a perfume: cf. Joh 12:1-8.
Son 1:15. BRIDEGROOM. He acknowledges her beauty: cf. Eze 16:14.
Son 1:16. BRIDE. She admires her Lord, and appreciates her relationship: she says, ’our house.’
Son 2:1. BRIDE. She is a rose of Sharon, and a lily of the valleys.
Son 2:2. BRIDEGROOM. His loved one is as a lily among thorns.
Son 2:3. BRIDE. She calls him ’my beloved,’ and charges the daughters of Jerusalem not to disturb her loved one until he please. ’Behold he cometh:’ she does not yet possess him.
Son 2:10. BRIDEGROOM. He invites her to partake of the pleasant fruits. The foxes must be caught that spoil the tender fruit. The joy must be full.
Son 2:16. BRIDE. She is conscious of the relationship. He is hers, and she is his.
Cant. 3. BRIDE. She is alone and in darkness; she seeks her beloved, but does not find him. She questions the watchmen, and as soon as she passes them she finds him. King Solomon is described, his bed, his chariot, etc.: it is he who will bring in peace.
Son 4:1. BRIDEGROOM. He declares what she is in his sight. She is the garden of his delights. He calls upon the north and the south winds to cause the fragrance to come forth. (Some believe Son 4:6 to be the language of the bride.)
Son 4:16. BRIDE. She responds, "Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits."
Son 5:1. BRIDEGROOM. He has come into his garden and tasted its delights: he calls his friends to share his joys: cf. Joh 3:29.
Son 5:2. BRIDE. She has slept, and he is outside.
Son 5:2. BRIDEGROOM. He asks to be admitted: his locks are wet with the drops of the night.
Son 5:3. BRIDE. She is slothful and makes excuses. When she opens the door she finds he is gone. She goes about the city in search of him, and is smitten and shamed. She charges the daughters of Jerusalem that if they find him they will tell him that she is ’sick of love.’ They ask her what her beloved is more than another. She declares that he is "the chiefest among ten thousand;" "yea, he is altogether lovely."
Son 6:1. The bride is asked whither he is gone: they will seek him with her.
Son 6:2. BRIDE. She says he is gone into his garden. She declares her confidence that she is her beloved’s, and her beloved is hers.
Son 6:4. BRIDEGROOM. He describes her as beautiful and undefiled: she exceeds all; she is the only one of her mother.
When Israel is thus brought into blessing she will be, as the virgins say in Son 6:10, "terrible as an army with banners."
Son 6:11. BRIDEGROOM. He goes to look for the fruits, and before he is aware he is carried up on the chariots of Ammi-nadib, ’my willing people: ’ cf. Psa 110:3.
In Son 6:13 the bride is called upon to return under the name of Shulamite, ’peaceable’ (the feminine of Shalom, from which is also Solomon); and in the Shulamite they see, as it were, the company of two armies, doubtless alluding to the union in a future day of Judah and Israel.
Son 7:1. BRIDEGROOM. He now describes his beloved as what she is to him.
Son 7:9. "And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine." . . . .
BRIDE (interposing). "That goeth down smoothly for my beloved, and stealeth over the lips of them that are asleep." (N.T.)
Son 7:10. BRIDE. The bride’s experience has advanced: she responds, "I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me." She invites him to come forth among the pleasant fruits - mutual enjoyment.
Son 8:1. This is a recapitulation of the whole book. The bride speaks as if she was only longing after him.
Son 8:5. The virgins ask who it is that comes up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved.
Son 8:5. BRIDEGROOM. He raised her up under the apple tree (which the bridegroom is called in Son 2:3). The remnant will be recovered under Christ under the new covenant.
Son 8:6. BRIDE. She asks to be set as a seal upon his heart and upon his arm: his love and his power will be for her.
Son 8:8. The virgins speak of their ’little sister:’ what shall be done for her? This is doubtless an allusion to the ten tribes, who did not have to do with Christ when on earth, and who will be dealt with differently from the two tribes; but will be brought into the land and blessed there.
Son 8:9. BRIDE. If the little sister be a wall, she shall be built upon; if a door, she shall be enclosed; but the bride is a wall, and is grown to maturity. She has a vineyard of her own, but Solomon must have a vineyard, from which he will receive fruit: not like Israel of old, which yielded no fruit.
Son 8:13. BRIDEGROOM. He desires to hear the voice of her that walks in the gardens.
Son 8:14. BRIDE. She responds, and bids her beloved to come without delay.
The whole Song has been otherwise divided into six parts, beginning at Son 1:1; Son 2:8; Son 3:6; Son 5:2; Son 6:13; and Son 8:5.
It is worthy of remark that whereas the bridegroom describes the bride to herself, the bride describes the bridegroom, not to himself, but to others. This is surely becoming of her. He tells her plainly of her preciousness in his sight, and of the perfection he beholds in her. This calls forth her assurance, and she declares his preciousness in her eyes. As said above, the interpretation of the book is that it embraces the union of Christ and the Jewish remnant in a future day. But it is the same Christ that loves the church, and His love demands the deepest affection in return. He cares for her love, and in Rev 2:4-5, reproaches the Ephesian assembly that they had left their first love.
As a matter of interest it may be added that in the Alexandrian copy of the LXX some of the above divisions are made, and the speaker pointed out. In the Codex Sinaiticus these intimations are much more numerous than in the Alexandrian copy.
The 24th book of the Old Testament as found in the Catholic Bible. It is an allegorical poem which expresses: basically, the predilection of the Lord for the Chosen People; prophetically, the betrothal of Christ with His Church; universally, the love of God for a devoted soul; accommodatively, in the liturgy of the Church, the delight of God in the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Protestant versions call it Song of Solomon or Song of Songs. But Catholics name it "Canticle" rather than "Song" to distinguish it as a liturgical song, and Canticle of Canticles to describe it as the superlative song. It was adapted to choral recitation, and was read in the Jewish liturgy on the octave day of the Passover. The contents are as follows: The Spouse, languishing for her Lover (chapter 1), is suffused with the delight of Him (2), pursues Him and finds Him, and exults in His grandeur (3); He praises her incomparable beauty (4); the Lover comes, but, before the Spouse opens the bolt of the door, "He had turned aside and was gone"; she delights in the thought of His all-loveliness (5); the Lover dwells on the regal radiance of the Spouse (6); she is mighty and fruitful (7); the Spouse sings the greatness, joy, and abandon of union with her Lover (8). The Canticle of Canticles was composed by Solomon, in Jerusalem, under Divine inspiration. The earlier interpreters all agreed with the traditional view that Solomon wrote it; and the familiar acquaintance with matters of natural science and with the geographical features of Palestine accords well with the genius of Solomon. No other name could be suggested to replace his. Some philological difficulties raised by late critics are so few and so shadowy that they confirm the older position by their jejuneness. They deride the idea of Solomon parading his amours in such fashion; but Solomon is not parading himself or his wives or his amours. He sings, in allegory, of Divine love and human souls. As to the inspiration of the book, it was not disputed by the Jews, as Rabbi Akiba (1st century) has observed in sweeping rabbinical phrase: "No one in Israel has ever doubted that the Canticle of Canticles ’defiles the hands.’" All Christian lists of the canonical Scriptures have it noted. Some critics interpret the book as an erotic poem, composed by some Palestinian to celebrate the pursuit by Solomon of a shy Shulemite shepherdess. The imagery thus becomes distorted and the thought grotesque.
Short OT book (eight chapters) containing only poetry. Its beautiful poetic passages describe the many dimensions of human love; there is little in this book that is explicitly religious. In addition to the popular title, the book is sometimes referred to as the “Song of Songs.” This is the most literal translation of the short title of the book in the original language and means “the best of all possible songs.” Some writers also entitle the book “Canticles”; this title is based on the name of the Latin version of the book, Canticum Canticorum.
Preview
• Author
• Date
• Purpose and Theological Teaching
• Content
Author
There was an old tradition among the Jews that King Solomon (c. 970–930 BC) wrote the Song of Songs. This view is based on one of several possible translations of the first verse of the Song: “Solomon’s song of songs” (1:1, nlt). This view could be correct, though there cannot be absolute certainty, for the last words of the verse in the original language could be translated in various ways. An English translation that preserves the ambiguity of the original would be “The song of songs, which is Solomon’s” (kjv); the last words could mean that Solomon was author, but equally they could indicate that the song was “dedicated to Solomon” or “written for Solomon.” As is often the case with the OT writings, authorship cannot be known with absolute certainty.
Date
It follows that if the authorship is uncertain, there must also be uncertainty concerning the date at which the song was written. If Solomon was the author, it was written during the latter half of the tenth century BC. If he was not the author, then the song was probably written at a later date. But the contents indicate that the song must have been written and completed at some point during the Hebrew monarchy (before 586 BC). For those who do not accept Solomon as author, the precise date will depend to some extent upon the theory that is adopted concerning the interpretation of the song. If the song is an anthology of Israelite love poetry, then the many poems making up the song would have been written at different dates and gathered together into a single volume toward the end of the Hebrew monarchy.
Various Interpretations
There are two major difficulties in interpreting this book. First, the song appears to be secular in its present form and God’s name does not appear; the only exception to this statement is in 8:6, where some English versions translate the text to show God’s name, though the original text uses the name in an unusual (adjectival) sense. The second problem is that, taken at face value, the song contains only secular poetry of human love. What is the theological significance of love poetry? These and other difficulties have led to a multitude of different interpretations of the song. A brief survey of some of the most significant interpretations will clarify not only the problem of understanding the book but also its content and meaning.
The Song as an Allegory
One of the oldest interpretations of the song sees it as an allegory. This view was held by both Jewish and Christian scholars from an early date. The description of human love in the song is seen as an allegory of the love between Christ and the church. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354–430) believed that the marriage referred to in the song was an allegory of the marriage between Christ and the church.
This theory was valued for a long time. It influenced the translators of the kjv. They added chapter headings to their translations as an aid to readers in understanding the Bible. For example, at the beginning of the first chapter of the Song of Solomon, they wrote, “1. The Church’s love unto Christ, 5. She confesseth her deformity, 7. and prayeth to be directed to his flock.” It is important to stress, however, that the Hebrew text does not mention Christ or the church. The headings represent the understanding of the translators, not the content of the original Hebrew.
The Song as a Drama
The view that the song is a drama is also an old one. Those who hold this theory begin by noting that there are several speakers or actors. Perhaps, then, the song is the script of an ancient dramatic play.
This theory has some strong points. In the manuscript of an ancient Greek translation of the OT, headings have been added to the Song of Solomon that identify the speakers. The cast includes bride, bridegroom, and companions. However, the headings were probably not a part of the original Hebrew text. They reflect the interpretation of the early Greek translators.
There is one major difficulty with this theory: there is no clear evidence that drama was a form of art used by the Hebrews. Although drama was common among the Greeks, it does not appear to have been employed in the Near East. It is possible, however, to suggest a slight variation to the drama theory. Perhaps the Song of Solomon is not a drama but simply dramatic poetry, similar to the book of Job. This possibility is more plausible, but it too has difficulties. A story or plot would be expected for either drama or dramatic poetry, but it is not clear that there is a story.
According to one interpretation, the story might go as follows. The song tells the story of true love. A maiden was in love with a shepherd lad. King Solomon, however, fell in love with the maiden and took her to his palace. There he tried to win her love with beautiful words but failed. She remained faithful to the shepherd lad whom she loved. Failing to win her, Solomon released her and allowed her to return to her true lover. The story is beautiful and simple, but it is not easy to see in the text without added headings and explanations. Other interpreters have discerned a quite different story in the Song of Solomon. In conclusion, it is not absolutely clear that there is a single story being told.
The Song as Reflecting a Fertility Cult
Some modern scholars claim that the origin of the Song of Solomon is to be found in the fertility cults of the ancient Near East. In ancient fertility cults there was great emphasis on the fertility of the land, which would be seen in bountiful harvests. The cults were designed to ensure that the land remained fertile. They were accompanied by a mythology describing the gods responsible for fertility. This mythology included love poetry about the gods, and the poetry has some similarity to the Song of Solomon.
The theory might go like this: Originally the Hebrews also had a fertility cult. The Song of Solomon contains the love poetry associated with that cult. Later, the mythological references were omitted, so that the present song looks like secular love poetry.
The main difficulty with this theory is the lack of any firm evidence. There is no reference to God or any other gods in the Song of Solomon. There is no reference to a fertility cult or any other kind of cult. If the theory has some validity to it, the evidence no longer exists.
The Song as a Collection of Poems
This last, most probable theory of interpretation involves two basic principles. First, the song is to be interpreted literally; it is what it seems to be—poetry celebrating human love. Second, the Song of Solomon is a collection, not a single piece of poetry. Just as the book of Psalms contains songs, hymns, and prayers from many different periods of Israel’s history, so too the Song of Solomon contains poetry from different periods and different authors. The common theme joining all the passages together is human love. Opinions differ concerning where one song ends and the next begins. There may be as many as 29 songs in the book, some consisting of only one verse and others much longer.
Purpose and Theological Teaching
If the Song of Solomon is primarily an anthology of the poetry of human love, what is its significance as a biblical book? What are its theological implications? First, the presence of the song in the Bible provides a valuable insight concerning human love. The love between a man and a woman is a noble and beautiful thing; it is a gift of God. It is characterized by a certain mystery and cannot be bought. But because human love is a beautiful and noble thing, it can easily be debased. In the modern world, the Song of Solomon provides a proper perspective and a balanced view of human love. Further, a high value of human love is essential. Since human love and marriage are employed in the Bible as an analogy of God’s love for humanity, love in itself must be good and pure.
Content
The Woman Sings Her Love Song (1:2–7)
In each of the songs, the reader is like an eavesdropper listening to the words of love spoken, sometimes privately and sometimes to the beloved one. The opening song is a song of praise, rejoicing in love and delighting in a particular loved one: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—for your love is more delightful than wine” (v 2, niv). This song, as many others, is characterized by a country setting, here highlighted by a contrast with the city. The young woman is from the country and tanned from working in the open air; it makes her self-conscious among the city women of Jerusalem. But love overpowers self-consciousness, and it is in the country that she will meet her lover.
The King Converses with the Woman (1:8–2:7)
In this passage, both the man and the woman are talking, though it is not a conversation in the normal sense. They are talking about each other, rather than to each other, and the beauty of both the man and the woman emerges, not in an abstract sense, but through the eyes of the beholder. Though beauty may perhaps be defined in an abstract sense, the beauty perceived by lovers is of a different kind; it is rooted in the lover’s perception of the loved one and in the relationship of love that acts like a lens to focus that perception.
A Song of Springtime (2:8–13)
This beautiful song describes the young maiden watching her beloved come to her. He calls her to join him in the countryside, where the winter has passed and the new life of spring can be seen in the land. The beauty of young love is here likened to the blossoming forth of fresh life and fragrance that characterizes Palestine in spring.
The Woman Searches for Her Loved One (2:14–3:5)
Now the woman sings and a new dimension of her love emerges from the words of her song. Love is full when the partners are together, but separation creates sorrow and loneliness. The words of the maiden evoke the desperation of separated lovers, a desperation that could only be dissipated when she held her lover again and would not let him go (3:4).
The King’s Wedding Procession (3:6–11)
The song begins with a description of the approach of the royal wedding procession, a palanquin surrounded by men of war. The king approaches the city for his wedding, and the young girls of the city go out to greet him. The song can be compared with Psalm 45, another wedding song.
The Woman’s Beauty, Like a Garden (4:1–5:1)
In sumptuous language, the man describes his maiden’s beauty. To the modern reader, the language is sometimes strange: “your neck is like the tower of David” (4:4, rsv). But the strangeness lies principally in our unfamiliarity with the ancient metaphors. Nonetheless, much of the language here draws upon the imagery of nature and wildlife, which can be appreciated by all. Again, beauty is not described merely as something aesthetic, for it is intimately tied to the relationship of love: “How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine” (v 10, niv). And again, the maiden’s beauty is not simply to be admired; it is to be given to the beloved. So when the man stops his words of adoration, the woman offers herself to him (v 16) and he accepts (5:1).
The Woman Speaks of Her Beloved (5:2–6:3)
In this song, the woman is talking with other women, and the man is not present. As she speaks about her lover, there is a change from words expressing a sense of loneliness and separation (5:4–8) to a resurgence of delight as she contemplates her loved one. The sorrow of separation from her beloved is dispelled as she recounts to them the handsomeness of her man (vv 10–16).
The Man Speaks of His Loved One’s Beauty (6:4–7:9)
This long passage may contain more than a single song; there are words from the man, the maiden, and the female companions. The principal theme is further description by the man of his beloved’s beauty (6:4–10; 7:1–9), a theme already known from an earlier passage (4:1–5:1). Each part of the maiden’s body is exquisitely beautiful in the eyes of the one who loves her.
The Woman and the Man Reflect upon Love (7:10–8:14)
Both partners speak in this complex passage, which may contain a number of short love songs. While some parts are difficult to interpret (especially 8:8–14), other verses reveal in the most profound language the meaning of love. Love, that most powerful of all human relationships, creates a sense of mutual belonging and mutual possession: “I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me” (7:10, niv). And later, the girl speaks of love with words that convey one of the most powerful understandings of love in the entire Bible: “For love is as strong as death. . . . Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned” (8:6–7, niv).
See also Solomon (Person).
Aquifer Open Bible Dictionary © 2026 Mission Mutual, an adaptation of the Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.