First Corea first principles look at the Bible
Book 22 of 66 · Wisdom · Poetry

Song of Songs

A love poem. Two lovers speak to each other, long for each other, lose each other, and find each other again. God is not named. Love itself is the subject.

The big idea

In short: love is a promise, not a purchase. “Set me as a seal upon thine heart… for love is strong as death” (8:6). And “if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned” (8:7).

The Bible has a whole book that simply celebrates love between a woman and a man. The woman speaks more than anyone else.

The rule underneath: Law 6 · Keep your word

Promises and covenants bind, even at a cost.

Keep it: People can build a life on you.
Break it: Families, friendships, and deals fall apart.

Shows up in: Numbers, Joshua, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Matthew, James

Other rules in this book: Image, not tool, Enough, and give

Live it: Playbook 04 · How to speak and keep your word

6Set me as a seal over your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unrelenting as Sheol. Its sparks are fiery flames, the fiercest blaze of all. 7Mighty waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, his offer would be utterly scorned.Song of Songs 8:6-7

At a glance

What it is
A collection of love poems, 8 chapters. The speakers are a young woman, her beloved, and a group called “the daughters of Jerusalem.”
Who wrote it
The heading says “which is Solomon’s” (1:1). That can mean by, for, or about Solomon. debated
When
Unknown. Suggestions run from Solomon’s time (about 950 BC) to after the exile (when Babylon carried the people away).
Something unusual
God is never clearly named. There is no law, no prayer, and no history. Just love.
How it is used
Many Jewish communities read it at Passover. In the 1100s, Bernard of Clairvaux preached 86 sermons on it and did not get past chapter 3.
Read it in
About 20 minutes.

What it says

1–2 · Longing. The woman speaks first. She is dark from working in the sun, and proud of it: “I am black, but comely” (1:5). The two lovers praise each other in pictures from nature: gazelles, doves, vineyards, spring. She says, “My beloved is mine, and I am his” (2:16). Three times she tells her friends, “stir not up, nor awake my love,” until the time is right (2:7; 3:5; 8:4).

3–5 · Searching. At night she looks for him in the city and can’t find him (3:1–2). A wedding procession arrives (3:6–11). He praises her beauty from head to toe (4). Later she opens the door and he is gone. The city watchmen beat her while she searches (5:6–7). She still describes him with delight (5:10–16).

6–8 · Found. They are together again. She says love is “strong as death” and that “many waters cannot quench” it (8:6–7). Money can’t buy it (8:7). The book ends with her voice: “Make haste, my beloved” (8:14).

My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies.Song of Songs 2:16
Go deeper
  • Original words. “Song of Songs” is a Hebrew way to say “the greatest song,” like “holy of holies.” The word for her beloved, dod, sounds like “David.” The word for “seal” (8:6) is a signet, the stamp a person used to sign with.
  • Structure. Scholars disagree on whether it is one poem with a story or a set of separate songs. The warning “stir not up… love” (2:7; 3:5; 8:4) repeats like a chorus and marks its sections.
  • How the laws interlock. Law 6 is the center: love that binds like a seal. Law 3 is in the mutual praise; each sees the other as a person, not a possession (“I am my beloved’s,” 6:3). Law 8 is in 8:7 and 8:12: love can’t be bought, and she keeps her own vineyard while Solomon counts his thousands.

Hard parts

Love poem or picture of God?

What it says The book reads as human love poetry. It never says it is about God.

The rule underneath Keep your word. Faithful love between two people is worth a book of the Bible.

What people added Jewish tradition often read it as a picture of God and Israel; Rabbi Akiva called it the “holy of holies” among the writings (Mishnah Yadayim 3:5). Christians often read it as Christ and the church, or God and the soul. Most modern scholars read it first as love poetry. Many readers hold both. Readers differ.

Sex in the Bible

What it says The poems are open about desire and the body (4:1–7; 7:1–9).

The rule underneath Image, not tool. Desire here is mutual and joyful, not taking.

What people added Some traditions long discouraged young people from reading it. Others see it as God’s blessing on married love. Whether the couple is married in every poem is debated. debated

The watchmen

What it says The city guards beat the woman and take her veil (5:7). No one punishes them.

The rule underneath Protect the weakest. A woman alone at night is harmed by the people meant to protect the city.

What people added Some readers take it as a dream or a picture of the pain of searching. Others read it as a real act of violence the poem records without comment.

Translation notes that change meaning

  • 1:5 “black, but comely.” The Hebrew can mean “black and beautiful.” The word “but” is a translator’s choice. debated
  • 8:6 “jealousy.” The word can also mean “passion” or “devotion.”

Where it leads

One thing to do

This week

Say it plainly

The lovers praise each other out loud and in detail. Pick one person you love, a spouse, parent, child, or friend. Tell them three specific things you admire about them, in person or in writing. Write in your journal how it went.

How to read it. Read it aloud in one sitting. Notice who is speaking. A Bible with speaker headings helps.