Raymond Jacques Tournay argues convincingly that the cautions about “awakening love” in the Song refer to the sleeping bridegroom, rather than the sleeping bride.  The motif comes to a conclusion in 8:5, where the bride says that she awakened the lover under the apple tree. Which might mean: The Song is set between Eve’s creation and Adam’s awakening.  Or, the Song is set on Holy Saturday.  Or, the Song is set between Jesus’ “building” of His bride and His “awakening”... Read more

How does the theme verse of the Song (8:6) summarize the message of the Song?  Death is never mentioned earlier in the Song, and the threats to the bride do not seem mortal threats.  She is wounded in the streets, but survives the attack and finds her lover again.  Otherwise, the main threat is the threat of absence. If we want a love poem that more literally illustrates the theme of 8:6, it would be closer to Sleeping Beauty than... Read more

James Jordan has pointed out that Adam is first called “man” (Heb. ‘ish ) when Eve is presented to him (Genesis 2:22).  He further suggests that ‘ish is punningly connected with the Hebrew word for fire, ‘esh .  Adam, the man of earth, becomes enflamed, burns with Pentecostal flame, when he sees his bride.  Enflamed, he turns poet, and sings. The same sequence is replicated in the sacrificial system.  When an adam wants to draw near to Yahweh, He needs... Read more

The Song of Songs is about Yahweh and Israel, but the history it allegorizes is not a history of grueling slavery, battle, conquest, exile.  All that history is portrayed as light romantic comedy.  Which it is: Light romantic comedy is the story of the world. The crises that the bride suffers in the Song are crises of absence.  The lover has gone from her bed, he knocks and then leaves her.  Just so, Israel’s national crises are fundamentally crises of... Read more

The Song of Songs is about Yahweh and Israel, but the history it allegorizes is not a history of grueling slavery, battle, conquest, exile.  All that history is portrayed as light romantic comedy.  Which it is: Light romantic comedy is the story of the world. The crises that the bride suffers in the Song are crises of absence.  The lover has gone from her bed, he knocks and then leaves her.  Just so, Israel’s national crises are fundamentally crises of... Read more

The Song portrays the longing of the bride for her lover, the king, Solomon.  There is an advent scene in 3:6-11, but this Solomon is elusive.  Even at the end of the Song, the bride is still urging the lover to hurry up and come to her.  A once and future Solomon, an already-not yet Solomon. Now, could Solomon himself have written this?  It seems odd that a man could have written about himself in this fashion.  Can you say... Read more

Wine is a sign of kingship, and so Solomon is a king of wine.  His kisses are better than wine; he is himself a source of intoxication for the bride, Israel (Song 1:2, 4). Solomon, though, is not merely a giver of wine, but in giving the wine of his love to Israel, he makes Israel into a nation of wine-givers.  During his reign, every Israelite sits (enthroned) under a vine and fig tree.  Every Israelite has his own vineyard,... Read more

Kingsmill calls attention to the common imagery used by the Song of Songs and the overtly “wisdom” literature, especially Proverbs.  She makes a good case.  But the difference between the Song and the other wisdom literature is notable.  Proverbs 8:7 says, “My palate will meditate on truth.”  Kingsmill links this to Song 2:3: “his fruit is sweet to my palate.”  The two passages share a common image of tasting, and the common term “palate.”  But unless you already know that... Read more