Song of Solomon
Chapter 1:1-2:7 - The bride expresses her deep desire to be
with her lover and sings praises about him.
Chapter 2:8-3:5 - The affections between the bride and her
lover becomes more intimate, and she pours out more praise on
the one she loves was very elaborate and exquisite analogies
from nature.
Chapter 3:6-5:1 - King Solomon gives his praise, as does the
bride, and the engagement takes place.
Chapter 5:2-6:9 - The bridegroom goes away for a period of
time, and during his absence the bride longs for his return
and continues to give him praises.
Chapter 6:10-8:4 - This section contains some very descriptive
verses describing the beauty of the bride.
Chapter 8:5-14 - The conclusion deals with the durable eternal
bond of consummated love.
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Study Bible information, images, and notes on many important
subjects from the ancient world. Archaeological notes,
geographical notes, ancient documents and manuscripts,
cultural notes, theological notes, articles from scholars,
information about ancient history, ancient customs, ancient
temples, ancient monuments, and a close look at people,
places, and events from the ancient world that are explained
in an easy to understand format.
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Types and Shadows - In the Song of Solomon Jesus is the
husband who loves His beautiful bride and will return to
consummate the marriage.
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The Song of Solomon was so important to the Jews that one of
the most famous rabbi's in history, Rabbi Aqiba (90-135 AD)
said that "the entire world, from the beginning until now,
does not outweigh the day in which Shiyr Hashirim (Song of
Songs) was given to Israel."
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Date - 1014 BC Approximately. There is no way to know the
exact historical circumstances behind this event. We know it
was Solomon because it mentions him by name, but it is
uncertain whether he married a Shulamite woman of Israel, or
Pharaoh's daughter. Others have included a third person, a
shepherd who the girl of Shulam is in love with despite the
kings desire for her. This book was included in the Septuagint
(Greek translation of the Hebrew Canon) and was known in the
time of Jesus as part of the Hebrew Scriptures though some
critics doubt it should be in the Bible.
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Author - Solomon (According to Tradition). The first verse of
the Book of the Song of Solomon mentions King Solomon as its
author, and this is why it is often called the Song of
Solomon. It is also referred to as Canticles (Latin) or the
Song of Songs (Hebrew) because it is considered the finest of
all songs.
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Greek Name - Asma Asmaton (Greek form of the Hebrew)
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Hebrew Name - Shiyr Hashirim "Song of songs"
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It is clear that this poem is a wedding song and it reveals
the glories of love. It exalts physical love, erotic love, and
everything about love. The time is springtime and two lovers
are full of passion and delight. The words in the poem are
very descriptive and romantic. When their love is finally
consummated the bond is so durable that nothing can destroy
it. The poem is clearly describing God's love for his people,
he is the bridegroom and his people are his bride. He is
deeply in love with them and ultimately there will be a
wedding day, and how excited they both are for that day.
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Quick Overview of Song of Solomon. – –1:1-2:7 – – the bride
and her beloved – – 2:8-3:5 – – the lovers seek out and find
one another – – 3:6-4:16 – – the bridegroom pursues his bride–
– 5:1-7:9 – – the bride waits earnestly for the bridegroom – –
7:10-8:14 – – the lovers reunite and their love is
consummated.
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The Song of Songs (Hebrew, שיר השירים, Shir ha-Shirim), is a
book of the Hebrew Bible-one of the five megillot (scrolls)-
found in the last section of the Tanakh, known as the Ketuvim
(or "writings"). It is also known as the Song of Solomon,
Solomon's Song of Songs, or as Canticles, the latter from the
shortened and anglicized Vulgate title Canticum Canticorum
(Latin, "Song of Songs").[1] It is known as Āisma in the
Septuagint, which is short for Āisma āismatōn (Greek, ᾌσμα
ᾀσμάτων, "Song of Songs").[2]
The protagonists of the Song of Songs are a woman (identified
in one verse as "the Shulamite")[3] and a man, and the poem
suggests movement from courtship to consummation. For
instance, the man proclaims: "As the lily among thorns, so is
my love among the daughters." The woman answers: "As the apple
tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the
sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his
fruit was sweet to my taste."[4][5] Additionally, the Song
includes a chorus, the "daughters of Jerusalem."...
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LITERATURE
The full title in Hebrew is "The Song of Songs, which is
Solomon's." The book is called by some Canticles, and by
others Solomon's Song. The Hebrew title implies that it is
the choicest of all songs, in keeping with the dictum of
Rabbi `Aqiba (90-135 AD) that "the entire world, from the
beginning until now, does not outweigh the day in which
Canticles was given to Israel."
I. Canonicity.
Early Jewish and Christian writers are silent as to the Song
of Songs. No use is made of it by Philo. There is no
quotation from it in the New Testament, nor is there any
clear allusion to it on the part of our Lord or the
apostles. The earliest distinct references to the Song of
Songs are found in Jewish writings of the 1st and 2nd
centuries AD (4 Esdras 5:24,26; 7:26; Ta`anith 4:8). The
question of the canonicity of the Song was debated as late
as the Synod of Jamnia (circa 90 AD), when it was decided
that Canticles was rightly reckoned to "defile the hands,"
i.e. was an inspired book. It should be borne in mind that
the Song of Songs was already esteemed by the Jews as a
sacred book, though prior to the Synod of Jamnia there was
probably a goodly number of Jewish teachers who did not
accept it as canonical. Selections from Canticles were sung
at certain festivals in the temple at Jerusalem, prior to
its destruction by Titus in 70 AD (Ta`anith 4:8). The Mishna
pronounces an anathema on all who treat Canticles as a
secular song (Sanhedhrin, 101a). The latest date for the
composition of the Song of Songs, according to critics of
the advanced school, is toward the close of the 3rd century
BC. We may be sure that it was included in the Kethubhim
before the ministry of our Lord, and so was for Him a part
of the Scriptures.
II. Text.
Most scholars regard the text of Canticles as comparatively
free from corruption. Gratz, Bickell, Budde and Cheyne have
suggested a good many emendations of the traditional text, a
few of which commend themselves as probable corrections of a
faulty text, but most of which are mere guesses without
sufficient confirmation from either external or internal
evidence. For details see Budde's able commentary, and
articles by Cheyne in JQR and Expository Times for 1898-99
and in the The Expositor, February, 1899...
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peaceful, (Heb. Shelomoh), David's second son by Bathsheba,
i.e., the first after their legal marriage (2 Sam.
12). He was
probably born about B.C. 1035 (1 Chr. 22:5; 29:1).
He succeeded
his father on the throne in early manhood, probably
about
sixteen or eighteen years of age. Nathan, to whom
his education
was intrusted, called him Jedidiah, i.e., "beloved
of the Lord"
(2 Sam. 12:24, 25). He was the first king of Israel
"born in the
purple." His father chose him as his successor,
passing over the
claims of his elder sons: "Assuredly Solomon my son
shall reign
after me." His history is recorded in 1 Kings 1-11
and 2 Chr.
1-9. His elevation to the throne took place before
his father's
death, and was hastened on mainly by Nathan and
Bathsheba, in
consequence of the rebellion of Adonijah (1 Kings
1:5-40).
During his long reign of forty years the Hebrew
monarchy gained
its highest splendour. This period has well been
called the
"Augustan age" of the Jewish annals. The first half
of his reign
was, however, by far the brighter and more
prosperous; the
latter half was clouded by the idolatries into which
he fell,
mainly from his heathen intermarriages (1 Kings
11:1-8; 14:21,
31).
Before his death David gave parting instructions to
his son (1
Kings 2:1-9; 1 Chr. 22:7-16; 28). As soon as he had
settled
himself in his kingdom, and arranged the affairs of
his
extensive empire, he entered into an alliance with
Egypt by the
marriage of the daughter of Pharaoh (1 Kings 3:1),
of whom,
however, nothing further is recorded. He surrounded
himself with
all the luxuries and the external grandeur of an
Eastern
monarch, and his government prospered. He entered
into an
alliance with Hiram, king of Tyre, who in many ways
greatly
assisted him in his numerous undertakings. (See
HIRAM
For some years before his death David was engaged in
the
active work of collecting materials (1 Chr. 29:6-9;
2 Chr.
2:3-7) for building a temple in Jerusalem as a
permanent abode
for the ark of the covenant. He was not permitted to
build the
house of God (1 Chr. 22:8); that honour was reserved
to his son
Solomon. (See TEMPLE -T0003610.)...
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(peaceful). I. Early life and occasion to the throne. --
Solomon was the child of David's old age, the last born of
all his sons. 1Ch 3:5 The yearnings of the "man of war" led
him to give to the new-horn infant the name of Solomon
(Shelomoth, the peaceful one). Nathan, with a marked
reference to the meaning of the king's own name (David, the
darling, the beloved one), calls the infant Jedidiah
(Jedid'yah), that is, the darling of the Lord. 2Sa 11:24,25
He was placed under the care of Nathan from his earliest
infancy. At first, apparently, there was no distinct purpose
to make him the heir. Absalom was still the king's favorite
son, 2Sa 13:37; 18:33 and was looked on by the people as the
destined successor. 2Sa 14:13; 15:1-6 The death of Absalom
when Solomon was about ten years old left the place vacant,
and David pledged his word in secret to Bath-sheba that he,
and no other, should be the heir. 1Ki 1:13 The words which
were spoken somewhat later express, doubtless, the purpose
which guided him throughout. 1Ch 28:9, 20 His son's life
should not he as his own had been, one of hardships and
wars, dark crimes and passionate repentance, but, from first
to last, be pure, blameless, peaceful, fulfilling the ideal
of glory and of righteousness after which he himself had
vainly striven. The glorious visions of Ps 72:1 ... may be
looked on as the prophetic expansion of these hopes of his
old age. So far,all was well. Apparently his influence over
his son's character was one exclusively for good. Nothing
that we know of Bath-sheba lends us to think of her as
likely to mould her son's mind and heart to the higher forms
of goodness. Under these influences the boy grew up. At the
age of ten or eleven he must have passed through the revolt
of Absalom, and shared his father's exile. 2Sa 15:16 He
would be taught all that priests or Levites or prophets had
to teach. When David was old and feeble, Adonijah, Solomon's
older brother attempted to gain possession of the throne;
but he was defeated, and Solomon went down to Gihon and was
proclaimed and anointed king. A few months more and Solomon
found himself, by his father's death, the sole occupant of
the throne. The position to which he succeeded was unique.
Never before, and never after, did the kingdom of Israel
take its place among the great monarchies of the East. Large
treasures, accumulated through many years, were at his
disposal. II. Personal appearance. --Of Solomon's personal
appearance we have no direct description, as we have of the
earlier kings. There are, however, materials for filling up
the gap...
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LITERATURE
I. Early Life.
Solomon was the son of David and Bath-sheba, and became the
3rd king of Israel.
1. Name and Meaning:
He was so named by his mother (2 Sam 12:24, Qere; see TEXT
AND MANUSCRIPTS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT; TEXT OF THE OLD
TESTAMENT), but by the prophet Nathan, or by his father
(Vulgate), he was called Jedidiah--"loved of Yahweh." The
name "Solomon" is derived from the root meaning "to be
quiet" or "peaceful," and Solomon was certainly the least
warlike of all the kings of Israel or Judah, and in that
respect a remarkable contrast to his father (so 1 Ch 22:9).
His name in Hebrew compares with Irenaeus in Greek,
Friedrich in German, and Selim in Arabic; but it has been
suggested that the name should be pronounced shillumah, from
the word denoting "compensation," Bath-sheba's second son
being given in compensation for the loss of the first (but
see 3, below).
2. Sources:
The oldest sources for the biography of Solomon are
doubtless the "Annals of Solomon" referred to in 1 Ki 11:41,
the "history of Nathan the prophet," the "prophecy of Ahijah
the Shilonite" and the "visions of Iddo the seer," mentioned
in 2 Ch 9:29, all which may be merely the relative sections
of the great book of the "Annals of the Kings" from which
our Books of Kings and Chronicles are both derived. These
ancient works are, of course, lost to us save in so far as
they have been embodied in the Old Testament narrative.
There the life of South is contained in 2 Sam 12:24 f; 1 Ki
1 through 11; 1 Ch 22 through 2 Ch 9. Of these sources 2 Sam
12:24 f and 1 Ki 1; 2 are much the oldest and in fact form
part of one document, 2 Sam 9 through 20; 1 Ki 1; 2 dealing
with the domestic affairs of David, which may well be
contemporary with the events it describes. The date of the
composition of the Books of Chronicles is about 300 BC--700
years after the time of Solomon--and the date of the Books
of Kings, as a completed work, must, of course, be later
than the exile. Nothing of importance is gained from
citations from early historians in Josephus and later
writers. Far and away the best source for, at least, the
inner life of Solomon would be the writings ascribed to him
in the Old Testament, could we be sure that these were
genuine (see below)...
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Shlomoh in Hebrew. Second child of David by Bathsheba.
Josephus makes Solomon last born of David's sons (Ant. 7:14,
section 2). His history is contained in 2 Samuel 12:24-25; 1
Chronicles 22:6-16; 1 Chronicles 22:1 Kings 1-11; 2
Chronicles 1-9. The leading events of his life were
selected, under inspiration: namely, his grandeur, extensive
commerce, and wisdom, etc. (1 Kings 9:10-10:29), from "the
book of the Acts of Solomon"; his accession and dedication
of the temple (1 Kings 1 - 1 Kings 8:66) from "the book of
Nathan the prophet"; his idolatry and its penal consequences
(1 Kings 11) from "the book of Ahijah the Shilonite and the
visions of Iddo the seer." Psalm 72 was his production under
the Spirit. Its objective character accords with Solomon's
other writings, whereas subjective feeling characterizes
David's psalms. Solomon's glorious and wide kingdom typifies
Messiah's. The Nile, Mediterranean, and Euphrates, were then
Israel's bounds (1 Kings 4:21; 2 Chronicles 9:26) as
promised in Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 11:24.
From thence Messiah is to reign to the ends of the
earth (Deuteronomy 11:8; Isaiah 9:5-6; Isaiah 11; Zechariah
9:10; see Micah 5:4; Numbers 24:19). "The song of degrees,"
i.e. for Israelites going up to the great feasts at
Jerusalem (Psalm 127), was also Solomon's. It has no trace
of the sadness which pervades "the songs of degrees" without
titles, and which accords with the post captivity period.
The individual comes into prominence here, whereas they
speak more of the nation and church. The theme suits Solomon
who occupied chiefly the domestic civic territory. The main
thought answers to Proverbs 10:22, "so God giveth His
beloved sleep," i.e. undisturbed repose and wealth without
the anxieties of the worldly, in a way they know not how
(Mark 4:27). So God gave to His beloved S. in sleep
(Hengstenberg supplies "in"); Matthew 6:25; Matthew 6:34.
Jedidiah ("beloved of Jehovah," Psalm 127:2) was his God-
given name (Psalm 60:5). Solomon evidently refers (Psalm
60:2) to his own experience (1 Kings 3:5-13; 1 Kings 4:20-
25), yet in so unstudied a way that the coincidence is
evidently undesigned, and so confirms the authenticity of
both psalm and independent history. (See PROVERBS;
CANTICLES, THE SONG OF SOLOMON; ECCLESIASTES, THE BOOK
OF.)...
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called also, after the Vulgate, the "Canticles." It is the
"song
of songs" (1:1), as being the finest and most
precious of its
kind; the noblest song, "das Hohelied," as Luther
calls it. The
Solomonic authorship of this book has been called in
question,
but evidences, both internal and external, fairly
establish the
traditional view that it is the product of Solomon's
pen. It is
an allegorical poem setting forth the mutual love of
Christ and
the Church, under the emblem of the bridegroom and
the bride.
(Compare Matt. 9:15; John 3:29; Eph. 5:23, 27, 29;
Rev. 19:7-9;
21:2, 9; 22:17. Compare also Ps. 45; Isa. 54:4-6;
62:4, 5; Jer.
2:2; 3:1, 20; Ezek. 16; Hos. 2:16, 19, 20.)
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(Song of Songs), entitled in the Authorized Version THE
SONG OF SOLOMON. It was probably written by Solomon about
B.C. 1012. It may be called a drama, as it contains the
dramatic evolution of a simple love-story. Meaning.-- The
schools of interpretation may be divided into three: the
mystical or typical, the allegorical, and the literal.
1. The mystical interpretation owes its origin to
the desire to find a literal basis of fact for the
allegorical. This basis is either the marriage of Solomon
with Pharoah's daughter or his marriage with an Israelitish
woman, the Shulamite.
2. The allegorical. According to the Talmud the
beloved is taken to be God; the loved one, or bride, is the
congregation of Israel. In the Christian Church the
Talmudical interpretation, imported by Origen, was all but
universally received.
3. The literal interpretation. According to the most
generally-received interpretation of the modern literalists,
the Song is intended to display the victory of humble and
constant love over the temptations of wealth and royalty.
Canonicity.-- The book has been rejected from the Canon by
some critics; but in no case has its rejection been defended
on external grounds. It is found in the LXX. and in the
translations of Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion. It is
contained in the catalog given in the Talmud,a nd in the
catalogue of Melito; and in short we have the same evidence
for its canonicity as that which is commonly adduced for the
canonicity of any book of the Old Testament.
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