Who, When, Where

Written by Solomon.
Presumably Solomon wrote this sometime during his reign as king of Israel, between 970 and 931BC.
In Jerusalem.

Summary

This is definitely a poem about a man and a woman in love with each other. But presumably it’s in the Bible because it’s allegorical about the love of Yahweh for his people?

Or maybe it’s simply a beautiful song/poem about true love? See what you think.

Before You Read

Have you ever been in love?
How did it make you feel?
How often did you think of them?

Have you ever written a love poem?
Has anyone ever written you one?
If you wrote one now, what would it be like?

If you were trying to impress a woman, and tell her how beautiful you think she is what would you say?
What if you’re a woman and you want to tell a man how you love him?

Key Verses

Song Of Solomon 1:2

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for your love is better than wine.

Well that’s pretty clear and unambiguous. This is a song of a young woman about her beloved.

Song Of Solomon 1:8

If you don’t know, most beautiful among women, follow the tracks of the sheep. Graze your young goats beside the shepherds’ tents.

This is his answer when she asks where he grazes his sheep during the day. (So she can go there to be near him). It seems her love is returned. Read on a few verses and you’ll see he is smitten with her too.

And the style, switching between her and then him, then back… I can imagine this presented as some kind of opera.

Song Of Solomon 2:16

My beloved is mine, and I am his.

Such a nice feeling inside us isn’t it, when we see young love like this.

Could it be about something more? Could it be Yeshua and his church? Could it be Yahweh and his people?

Song Of Solomon 3:7

Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage!

She’s in love with Solomon! And he’s in love with her.
(So, she’s one of 700 wives or 300 concubines). That takes the gloss off it a bit.
I wonder how many of them Solomon actually loved. Perhaps only one.

Song Of Solomon 4:2

Your teeth are like a newly shorn flock, which have come up from the washing, where every one of them has twins. None is bereaved among them.

I’m sure, at the time, it was a beautiful compliment. These days we don’t see that line so much in our romantic movies.

Song Of Solomon 5:7

The watchmen who go about the city found me. They beat me. They bruised me. The keepers of the walls took my cloak away from me.

And suddenly she can’t find her beloved? And the watchmen are beating her. This is some strange love poem.

After You Read

What verses really stood out to you?

How would you summarize this book in a sentence or two? What is it about? What is God trying to say to us?

What did you think of that?
Do you feel it was just about love between a man and a woman, or do you think it was meant to be about Yahweh’s love for his people, Israel?

If someone wrote a love poem about you, what would you like it to say?

Would you talk about how their teeth were like twins of sheep?

If you were writing a love poem about Yahweh and his love for you what would you come up with?
What if it was about your love for him?
How would you express that in a poem? Would it turn out something like this?

Do you think it sounded a bit like this love was incredibly deep and strong, but somehow forbidden?
Like they wanted to be together, but somehow couldn’t?
They seem to meet secretly, and look for each other at night. Things like that?