►Song of Songs / Chapters 1-8

OT/NT: Old Testament (1)
 
SECTION: Poetry Books (2)
 
PLACEMENT: Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) is the 22nd book of the Old Testament and the 22nd book of the Holy Bible (3). It is the 5th of 5 Poetry Books.
 
AUTHORS (b): Solomon (4) wrote Song of Solomon, according to the first verse. This song is one of 1,005 that Solomon wrote (1 Kings 4:32). The title “Song of Songs” is a superlative, meaning this is the best one.
 
TIMELINE: Song of Songs was written circa 965 BC. Solomon reigned as King (5) of the United Monarchy of Israel (6) from 970 BC-931 BC. See our Bible Timeline (7) for more info.
 
SUMMARY (b): The poetry takes the form of a dialogue between a husband (the king) and his wife (the Shulamite). We can divide the book into three sections:

1) The courtship (1:1 - 3:5)
2) The wedding (3:6 - 5:1)
3) The maturing marriage (5:2 - 8:14)
 
The song begins before the wedding, as the bride-to-be longs to be with her betrothed, and she looks forward to his intimate caresses. However, she advises letting love develop naturally, in its own time. The king praises the Shulamite’s beauty, overcoming her feelings of insecurity about her appearance. The Shulamite has a dream in which she loses Solomon and searches throughout the city for him. With the help of the city guards, she finds her beloved and clings to him, taking him to a safe place. Upon waking, she repeats her injunction not to force love.
 
On the wedding night, the husband again praises the beauty of his wife, and in highly symbolic language, the wife invites her spouse to partake of all she has to offer. They make love, and God blesses their union.
 
As the marriage matures, the husband and wife go through a difficult time, symbolized in another dream. In this second dream, the Shulamite rebuffs her husband, and he leaves. Overcome with guilt, she searches the city for him; but this time, instead of helping her, the guards beat her—symbolic of her pained conscience. Things end happily as the lovers reunite and are reconciled.
 
As the song ends, both the husband and wife are confident and secure in their love, they sing of the lasting nature of true love, and they yearn to be in each other’s presence.
 
APPLYING SONG OF SONGS TO MY LIFE (b): Our world is confused about marriage. The prevalence of divorce and modern attempts to redefine marriage stand in glaring contrast to Solomon’s Song. Marriage, says the biblical poet, is to be celebrated, enjoyed, and revered. This book provides some practical guidelines for strengthening our marriages:
 
1) Give your spouse the attention he or she needs. Take the time to truly know your spouse.
2) Encouragement and praise, not criticism, are vital to a successful relationship.
3) Enjoy each other. Plan some getaways. Be creative, even playful, with each other. Delight in God’s gift of married love.
4) Do whatever is necessary to reassure your commitment to your spouse. Renew your vows; work through problems and do not consider divorce as a solution. God intends for you both to live in a deeply peaceful, secure love.

CHAPTER SUMMARIES: Explore chapter by chapter summaries (8)!
 
COMING UP: Next up are the Books of the Major Prophets (9)!

+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +

All bible verse references linked herein are courtesy of Bible Gateway (a). The narrative (b) offered herein has been published with permission (c) and no monetary gain is being sought. Footnotes inserted within the narrative re-direct to Marion County Manna Project webpages (unless otherwise noted) for additional spiritual insight and reflection.

+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +

If you're seeking additional info about Christianity on a more personal level, consider visiting a Christian Church here in Marion County (10). Introduce yourself to members and ask to speak with someone to learn more about Jesus. Surrendering your life to Christ (11) (e) is the most rewarding, everlasting decision you'll ever make, and it's comforting to have someone guide you as you begin your new life as a child of the Most High! May God shower you with great favor in this endeavor!

+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +

Footnotes, Page Credits and External Resources appear below. Consider printing and sharing the offered PDF narrative and other listed resources with family, friends and strangers alike for use in Bible Studies (12), Home/Church Faith Sharing Groups (13), Discipleship Encounters (14) and/or Personal Faith Enrichment!
 
Modifications are welcome at [email protected].
 

+  +  +  +  +  +  +  +  +

FOOTNOTES:
  (1) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/old-testament
  (2) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/poetry-books
  (3) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-good-news
  (4) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/solomon
  (5) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/united-monarchy-kings
  (6) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/israel
  (7) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bible-timeline
  (8)
  (9) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/ot-major-prophets
(10) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/listing-by-city
(11) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-gracious-visitor
(12) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bible-studies
(13) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/christian-education
(14) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/discipleship
 
PAGE CREDITS:
(a) Bible Gateway, New International Version (NIV) Bible, accessed September 18, 2020, https://www.biblegateway.com/

(b) Survey of the Book of Song of Solomon, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 16, 2021, https://www.gotquestions.org/Song-of-Solomon.html
 
(c) Copyright Policy, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 11, 2020,
https://www.gotquestions.org/about.html
 
(d) Videos, Milestones, Blogs & Poster, BibleProject, accessed September 29, 2020,
https://www.bibleproject.com/terms/#use
 
EXTERNAL RESOURCES:
(e)  How Do I Convert to Christianity?, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 12, 2020, https://www.gotquestions.org/convert-to-Christianity.html

Information offered herein has been generated for non-profit use.
 
Feel free to re-produce and distribute without monetary gain.
 
SPREAD JESUS.
 
 
Admin Data:
The most recent modification of this webpage and PDF
took place on ______________________.