A Study Day in Song of Songs (Handout) ( pdf )

Lyrics of Love
A Study Day in Song of Songs
Programme
9.30 Arrival and Coffee
10.00 Welcome and Introduction
10.15 Session #1
11.15 Refreshment break
11.30 Session #2
12.30 Lunch
1.30 Session #3
2.30 Refreshment break
2.45 Session #4
3.45 Wrap-up and Prayer
4.00 Close
I. Some Introductory Reflections
II.
Approaching the Song of Songs
1. Allegorical
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2. Dramatic
3. Cultic
4. Typological
5. Natural
6. Sexualised
III.
Interpreting the Song of Songs
1. Historically
2. Canonically
(a) The ‘Solomon’ factor
(b) The wisdom tradition
3. Literarily
(a) Poetic form
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(b) Poetic imagery
v Pastoral poetry
v Royal poetry
4. Theologically
IV.
Appropriating the Song of Songs
1. From a feminist perspective
(a) Phyllis Trible
(b) Athalya Brenner
(c) Carey Ellen Walsh
(d) Some Reflections
v The male fantasy?
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v The male thugs?
v The male gaze?
2. In its biblical framework
(a) Love
(b) Marriage
(c) Sexuality
(d) Singleness
V. Reading the Song of Songs
1. Expressions of desire (1:2-4)
2. Affirmations of devotion (1:15-2:7)
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3. Invitations to love (2:8-17)
4. Praises of beauty (5:10-16)
5. Requests for security (8:6-7)
For Further Reflection and Discussion
1. Read Song of Songs 5:10-16 and 7:9-13. What do these verses say about the kind
of person this woman was?
2. What are some of the weaknesses of allegorical approaches to the Song of Songs?
3. What do you make of the ‘typological’ approach to Song of Songs?
4. How might our interpretation of Song of Songs be affected once we understand it
against the background of ancient Near Eastern love poetry?
5. How might our interpretation of Song of Songs be affected once we understand
its place in the Old Testament ‘Wisdom’ tradition?
6. Which view of interpretation do you hold, and why?
7. How do you intuitively react to the feminist readings of Song of Songs? What
factors might lead you to react the way you do? How far do they do justice to the
material in Song of Songs? And how would you formulate a response to the
readings?
8. Reflect on the frank and honest expressions of love between the man and woman
in the Song of Songs. What does it have to teach us about expressions of love in
relationships today?
9. Imagine you are offering advice to two people who are preparing for marriage.
From chapters 1 and 2 of the Song of Songs, what advice would you give them
with respect to security and wholeness in their relationship?
10. As well as celebration, the Song contains passages which suggest periods of
separation and pain, whether real or imagined (e.g. 3:1-5 and 5:2-8). In what ways
might it be important to take account of these passages in our interpretation and
appropriation of the Song of Songs for today?
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11. Spend some time thinking through your attitude towards sex. Is it positive or
negative? Is it idealistic or realistic? What have been the major influences upon
your attitude?
12. Reflect back on all that has been covered. Are there any: (a) things to affirm? (b)
thoughts to share? (c) questions to ask? (d) actions to take?
Some Books to Follow Up
The following selection of books is divided into two categories: (1) commentaries on
the Song of Songs, and (2) other books on the Song of Songs.
1. Commentaries on Song of Songs
G. Lloyd Carr, The Song of Solomon, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Leicester:
IVP, 1984).
Still one of the best of the mid-level commentaries.
J. Cheryl Exum, Song of Songs: A Commentary, Old Testament Library (Louisville:
Westminster John Knox, 2005).
One of the weightier commentaries from a scholar who has contributed much to
‘feminist’ readings of biblical texts and who has written many articles on Song of
Songs over the years.
Daniel J. Estes, ‘Song of Songs’, in Daniel C. Fredericks and Daniel J. Estes, Ecclesiastes &
The Song of Songs, Apollos Old Testament Commentary (Nottingham: Apollos, 2010),
265-444.
Currently my favourite commentary on Song of Songs.
Duane A. Garrett and Paul R. House, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Word Biblical
Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004).
A large and technical commentary.
Tom Gledhill, The Message of the Song of Songs: The Lyrics of Love, The Bible Speaks
Today (Leicester: IVP, 1994).
An excellent exposition, which might be worth buying as a future resource.
Richard S. Hess, Song of Songs, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and
Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005).
A brief (relatively speaking) treatment, excellent on exegesis, but a bit thin on
theological significance.
Robert W. Jenson, Song of Songs, Interpretation (Louisville: Westminster John Knox,
2005).
A self-consciously ‘theological’ commentary which, however, also takes account of
what Jenson calls the ‘overt sense’ of the book as an erotic love poem.
Tremper Longman III, Song of Songs, New International Commentary on the Old
Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001).
One of the best commentaries written from an evangelical perspective. Longman has
also written a much briefer enry on the Song in Philip W. Comfort (ed.), Cornerstone
Biblical Commentary, Vol. 6 (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2006).
Christopher Mitchell, The Song of Songs, Concordia Commentary (Saint Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 2003).
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Terrifyingly huge and probably only for the seriously fanatical! The Introduction alone
is 543 pages long; Mitchell adopts a typological approach in the equally lengthy
commentary section.
Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Song of Songs: An Invitation to Intimacy, Preach the Word
(Wheaton: Crossway, forthcoming 2012).
Due out later this year, I expect this will be an excellent expositional commentary
from a natural perspective, with some typological leanings.
Iain Provan, Ecclesiastes/Song of Songs, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 2001).
Provan seeks to maintain a distinction between the ‘king’ and the male lover in the
Songs, which leads effectively to a view which sees three main characters involved.
2. Books on Song of Songs
Daniel Akin, God on Sex: The Creator’s Ideas About Love, Intimacy and Marriage
(Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2003).
Athalya Brenner (ed.), A Feminist Companion to the Song of Songs, The Feminist
Companion to the Bible (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993), and Athalya
Brenner and Carol R. Fontaine (eds.), Song of Songs: A Feminist Companion to the Bible
(Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2000).
Athalya Brenner, The Song of Songs, Old Testament Guides (Sheffield: Sheffield
Academic Press, 1989).
A bit dated now, but a standard brief overview of scholarship on the Song of Songs.
David Clarke, Kiss Me Like You Mean It: Solomon’s Crazy in Love How-To Manual (Grand
Rapids: Revell, 2009).
Richard M. Davidson, Flame of Yahweh: Sexuality in the Old Testament (Peabody:
Hendrickson, 2007).
A massive book which looks under all the stones on sexuality in the Old Testament,
with the final two lengthy chapters devoted to Song of Songs.
David Jeremiah, What the Bible Says About Love, Marriage & Sex: The Song of Songs (San
Diego: Turning Point, 2010).
Larry L. Lyke, I Will Espouse You Forever: The Song of Songs and the Theology of Love in
the Hebrew Bible (Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 2007).
Tommy Nelson, The Book of Romance: What Solomon Says About Love, Sex, and
Intimacy (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998).
Phyllis Trible, God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality, Overtures to Biblical Theology
(Philadelphia: Fortress, 1978), esp. 144-65, ‘Love’s Lyrics Redeemed’.
A classic essay in a classic book. This chapter is also reprinted in the Brenner edited
volume above.
Carey Ellen Walsh, Exquisite Desire: Religion, the Erotic, and Song of Songs (Minneapolis:
Fortress, 2000).
Highlights the theme of ‘desire’ in Song of Songs, and the various types of poetic
imagery used in relation to this.
Antony Billington, Head of Theology, LICC
28 May 2012
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