The Jewish rabbi Akiba, who lived in the first century C.E., expressed his appreciation of the Song of Solomon in the Jewish Mishna with the following words: “The whole world was not worthy of the day in which this sublime Song was given to Israel.” (“All Scripture is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” 1990, p. 115)
The book Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2, described the Song of Solomon to have been written by King Solomon at about 1020 B.C.E. in Jerusalem and several years after the temple has been completed. The poem was composed when Solomon had 60 queens and 80 concubines. (1988, p 994)
Although the Jewish Church accepted the book as part of the Biblical Canon, a handful of critics tried to question its canonicity and dismissed it as merely an ordinary love song. (Speckard, n.d., p. 2) Two main points were raised against the canonicity of the Song of Solomon: 1) it was not cited in other parts of the Bible, and 2) there was no mention of God throughout the text. (“All Scripture is Inspired of God and Beneficial”, 1990, p. 115)
This paper will seek to review different secular and religious texts as to the canonicity of the book of the Song of Solomon and thus offer a conclusion.
Highlights of the Song of Solomon
The song was written by Solomon for a Shulammite girl who rejected his expressions of love because of her loyalty and love for a shepherd boy (“Insight on the Scriptures, 1988, p. 994).
The first part, Song of Solomon 1:1-3:5, contains Solomon’s praises for the Shulammite girl who he described with the following words: “Look! You are beautiful, O girl companion of mine. Look! You are beautiful. Your eyes are [those of] doves.” It also described the girl
appealing to her friends not to arouse her interest in Solomon for she would like to stay loyal to her shepherd boy.
The second part, Song of Solomon 3:6-8:4, contains a vivid description of the Shulammite girl’s dream about her lover; Solomon’s expressions of endearment for the girl; and the Shulammite girl’s resistance to Solomon’s speech.
The third part, Song of Solomon 8:5-14, contains a description of the Shulammite as a “wall” that has withstood the temptation to succumb to a king’s expressions of love for the love of a shepherd boy.
Hebrew Scriptures – Test of Biblical Canonicity
The word “canon” is taken from the Hebrew word qa·neh´ which means something that serve as a rule or measuring device. (“Revelation and Scripture,” 1990, p. 1) Insight on the Scriptures (1988) mentioned that the apostle Paul applied ka·non´ to the “territory” measured out as his assignment, and again to the “rule of conduct” by which Christians were to measure how they acted. The “Bible canon” came to denote the catalog of inspired books worthy of being used as a straightedge in measuring faith, doctrine, and conduct.
J. Hampton Keathley (2007), in his article The Bible: The Holy Canon of Scripture, offers the following tests of canonicity:
- Did the book indicate God was speaking through the writer and that it was considered authoritative?;
- Was the human author recognized as a spokesman of God, that is, was he a prophet or did he have the prophetic gift?; and
- Was the book historically accurate? Did it reflect a record of facts? “
Another set of criteria for determining a book’s canonicity was described by Norman Geisler (1974) in his book From God to Us: How we got our Bible. “He mentioned five criteria:
- Authority – Does the book claim to be of God?;
- Prophetic – Is the book written by a servant of God?;
- Authentic – Does the book tell the truth?:
- Dynamic – Does the book have the life-transforming power of God?; and
- Reception – Is the book received or accepted by the people of God for whom it was originally written as being from God?”
This paper will thus examine the book in the light of the criteria mentioned above and the basis of the two points raised by its critics – it’s not being quoted by other Bible writers and the absence of the word “God” throughout the text.
The canonicity of the Song of Solomon
The Song of Solomon was mainly unchallenged and early Bible scholars accept it as part of the Hebrew canon. The ancient Jewish church never doubted the authenticity and canonicity of the book. “It was even included in the Greek Septuagint, the first actual written translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. The Greek-speaking Jews used it extensively up until the time of Jesus and his apostles” (“All Scripture is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” 1990, p. 115).
Some, however, have questioned the book’s canonicity on the ground that there is no reference to God in it. The absence of any mention of God would not disqualify the book any more than the mere presence of the word “God” would make it canonical. The divine name does appear in its abbreviated form in chapter 8, verse 6, where love is said to be “the flame of Jah.” The name “Jah” is the shortened form of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) name for God. Thus, it is not true that there is no mention of God in the book.
H. Speckard (n.d., pp. 2-5), in his essay Summary Interpretation of the Song of Solomon, made a detailed analysis of the claim of critics that the Song of Solomon has never been cited by
the other writers of the Bible. He mentioned several texts in both the Old Testament and the New Testament which quoted directly or indirectly from the Song of Solomon. Speckard mentioned the similarity in the description of the vineyard in Matthew chapter 21, verse 33, and Song of Solomon chapter 8 verse 11. The praise uttered by Solomon in chapter 1 verse 15 is parallel to what is written in Psalm chapter 45 verse 11. The assumption, therefore, of critics that the book was never quoted by other Bible writers, is not well-founded.
But does the Song of Solomon meet the criteria set by Bible scholars to be able to be considered as “inspired” or part of the “canon”? “Let us examine the five criteria set by Geisler in his book From God to Us: How we got our Bible” (1974, pp. 67-68).
Authority and Prophetic – The writer of the book, King Solomon, has written several other passages in the Bible which have been quoted by other Bible writers. He wrote two other books, Ecclesiastes and some parts of the Proverbs. Jesus described himself as “more than Solomon” in Matthew 12:42: “The queen of the south will be raised up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it; because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Sol´o·mon, but, look! something more than Sol´o·mon is here.” His wisdom has divine backing as described in 1 Kings 4:29-31: “And God continued giving Sol´o·mon wisdom and understanding in very great measure and a broadness of heart, like the sand that is upon the seashore. And Sol´o·mon’s wisdom was vaster than the wisdom of all the Orientals and than all the wisdom of Egypt. And he was wiser than any other man, than E´than the Ez´ra·hite and He´man and Cal´col and Dar´da the sons of Ma´hol; and his fame came to be in all the nations all around.”
Authentic – The authenticity of the Song of Solomon can be proven by its historical, geographic, and geological accuracy. David Mallick, in his Introduction to the Song of Songs, mentioned “the author’s correspondence with natural history corresponds to the report about him.” His description of geographic areas during his reign was proven accurate by secular historical accounts.
Dynamic – Religious and non-religious people alike find inspiration from the kind of love expressed in the Song of Solomon. For those who believe in the allegory presented in the book, it is a heart-warming assurance of God’s love for his people as well as Christ’s love for the Christian congregation. On the other hand, for those who explain the book as an account of a literal love story, it is an example of an undying and loyal love that may inspire a couple to remain faithful to each other.
Reception – The Jewish church has never doubted the right of the Song of Solomon to be part of the Bible. Christians in the first century C.E., likewise, accepted the book as part of the “scriptures” mentioned by the apostle Paul in Romans chapter 15 verse 4: “For all the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope.”
Allegorical Meaning – Song of Solomon’s harmony with the rest of the Bible
The Jews gave a symbolic meaning to the book. The article “The Loved Woman of the Superlative Song” from the journal The Watchtower explained the symbolism: “They understood the girl to picture the Jewish church from the days of the prophet Moses onward. The object of
that church’s affection was God, who was accordingly pictured by her shepherd lover” (December 1957, p. 722).
Rob Harbison (n.d., p. 4), in his article Song of Solomon, mentioned several verses in the Old Testament that support this allegory. In Isaiah chapter 54 verses 5-6, God was described as a “husbandly owner” and Israel as “a wife of the time of youth who was then rejected.” Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 1, God’s holy nation is considered to be in relationship to him as a wife, and unfaithfulness to him is “prostitution” (“Insight on the Scriptures”, 1988, p. 34). Ezekiel chapter 16 verses 8-14 is parallel to what is described in Song of Solomon chapter 5 verses 2-6 which made mention of “nakedness” and “prettiness” (Awake, 1982, p. 23).
In Christianity, the symbolism is the love between Jesus and the congregation. Volume 2, page 995 of the Insight on the Scriptures, mentioned the Bible verses from the New Testament to show this allegory. Ephesians chapter 5 verses 25-32 describes Paul’s counsel to husbands to love their wives just as “the Christ also loved the congregation and delivered up himself for it, that he might sanctify it, cleansing it with the bath of water by means of the word, that he might present the congregation to himself in its splendour… This sacred secret is great. Now I am speaking with respect to Christ and the congregation.” Christ’s “marriage” to the congregation was described in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 2. The congregation was described as a “chaste virgin to the Christ.” This “marriage” was also described in Revelation chapter 19 verses 6-9. Jesus was mentioned as the “Lamb” and the congregation as his “wife.”
Conclusions
From the foregoing, it can be seen that the book of Song of Solomon can not be dismissed as merely a love song based on an analysis of several secular and religious accounts.
First, the book has never been questioned by the ancient Jewish church. The book was recognized as part of the Hebrew Scriptures which were used until the first century C.E. by Jesus and his apostles. It was believed to be an allegory of God’s relationship with Israel and Christ’s relationship with the Christian congregation. This belief is based on other passages in the Bible which describe the relationship of God and Israel, of Christ and the Christian congregation as that of a husband and wife.
Second, the book meets the criteria set by Bible scholars as to the canonicity of a “holy writing”. It was proven to be of divine origin since its writer was described in other passages in the Bible as having wisdom from God. In the book of 1 King, Solomon was described as being given “wisdom and understanding in very great measure and a broadness of heart, like the sand that is upon the seashore.” It’s historical, geographic, and geological references are accurate proving its authenticity. Its effect on the lives of people then and now can never be questioned proving its dynamic character.
Third, the two main issues raised by critics against the canonicity of the book—the absence of the word God in the book and it is not being cited by other Bible writers—have no basis at all. Chapter 8 verse 6 of the Song of Solomon, says, “Place me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; because love is as strong as death is, insistence on exclusive devotion is as unyielding as She´ol is. Its blazings are the blazings of a fire, the flame of
Jah”. The name “Jah” is the shortened form of the Tetragrammaton name (YHWH) for God. Thus, it is not true that there is no mention of God throughout the whole book.
Also, there are several passages both in the Old Testament and the New Testament which are parallel to what can be found in the Song of Solomon. Some examples are Matt. 21:33 with Song of Solomon 8:11; Luke 12:35–37 with 5:3; John 7:33, 34 and 8:21 with 5:6; John 3:29 with 5:1; Matt. 26:6, Mark 14:3, and John 12:3 with 1:3, 12; Eph. 5:27 with 4:7; Rev. 3:20 with 5:2; Eph. 5:32 with the whole Song. In the Old Testament, compare Ps. 45; Ezek. 16; Isa. 35:1–3; Isa. 54; Jer. 31:3; Lam. 2:13; Hos. 2:19, 20 and 11:8 with Song of Solomon 6:4.(Speckard, p. 2). These parallel texts in the Bible show that the book was cited by other Biblical writers and that they recognize its authenticity and canonicity.
The article Song of Solomon: Symbolic Love Language for the Bride in Waiting gave this conclusion: “this is truth that the Song of Solomon is not just describing an earthly lover’s fiery obsession—that quickly fades with the highs and lows of human emotion—but love, it is God.” (International House of Prayer, 2007, p. 1)
Several other books in the Bible have been criticized much like the Song of Solomon. An objective and thorough analysis of internal and external evidence of their authenticity and canonicity prove most of these criticisms wrong. The Bible, which has existed for thousands of years, will continue to inspire religious and non-religious people alike.
Bibliography
Bible Book Number 22 – Song of Solomon. (1990). All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial. Pennsylvania: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. 115-117.
Geisler, NL. (1974). From God to Us: How we got our Bible. Chicago: Moody. 67-71.
Harbison R. Song of Solomon.
Keathley, JH. (2007). The Bible – The Holy Canon of Scripture. Web.
Mallick, D. An Introduction to the Song of Songs.Web.
Revelation and Scripture. (2000). Prairie Bible College.
Song of Solomon: Symbolic Love Language for the Bride in Waiting. (2007).
Speckard, H. Summary Interpretation of the Song of Solomon.
“To the Clean…” (1982). Awake! Page 23.
“The Loved Woman of the Superlative Song.” (1957). The Watchtower. Page 721.
“The Song of Solomon.” (1988). Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2. (1988). Pennsylvania: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. 994-6.