For my close reading, I am analyzing the first three verses of the first chapter of Song of Songs. In the first verse I will be examining the scholarly interpretations of the inclusion of the name of King Solomon. In the second and third verses I will reveal the two stories that are being told: the inner story follows the romantic relationship between a man and a woman, the outer story echoes a similar path as the inner story but reveals the true origins of the path lay as an illustration of God’s love for His people.
Song of Songs 1:1-3 reads as follows:
1. The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
3. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.
The main idea of Song of Songs is to explore the beautify of love and sexual desire in an approach that is vastly different than how other books of the Bible are written. Other scriptural texts have a more rigid literary design focusing on legalistic virtues, wrestling with what life should look like in light of who God is, and later what life should look like in light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Song of Songs is a book of poetry that has an introduction and a conclusion. It is not meant to be dissected and analyzed in pieces but is designed to be read as a whole.
The book itself is titled “Song of Songs”, which is a Hebrew idiom similar to that of ‘holy of holies’ or ‘kings of kings.’ It is essentially referring to this series of poems as the greatest song of all songs. The first line refers to a man named Solomon, who is thought by scholars to be King Solomon of Israel. Some believe Solomon to be the author of the text, however, there are several points that counteract that belief. The first point being that the main voice of the poem is a female, who is also referred to later as ‘the beloved,’ and although there is a male voice within the poems, it does not appear to be Solomon’s. Another reason that scholars doubt the assertation that Solomon wrote this piece is because of his many, many wives. With having so many women in his life, how could Solomon possibly depict the passionate picture painted by the author of a young couple falling in love, who only have a desire for a monogamous relationship with one another? Although Solomon is mentioned several other times in the passage in conjunction to the first verse, it is thought that the reason Solomon’s name is mentioned so many times throughout this scripture is because the phrase “of Solomon” most likely refers to “in the wisdom tradition of Solomon”. Solomon was known for the gift of wisdom bestowed upon him from God, which allowed him to lead his country in peace and prosperity. He became known as “the father of wisdom literature” in Israel. Therefore, it would not have been unusual to mention the name of King Solomon within a piece of literature from that location and within that time period.
The beginning of the second verse – “let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is better than wine” shows the audience that the female protagonist not weak nor passive but is full of passion and finds her adoration towards the man to be more intoxicating than wine. The verse also tells us a truth about the male protagonist: that he occupies a place of leadership in their story. It is important to understand that the Song of Songs is a book of the Old Testament within the Bible. The Bible, when read together as a whole piece, is a metanarrative that tells the love of God for His people. In understanding the big picture that this one small verse plays a role in, we can look beyond its place in the singular poem and see what it tells us about God. In one of his sermons derived from Song of Songs – Better than Wine – Charles Spurgeon took the phrase of one’s love being “better than wine” and in turn showed how this particular set of words also illustrates the love of the Lord towards His people:
1. Christ’s love is better than wine because of what it is not:
– It is totally safe and may be taken without question
– It doesn’t cost anything
– Taking more of it does not diminish the taste of it
– It is totally without impurities and will not sour
– It produces no ill effects
2. Christ’s love is better than wine because of what it is:
– Like wine, the love of Christ has healing properties
– Like wine, the love of Christ is associated with giving strength
– Like wine, the love of Christ is a symbol of joy
– Like wine, the love of Christ exhilarates the soul
The first portion of the third verse, “Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth,” expresses the respect and admiration that the female protagonist has for the character and obdurate reputation of the male protagonist. In this time, oil was commonly used in the anointing of a male and female in order to commend themselves to each other. It was also common to commend one another’s ointments and to take pleasure in the way it smelled.
The first portion also shows that her desire for the male protagonist goes farther than just the physical attraction – she is also captured by his heart. In a larger sense, anointment was a sacred practice reserved only for those who have been deemed honorable and respectable. Both the smell incense as well as the deed are specifically important within the Bible. There are several references to the burning of incense within both the Old and New testament.
The second portion of the third verse “therefore do the virgins love thee,” also shows how the female protagonist recognizes that other women can see the noble character of the male protagonist and admire him without being romantically interested in him. In reference to the role that this book plays in the overall metanarrative of the bible,
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