Song of Solomon

It’s important to identify the genre of any text in the Scripture before one makes an attempt to interpret the meaning.  According to my understanding, historical church has made the Song of Solomon to be allegory, the use of imagery to assign meaning in a completely different way other than what is literally written.  In this case, the church has historical said that the Song of Solomon’s stories of romantic love is symbolism for Christ’s love and His church.  I believe this to be a mistake and a violation of hermeneutical principle.  But one can understand how celibate monks, to whom we owe much of the churches historical interpretation, might come to these conclusions.

Instead I believe Song of Solomon in spite of its obvious use of poetry and imagery, it falls into the wisdom categories.  Indeed Song of Solomon does intend to do more than just make an appeal to human sexual emotion.  Song of Solomon works as one of the Bible counterbalances to the wisdom principles of Proverbs.  As we read the Proverbs we general principles of godly living that are normally true.  The Proverbs are not absolute promises from God, but principles that guide someones life in every day decisions.  If the principles take to the extreme and made out to be promises that can be claimed, the results are what you see in prosperity Gospel, name and claim it doctrine that feeds the charlatan’s theology who promise a better life now on TV.

Since the Proverbs are principles and not absolute laws, there are exceptions to those principles.  The story of Job provides one, not everything in life has a logical answer such as Christians who suffer.  Ecclesiastes provides another in that wisdom indeed is better than folly, but it itself cannot provide the ultimate meaning of life.  Song of Solomon finally says that true romance cannot be tethered to common sense, logical every day choices.   True love in marriage is sappy, corny, random and a little wild.  Common sense and wisdom says that while in public spaces, one should not normally say things like “Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.”  But when the bedroom door is closed and the lights are out, its all a different story.