Song of Solomon

Lore & Background

Jewish tradition interprets the Song as an allegory of the relationship between God and Israel. In Christianity, it is viewed as an allegory of Christ and his bride, the Church. Many Jews read it during Passover, a custom first recorded in 8th-century Jund Filastin. The poem has inspired works by Marc Chagall, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Toni Morrison, John Steinbeck, and Neil Diamond.

Reader's Guide

The poem begins with the woman's expression of desire and her self-description to the 'daughters of Jerusalem.' A dialogue follows, with the lovers exchanging compliments. The woman recalls a visit from her lover in springtime. She describes a dream of searching for him through the city streets. A royal wedding procession is reported, mentioning Solomon. The man describes his beloved's beauty using vivid metaphors. The woman tells of another dream where she searches for her lover but is beaten by watchmen. The people praise the woman's beauty. The woman compares love to death and Sheol, and summons her lover.

Did You Know?

• The title 'Song of Songs' follows a Hebrew idiom meaning the greatest of its class, like 'Holy of Holies.'
• The superscription states it is 'Solomon's,' but this cannot be read as strictly as a modern statement; language evidence points to a late date, centuries after Solomon.
• Debate continues on whether the book is a single poem or an anthology, with no consensus on its unity or structure.
• The poem has parallels with Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek love poetry, as well as the pastoral idylls of Theocritus.