Embarrasment
The Song of Solomon, Part 1
Where do I begin with this topic? It’s sure to be controversial. After exploring the poetry of the Psalms, I examined other Biblical poetry and songs. The Song of Solomon, a collection of erotic love poems, naturally arose. How should I view the eroticism in a book that doesn’t mention God? Yet it’s in the Bible, so let’s discuss sex.
The English Standard Version Anglicized version of the Bible, uses the headings He and She to identify the speakers based on the gender and number of the Hebrew words.
Here’s the first chapter and part of Chapter 2:
1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.
She
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine;
3 your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is oil poured out;
therefore virgins love you.
4 Draw me after you; let us run.
The king has brought me into his chambers.Others
We will exult and rejoice in you;
we will extol your love more than wine;
rightly do they love you.She
5 I am very dark, but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar,
like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
because the sun has looked upon me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
they made me keeper of the vineyards,
but my own vineyard I have not kept!
7 Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
where you pasture your flock,
where you make it lie down at noon;
for why should I be like one who veils herself
beside the flocks of your companions?He
8 If you do not know,
O most beautiful among women,
follow in the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
beside the shepherds’ tents.
9 I compare you, my love,
to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
your neck with strings of jewels.Others
11 We will make for you ornaments of gold,
studded with silver.She
12 While the king was on his couch,
my nard gave forth its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
that lies between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
in the vineyards of Engedi.He
15 Behold, you are beautiful, my love;
behold, you are beautiful;
your eyes are doves.She
16 Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.
Our couch is green;
17 the beams of our house are cedar;
our rafters are pine.2 I am a rose of Sharon,
a lily of the valleys.He
2 As a lily among brambles,
so is my love among the young women.She
3 As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my beloved among the young men.
With great delight I sat in his shadow,
and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banqueting house,
and his banner over me was love.
5 Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apples,
for I am sick with love.
6 His left hand is under my head,
and his right hand embraces me!
7 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.
It’s mostly about the desires of the woman, isn’t it?
The Song of Solomon, also known as the Song of Songs, contains sensual songs in the Bible. It uses attraction and romance to symbolise the love of God.
Looking at it structurally, these songs (it is a compilation, not a single poem) fall into three sections with seven parts:
- A. Dating: This section focuses on the initial attraction and developing relationship between the man and woman.
- Part 1: Introduction (1:1-4)
- Part 2: (1:5-2:7)
- Part 3: (2:8 -3:5)
- B. Intimacy: This section depicts the growing intimacy between the lovers, including a wedding scene.
- Part 4: (3:6-5:1)
- C. Longing and Reunion: This section explores moments of separation and longing, followed by a reunion and expressions of enduring love.
- Part 5: (5:2-6:3)
- Part 6: (6:4-8:4)
- Part 7: (8:5-14)
What is erotic poetry doing in the Bible? It all depends on our assumptions. The strict view on sexual attraction doesn’t work, causing people to feel negative about something natural. Attempts to link sexuality with the divine often fail too. My view is that sex isn’t sacred, but it remains natural and good, created by God. Like human nature, sexual attraction reflects God’s image but is also flawed.
This poetry collection can be appreciated in various ways: it’s erotic poetry for some, while for others, it explores the relationship between God and the believer or the Church and God.
There are elements of the Garden of Eden, the temple, and Solomon in these poems. Although Solomon is mentioned, he does not speak in them.
I feel embarrassed writing this, and I should. The topic of sex and attraction is very personal and should make you blush. It relates to the meaning found in Proverbs 1-9. The desire between a man and a woman mirrors the desire for wisdom. In Proverbs, wisdom is portrayed as a woman to seek. Meanwhile, the Song of Solomon focuses on a young woman’s longing for her beloved. The attribution to Solomon in the introduction begs that this erotic love poetry be read in the same manner as the other books of Solomon: Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
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Making an ass of myself 