Canticles: Solomon's Love Song

[Olde Tymer]

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Song is commonly treated as a parable that speaks of the love that Christ has for
his church. Well, that approach is unacceptable. I much prefer the literal approach,
to wit: Song as a romantic fantasy.

FAQ: Was Solomon's Song inspired?

REPLY: To my knowledge, everything in the old testament is in there because God
urged selected folks to put specific information into the record.

● 2Tim 3:16-17 . . All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be
adequate, equipped for every good work.

● 2Pet 1:20-21 . . Above all, you must understand that no prophecy in scripture
ever came from the prophets themselves, or because they wanted to prophesy. It
was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God.

FAQ: How does this "specific information" you speak of in the Song equip the man
of God?

REPLY: Song has a lot to say about the effect that true heart-felt romantic love has
on people in normal relationships which, I can tell you from personal experience, is
very beneficial for Christians who grew up in dysfunctional homes and/or coming
out of a religion that made them feel guilty about their thoughts and feelings for the
opposite sex.

Buen Camino (Pleasant Journey)
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Song 1:1 . . Solomon's song of songs.

Solomon penned quite a few songs; something like 1,005 (1Kings 4:32). Whether
he wrote the music too or just the lyrics; I don't know; maybe. He was a very
intelligent guy, but that doesn't necessarily mean he was a musician; nor even that
he could carry a tune; but then he didn't have too. Solomon had a number of
professional singers on the payroll. (Ecc 2:8)

"song of songs" suggests a colloquialism like Sadaam Hussein's "mother of all
wars". In other words: this particular song may have represented Solomon's best
work to date.

In a number of places throughout Song, speakers don't address anyone in
particular. In point of fact, quite a bit of dialogue throughout Song is what's called
soliloquy; defined by Webster's as a poem, discourse, or utterance of a character in
a drama that has the form of a monologue, or gives the illusion of being a series of
unspoken reflections. In other words: talking with and/or to one's self.

We will also be running across places where the soliloquy isn't vocal; rather,
imagined; viz: thoughts.

The Juliet in this musical story is assumed to be a girl called Shulamite (Song
6:13), from the Hebrew word Shuwlammiyth (shoo-lam-meeth') which is
apparently a pet name rather than a real name. It means peaceful; defined by
Webster's as untroubled by conflict, agitation, or commotion, i.e. quiet, tranquil,
and devoid of violence and force.

The "untroubled" aspect of her pet name caught my attention because it strongly
suggests, at least to me anyway, that Song's Juliet didn't lose her composure under
duress; in other words; she wasn't likely to throw a hissy fit when things didn't go
her way.

That's a fitting pet name for the girl because later on in Song, she's spoken of as a
dove; a bird well-known the world over as having a gentle personality.

Personally I don't much care for the name Shulamite because it's not all that
feminine, and it suggests an ethnic identity rather than a pet name; so from here
on in I will be calling her Shulah.

BTW: Solomon's Hebrew name Shelomoh (shel-o-mo') compliments Shula's; it too
means peaceful, which is pretty much the same meaning as hers. However, I don't
really care for the sound of that name either so I'll be referring to him as Shiloh
from here on in. (cf. Gen 49:10)

So there's the star of the story and his co-star: Shiloh & Shua together has a good
ring to it.
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[Olde Tymer]

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● Song 1:2a . . May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.

A lover's kiss doesn't always have to be mouth-to-mouth. For example kissing the
hand used to be common courtesy in some parts of the world, same as greetings
consisting of kissing on the cheek. However, I think we can safely assume that
Shulah had an affectionate kiss in mind rather than courtesy. A kiss on the shoulder
would suffice for that purpose. That kind of a kiss, though maybe not very
passionate, is at least intimate.

● Song 1:2b . . for your love is better than wine.

That phrase makes better sense when kept with the first half of the verse; which
refers to kissing on the lips.

So; better in what way?

Alcohol, in just the right amount, can soothe people's nerves and improve their
mood.

"He bringing forth food from the earth, wine that gladdens the heart of man" (Ps
104:14-15)

But given the choice, I think most of us would rather be with a lover than with a
bottle because lovers, on the whole, make us feel much, much better than booze. A
lover can make people feel better about themselves too whereas a bottle often
makes drinkers experience a certain amount of self-loathing.

I cannot remember ever feeling like singing whenever I was drinking; but this one
girl I was dating back in the day made me feel so good that I was constantly
humming old love songs that I hadn't thought of in years. Pretty amazing.

"There are three things which are too wonderful for me; four which I do not
understand: The way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the
way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid." (Prov
30:18-19)
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