Song of Solomon - ”Arise my Love...and come away…”
Pastro, Cláudio. Song of Solomon - "Arise my love ... and come away...", from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56599 [retrieved August 27, 2021]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Virgin%27s_Monastery_(benedictine_nuns),_Petr%C3%B3polis,_Rio_de_Janeiro_State,_Brazil10.JPG - Eugenio Hansen.
Exploring the Text: Interpreting Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon, or Song of Songs, is one of the most controversial books in the Bible. There is a lot of debate about how we should interpret it. Some people believe it is basically what it presents itself as, a celebration of love between a man and a woman. Some see it as a guide to marriage. Still others believe that it is an allegory for the love God has for his people. In some sense, all of these may be correct. There are frequently different layers of meaning and application in the Scripture. We can read it as a love song between a Solomon and his bride. We can also see in it a reflection of how much God loves us. As you read through this passage, and the rest of the book, keep both of these perspectives in mind. Think about it in terms of a love story and as a poetic description of God's love for you.
Song of Solomon, or Song of Songs, is one of the most controversial books in the Bible. There is a lot of debate about how we should interpret it. Some people believe it is basically what it presents itself as, a celebration of love between a man and a woman. Some see it as a guide to marriage. Still others believe that it is an allegory for the love God has for his people. In some sense, all of these may be correct. There are frequently different layers of meaning and application in the Scripture. We can read it as a love song between a Solomon and his bride. We can also see in it a reflection of how much God loves us. As you read through this passage, and the rest of the book, keep both of these perspectives in mind. Think about it in terms of a love story and as a poetic description of God's love for you.