Tom Gledhill

General preface

Author’s preface

Chief abbreviations

Select bibliography

An orientation to the Song

1. The Song as poetic entertainment

2. The role of Solomon in the Song

3. The shepherd hypothesis

4. The morality of the Song

5. God, sexuality and allegory

6. The Song in the canon of Scripture

7. The unity and structure of the Song

Part 1 The Song as a whole

1. An overview of the text of the Song of Songs

Title and attribution (1:1)

The first cycle: passionate longings (1:1 – 2:7)

The second cycle: springtime and showers (2:8 – 3:5)

The third cycle: the lovers' royal wedding (3:6 – 5:1)

The fourth cycle: lost and found (5:2 – 6:3)

The fifth cycle: beauty kindles desire (6:4 – 8:4)

The sixth cycle: the security of love (8:5–14)

2. A literal translation of the Song

The first cycle: passionate longings (1:2 – 2:7)

3. A free paraphrase of the Song

Part 2 An exposition of the Song

Song of Songs 1:1

4. Title and attribution

Song of Songs 1:2 – 2:7

5. The first cycle: passionate longings

1. The deep yearnings of love (1:2–4)

2. Black and beautiful (1:5–6)

3. A hesitant enquiry, an ambiguous response (1:7–8)

4. A filly in fine fettle (1:9–11)

5. The fragrance of love (1:12–14)

6. A duet of mutual admiration (1:15 – 2:3)

7. Moving towards a climax (2:4–7)

Song of Songs 2:8 – 3:5

6. The second cycle: springtime and showers

1. Love in the springtime (2:8–13)

2. A tantalizing tease (2:14–15)

3. An affirmation and an invitation (2:16–17)

4. A very troubled dream (3:1–5)

Song of Songs 3:6 – 5:1

7. The third cycle: the lovers’ royal wedding

1. Her rustic fragrant beauty (3:6)

2. Solomon's sumptuous carriage (3:7–11)

3. In praise of his beloved (4:1–7)

4. The lover's urgent plea (4:8)

5. A lover smitten (4:9–11)

6. Moving towards a climax again (4:12 – 5:1)

7. Reflections on themes arising from 4:12 – 5:1

Song of Songs 5:2 – 6:3

8. The fourth cycle: lost and found

1. Another dream of frustration (5:2–8)

2. The daughters of Jerusalem reply (5:9)

3. In praise of her lover (5:10–16)

4. An offer of help (6:1)

5. Not really lost (6:2–3)

Song of Songs 6:4 – 8:4

9. The fifth cycle: beauty kindles desire

1. Her awesome and terrifying beauty (6:4–7)

2. She is utterly unique (6:8–9)

3. Her cosmic beauty (6:10)

4. Dreaming in the walnut garden (6:11–12)

5. A sight for tired eyes (6:13)

6. Her graceful form (7:1–5)

7. A duet of desire (7:6–10)

8. Love in the countryside (7:11–13)

9. A longing for intimacy (8:1–4)

Song of Songs 8:5–14

10. The sixth cycle: the security of love

1. The happy couple (8:5a)

2. Love's arousal (8:5b)

3. Love, strong as death (8:6–7)

4. The little sister (8:8–10)

5. A vineyard not for hire (8:11–12)

6. The continuing cycle of desire (8:13–14)

For further thought

Themes

1. The attraction and articulation of beauty

Discussion questions

2. Joys and tensions

3. Erotic arousal

In unrivalled poetic language, the Song of Songs explores the whole range of emotions experienced by its two lovers as they work out their commitment to each other, consummated in marriage. The Song's powerful and unabashed affirmation of love, loyalty and earthy sexuality is urgently relevant today, when commercialised eroticism is in, and permanency in relationships is out.  
  
Tom Gledhill argues that beauty, intimacy and sexual consummation are to be celebrated, but not as ends in themselves. Rather, the point to another world, another dimension, only occasionally and dimly perceived. God has chose the love of a man and a woman as an image of his own love of his people.

The message of Song of Songs. The Song's affirmation of love, loyalty and commitment, beauty and sexuality, is relevant for our day, pointing to the love and character of God behind human love.

At first reading the Song of Songs appears to be an unabashed celebration of the deeply rooted urges of physical attraction, mutual love and sexual consummation between a man and a woman. Tom Gledhill maintains that the Song of Songs is in fact just that--a literary, poetic exploration of human love that strongly affirms loyalty, beauty and sexuality in all their variety. With tender metaphor and extravagant imagery, the Song writer spins a tale of human love into the cadence of verse, innocent of our quest for historical persons behind the text. But in God's story, human beauty, intimacy and sexuality are not ends in themselves. They are transencedental longings, whispers of immortality. Like all of creation they point beyond themselves to their divine author, who in this Song is nowhere mentioned but everywhere assumed. Gledhill's commentary is a refreshing reminder of the Song of Song's ancient and vibrant affirmation of human sexuality that forms an interlude in the Old Testament story and echoes between the lines of Christian revelation.

\["For Church leaders and Bible teachers","The commentary on the Song of Songs is made for sermon preparation","A great way to help other Christians draw on messages from God's word"\]

Enrich your understanding of the eloquent poetry of the Song of Songs with this study by Tom Gledhill which is part of the bestselling Bible Speaks Today series.

\["For Church leaders and Bible teachers","The commentary on the Song of Songs is ideal for sermon preparation","A great way to help other Christians draw on messages from God's word"\]

__Tom Gledhill__ served as a member of the teaching staff at Union School of Theology when it was known as ETCW. He was appointed in 1993 and continued until his retirement in 2006.

Message of the Song of Songs

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Message of the Song of Songs

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