Song of Songs summary

Song of Songs is about sex, love and marriage. It is a lyrical poem of dialogue between a young women and her lover. Authorship is debated however Chapter 1:1 states it is “Solomon’s song of songs.”  Many people have the idea that it is an allegory for God’s love for His people. In Song of Songs it is suggested that human sensuality is not a wicked thing but good if enjoyed correctly in marriage; the women and her lover must enjoy themselves in the confines of the gardens and fields.  The extreme ideas of denying and pursuing pleasure are combated in Song of Songs. In this book we also see the importance of keeping oneself sexually pure before marriage.  The book can be divided into three main sections: the courtship (1:1 – 3:5), the wedding (3:6 – 5:1) and the maturing marriage (5:2 – 8:14). Despite the intensity of the book the marriage lessons which can be learned are quite important.