Bible 110 Old Testament
Wisdom Literature
Song of Solomon, Lamentations
Song of Solomon
A. Various attempts to interpret this; amounts to attempts to justify its being in the
canon. No prophetic or religious acts; mentions neither Temple nor sacred
precinct; no religious legislation.
B. Five approaches to interpretation
1. Allegorical – non-literal; derives new and hidden meaning from the words
and narratives
* Rabbinical – shepherd lover and maiden represent God and Israel joined
in the sacred covenant at Sinai
* Christian – lover and beloved symbolize God and the church. Origin (3rd
century) called it a wedding song or poem at marriage of Solomon and Egyptian
princess. Council of Constantinople 553 AD made official the allegorical
interpretation
2. Literal – collection of love songs or poems. Literal views unpopular in
early church. Considered too bawdy. Sebastian Castillo drew the wrath
of Calvin and Luis de Leon was delivered over to the Inquisition for their
views that this was a love poem
3. Wedding Cycle – some suggested that these love poems were utilized in
wedding celebrations
4. Drama – either 3-character or 2-character drama (Solomon, shepherd
lover, maiden; or Solomon and maiden). Dramatic reading or a staged
presentation
5. Cultic – primitive background in the cult of renewal personified by
shepherd and maiden who typify mythical pairs such as Baal and Anath or
Tammuz and Ishtar. Cultic allegorical interpretation
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Bible 110 Old Testament
C. Date – book is ascribed to Solomon (961 BC) or as a collection of love poems
brought together fairly late (3rd century BC)
D. Setting – (hypothetical) a young maiden protected by her brother falls in love
with a shepherd when she reaches maturity. Brother and community disapprove.
She continues to have furtive meetings with her lover.
The beauty of the maiden comes to the attention of Solomon who desires
her for his harem. Arrangements are made with the family, and she comes to
Solomon’s harem as the favorite (8:11-12). Nevertheless, she longs for her
shepherd lover knowing that her love for him would never be truly fulfilled.
Theme: unrequited love; only when love embraced the Israelite morality
did it become acceptable. Sexual union produced sacred physical and
psychological experience.
Lamentations
E. Title: no title in Hebrew; known by its first word, ekhah, How! It came to be
known as dirges or lamentations. It was a funeral spell to keep the dead in their
place and protect the living from them. It later came to be an expression of grief
over the loss of a loved one. In Lamentations it is probably a poem
commemorating the destruction of Jerusalem in 586.
Ch 1,2,4 are dirges; Ch 5 is a prayer.
Ch 3 a personal lament
F. Use – Lamentations was probably used liturgically. It was probably read in the
synagogue on the fast day observed in commemoration of the destruction of
Jerusalem.
G. Form – Ch 1-4 alphabetic acrostic of twenty-two stanzas, one for each
Hebrew letter. Ch 5 contains 22 lines, one for every Hebrew letter. In
Lamentations, meter was first recognized in Hebrew poetry
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Bible 110 Old Testament
H. Authorship – tradition has Jeremiah as author (II Chronicles 35:25 Jeremiah
composed a lament for Josiah). Lamentations must have been composed by
one who experienced the siege and fall of Jerusalem. Much phraseology in
Lamentations is similar to Jeremiah. Some differences between Lamentations
and Jeremiah: high regard for kings and princes; concern for cultus; expects help
from Egypt; many more hapax legomena.
Affiliations with Ezekial, II Isaiah, Psalms. Maybe not one single author.
Maybe poems are collected from different authors. Poems were put together
because of a common theme and a common use in the cultus.
I. Religious significance – Lamentations interprets the meaning of God’s rigorous
treatment of his people so that they would learn the lessons of the past and
retain their faith in him despite overwhelming disaster. Deep sorrow over the
past but radiant hope for the future.
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