Song of Solomon
The Song of Solomon is an unabashed celebration of love between a man and a woman, told in lyric poetry of gardens, vineyards, spices, and springtime. Two voices, with a chorus of friends, trace the arc of desire: longing, seeking, wedding, misunderstanding, and reunion, all charged with imagery both tender and bold. The Song never mentions God directly, yet it stands in Scripture as witness that love, faithful, exclusive, and strong as death, is his good gift. Jewish and Christian readers have also long heard in it an echo of the love between God and his people.
Associated with Solomon by its title; precise authorship uncertain.
Traditionally Solomon's era, tenth century BC; dating debated.
Israel, celebrating covenant love; sung at weddings and festivals.
To celebrate the beauty, power, and exclusivity of married love as a gift from God.