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Reading Song of Solomon #2
Reading Song of Solomon #2
Yesterday I introduced our reading of this book by sharing the approach that Bro. Homer Hailey used in his class: the picture of true love based upon the shepherd girl in love with the shepherd boy and then being enticed by Solomon. She chooses the love of her shepherd over the status of being married to Solomon.
However, that isn’t the only way of reading this book. In fact, Duane Garrett listed 7 approaches (and there are lots of variations within each category): *
(1) The Allegorical Interpretation
(2) The Dramatic Interpretation
(3) The Historical Interpretation
(4) The Cultic Interpretation
(5) The Funerary Interpretation
(6) The Wedding Interpretation
(7) The Love Song Interpretation
Garrett used this last approach in his commentary. He presented the book as the interplay of the girl and her groom, the struggle of all the passion and desires of love lived out in godly purity. Again, it is easiest to take the text and mark it with indicators (I like colored pencil in the margins!) showing who is speaking. Below is a link to download the basic outline using this approach and the outline itself. Garrett us ‘Soprano’ for the girl, Tenor for the groom, and Chorus for the 3rd party. Enjoy. Hugh
*Duane A. Garrett, The New American Commentary, V. 14, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, Logos edition.
OUTLINE OF SONG OF SONGS
1. Introduction (1:1)
2. Soprano (1:2–4a)
3. Chorus (1:4b)
4. Soprano (1:4c–7)
5. Chorus (1:8)
6. Tenor (1:9–11)
7. Soprano (1:12–14)
8. Tenor (1:15)
9. Soprano (1:16)
10. Tenor (1:17)
11. Soprano (2:1)
12. Tenor (2:2)
13. Soprano (2:3–10a)
14. Tenor (2:10b–15)
15. Soprano (2:16–17)
16. Soprano (3:1–5)
17. Chorus (3:6–11)
18. Tenor (4:1–15)
19. Soprano (4:16)
20. Tenor (5:1a, b)
21. Chorus (5:1c)
22. Soprano (5:2–8)
23. Chorus (5:9)
24. Soprano (5:10–16)
25. Chorus (6:1)
26. Soprano (6:2–3)
27. Tenor (6:4–9)
28. Chorus (6:10)
29. Soprano (6:11–12)
30. Chorus (6:13a)
31. Tenor (6:13b–7:9a)
32. Soprano (7:9b–8:4)
33. Chorus (8:5a)
34. Soprano (8:5b–7)
35. Chorus (8:8–9)
36. Soprano (8:10–12)
37. Tenor (8:13)
38. Soprano (8:14)
39. A Postscript to the Song
