SONG OF SONGS: INTRODUCTION TO THE LITERARY STRUCTURE

The complete, referenced version of this analysis will be sent to anyone requesting it at elmerphd21@hotmail.com. 

There are many puzzling questions regarding this poem – What is the role of Solomon in this work (author, hero, villain?) and why was such an erotic poem included in the canon of Scripture?

Additional definition as to the precise genre of the composition (loose collection of poetry, continuous narrative, allegory or drama) would also be very helpful in understanding the original meaning of the book and its significance today.

In addition to these general areas of concern, there are a number of specific passages in the Song that have proved to be exegetical stumbling blocks due to confusions regarding the chronology of events and the identity of the speaker and addressee. Why is the bridegroom of ch. 4 locked out of his wife's bedroom in 5:2-6 and dwelling in a separate house in 8:1-2? Are vv. 6:12 and 8:12 spoken by the hero or the heroine? Some insights into these questions may follow an understanding of the overall organization of the Song.

Repetition in the Song

The first phenomenon to note is that a number of key words or short phrases occur exactly seven times each in the text, including “Solomon,” “daughters of Jerusalem,” “soul,” “Lebanon,” “sister,” “garden,” “roe/gazelle,” “mother,” “spices” (two related synonyms), and “feed.” And, as Carr has pointed out, the Hebrew word translated “beautiful” occurs exactly fourteen times.  This is an indication that the book is more than just a loose collection of poems. If the immediate contexts of some of the common words in the text are examined further, symmetrical patterns often appear as added indication that there is a purposeful thought process behind the repetitions in the book.

One seemingly easy approach to outlining a structure for this book is to divide up the segments according to the speaker and the one being addressed. Unfortunately, this is not a foolproof method as evidenced by comparing translations that have attempted to assign speaking parts to the dramatic poetry (i.e., The New English Bible, NIV and The Living Bible).

A more fruitful approach is to consider the many cases of verbal repetition in the Song as indications of a unifying principle. Several of the repeated phrases occur in close proximity to one another [i.e., “terrible as an army with banners” (6:4; 6:10)] and might be expected to act as a framework for their respective sections or sub-sections. Other repeated phrases are further separated from one another and may function as clues to the overall structure of the book. Before developing the logic behind the scheme that follows, however, it would be well to heed Gledhill's note of caution: “Since the Song is so repetitious, it is not surprising that all manner of cross-relationships can be identified; but it is not clear that these can help in identifying an overall structure.” An attempt is still in order, nonetheless, without being too dogmatic about the final results.

The Structure of the Song

A perusal of several commentaries on the Song will show that most scholars, however much they may differ in the divisions of the book, agree that the phrase “I adjure you, O Daughters of Jerusalem...” marks the end of a section. Starting with that point as a hypothesis, it may be further assumed that each of the seven occurrences of the phrase “Daughters of Jerusalem” also concludes a section. Since the hero's companions (the male counterparts to the Daughters of Jerusalem) appear at the conclusion to the whole book, one can also assume that their only other appearance, in verse 1:7, denotes the conclusion of yet another division.

Also prominently found at the end of the book is a phrase involving the words “beloved/gazelle/ stag/mountain/spice.” Similar word complexes appear at 2:8-9 (beloved/mountain/gazelle/stag), 2:17 (beloved/stag/gazelle/mountains) and 4:5-6 (gazelle/mountain/myrrh), which may mark additional section endings. Words associated with the above suspected end phrases identify “I am my beloved's” and “pasture/flock/lilies” as additional possible division markers. The opening phrases for the first six such derived sections can then be easily deduced from the divisions determined by these closing phrases. Variations on these openings turn out to begin the next six proposed sections.

Figure 1: The Structure of the Song of Songs

A. Title (1:1)

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I. The Lovers Dwell Apart (1:2-7)

II. A Make-Believe House for the Lovers (1:8-2:7)

III. He Invites Her to Come Away (2:8-17)

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                                     IV. Dream: Seek and Find (3:1-5)

                                              V. Solomon's Litter Described for the Daughters of Jerusalem (3:6-11) 

                                                        VI. The Lovers in a Garden of Delight (4:1-5:1a)

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B. Benediction on the Lovers (5:1b)

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IV'. Nightmare: Seek and Not Find (5:2-8)

                                                V'. The Hero Described for the Daughters of Jerusalem (5:9-16)

VI'. The Lovers in a Garden of Delight (6:1-10)

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III'. She Invites Him to Come Away (6:11-7:13)

II'. A Make-Believe House for the Lovers (8:1-4)

I'. The Lovers Dwell Apart (8:5-14)

A final confirmation of these structural divisions may be seen in (a) the symmetrical relationships between the various sections (see Fig. 1) and (b) the symmetrical internal organization of each proposed section. Note that the book divides into two parts, each having a characteristic inclusio to define its rough limits. The first half is bounded by the following phrases:

“Your love is better than wine.” (1:2)

            “How much better is your love than wine.” (4:10)

The second inclusio is not as obvious and consists of references to “knocking” in 5:2 and “door” in 8:9. The small center section is bounded on each side by references in which the hero calls his love “sister” (4:12; 5:1a,2). Others have also arrived at a chiastic structure for this book, but their treatments are somewhat lacking in supportive detail or are only vaguely defined.

It is obvious from several indications that consummation of the lovers' union is the subject of sections VI and VI' since both contain a reference to the woman's “veil,” normally worn only during a wedding ceremony.

The Benediction (5:1b)

Noted commentators on the Song, using different methodologies than outlined above, place the center of the book at 4:16-5:2. Bullock states that 5:1 “is a climatic point in the Song: love has been mutually offered and accepted.” This may be true of 5:1a, but it is difficult to see how the speaker of the words at the end of that verse could be either of the two lovers. Several modern translations indicate that the words are the bridegroom's while some commentators suggest that the Daughters of Jerusalem may be the speakers. Tanner simply labels the words as “an editorial insert.”

Orr's assessment is to be preferred: “Any good girl has a deep emotional need of her father's approval before giving herself unreservedly to her husband. Our Heavenly Father does this for us in The Song.”  If he is correct, Trible's pronouncement  – “Strikingly, God does not speak in the Song” – definitely needs rethinking. The benediction may thus serve not only to bless a specific couple but also bestow divine approval on the whole concept of physical love in the context of monogamous marriage.

Use of Structure in Exegesis

Structural considerations can serve as an additional exegetical tool to understanding the Song. As examples, let us briefly consider three difficult passages.

    A. Structural considerations can be used to determine that the basic imagery in 3:6-11 probably applies to the hero of the story, not the bride as proposed by several commentators.

    B. By contrast, in 6:11-12, perhaps the most difficult verse in the Song, the heroine is probably the speaker, not a masculine character.

    C. The brothers introduced at 8:8-10 are not new characters, but are the same as those in 1:6 who control the heroine's life.

Narrative Flow in the Song

Is there a coherent flow of logic or discernible story line to the book? Most scholars would adamantly reply, “no!” The ending of the book is one problem that must be faced by anyone attempting to find a simple narrative flow to the Song. In addition, “Scholars...are often mystified by the Song's frequent leaps from one context to another, as well as by changes in subject matter and points of view.” (Sasson) Most casual readers would agree.

Two approaches to the question of the book's “plot” are to are to admit there is none or attempt an alternative reading of the book from the ends toward the middle, in light of its proposed chiastic structure. Carr, in fact, used exactly that latter approach but stopped short of declaring a chronological movement toward the center for two reasons: (a) such a reading would give “scriptural approval for premarital sexual encounters of the most intimate kind,” and (b) he detected no clear chronological movement using the chiasm he had developed. Carr settled for an understanding of the events being arranged thematically, but not sequentially, around the center of the book. Carr's first objection assumes that actual sexual union has taken place between the lovers in passages such as 1:12-17 and 2:3-6. Many scholars of varying theological stance would disagree with such a reading. The second point can possibly be addressed by considering the chiastic structure of Fig. I in place of Carr's. The following scheme results from such a new reading approach:

I and I          The lovers dwell apart and yearn to be together.

            II and II'      She fantasizes about their living together and never having to separate.

            III and III'   They invite each other to come away, but stop short of actually doing so.

(extended descriptions of her).

IV and IV'  She experiences dreams of wish fulfillment and separation anxiety regarding her 

                        lover.

            V and V'    An impending marriage (extended descriptions of him).

            VI and VI' Marriage and consummation (extended descriptions of her).

            B               Benediction on the couple

While this approach to the book may not yield a detailed narrative, it certainly makes more sense than attempting a sequential reading that, as Ryken notes, is inconsistent with the lyrics at the end of the Song conveying “thoughts and feelings that are consistently appropriate to the courtship phase of the romance.”