Those who have been reading my posts for some time have probably gotten tired of me spending so much time talking about the literary structure of the biblical books. But I do so because I am convinced that it is a valuable (although not the only) tool for understanding the authors' intentions and resolving issues involving specific passages. As an example, let me revisit the example of the Song of Songs. The overall organization shown below was defended in my post “Song of Songs: Introduction to the Literary Structure.”
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)
With that proposed structure in mind, let us look at some issues that have concerned readers over the years.
Is there a coherent flow of logic or discernible story line to the book?
Many scholars would adamantly reply, “no!” A few examples will suffice:
“I do not believe that the Song is meant to convey a story.” (Woudstra)
“No apparent order governs the flow of its verse.” (Reese)
“There is no 'story' in the Song... only a set of anecdotes.” (Landy)
“There is simply no plot. The story does not go anywhere.” (Carr)
“(T)here does not seem to be any clear movement and certainly not a plot.” (Childs)
“It is extremely difficult to reconstruct the story line, if one was intended at all by the composer of the Song.” (Bullock)
“[There is] an overall coherence to the book, but not a strict narrative unity, that is, a plot.” (Longman)
“The poem has only a slight plot structure, and the love relationship is as strong at the beginning as at the end.” (Osborne)
“There is no 'story' or plot to speak of, but a series of encounters...” (Schwab)
“The Song has virtually no plot or story-line; its poetic genre allows it to be cyclical, repetitive and somewhat rambling.” (Glendhill)
Interestingly, Kenneth R. R. Gros Louis included a chapter on the Song in his second volume of Literary Interpretations of Biblical Narratives (emphasis mine) but did not really present a narrative line to the poem. Ryken compares the organization of the Song to a stream-of-consciousness technique, and Snaith characterizes the book as presenting romantic love in a series of snapshots from different points of view. The problem, of course, is the apparently fragmented nature of the book if read sequentially. As Sasson has said, “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.” Most casual readers would agree.
However, if one starts with Figure 1 in mind, then a systematic reading of the book can be obtained by reading first sections I and I', followed by II and II', etc. all the way to the center verse labeled B. In that manner, one sees a semi-chronological, semi-topical way in which to approach the book.
What is King Solomon's role in this book?
One of the most difficult exegetical problems in dealing with the Song is to determine where the figure of King Solomon fits in. In addition to seven occurrences of “(King) Solomon” in the book, the word “king” appears three times apart from any other designation. One of three options is usually taken: (A) Solomon and a shepherd are rivals for the girl's attention; (B) the hero sometimes appears as a (or the) king and sometimes as a shepherd; or (C) King Solomon as a character only appears incidentally in the story.
An excellent critique of Theory A is found in Gledhill's commentary. Without revisiting all his arguments, it is obvious that this way of looking at the book is inconsistent with supposed Solomonic authorship, gives most of the best speeches to the “villain,” and leads to very little consensus in assigning speaking parts to the drama. However, such an interpretation cannot be entirely ruled out on the basis of the structural analysis developed above. For example, even the seemingly preposterous suggestion of Gros Louis that the heroine is addressing Solomon in 8:1-2, telling him that she just wants them to be friends, finds possible support from Fig. 1 since these feelings of the heroine can be treated as a deliberate contrast, not a parallel, to her deeper feelings for her true love expressed in the symmetrically placed passage 1:8-2:7.
However, both theories B and C seem to be more consistent with the structural arrangement of Fig. 1. Perhaps Childs' reading of the situation is an apt one (although one might still disagree with his proposed historical explanation): “It is easy to recognize two sets of distinct imagery [for the hero: king and shepherd] which have not been fused within the book.”
Who or what is being described in Song of Songs 3:6-11?
On the surface, it is not clear whether the basic imagery in this section is intended to point to the woman or the man. (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery) Pope, on the basis of the similarity of questions in 3:6, 6:10 and 8:5, states that this description of Solomon's litter is in fact a description of the bride. Carr detects similarities in language between this passage and the undoubted description of the bride in 4:1-15, thus agreeing with Pope in his conclusion. Woudstra feels that these verses describe the girl's dream in which she and her lover are in the litter, an apparent parallel to verse 6:12. Gros Louis, on the other hand, treats these verses as a description of the sophisticated King Solomon using terms in deliberate contrast to those in 2:3-4 describing the rustic hero. The whole interpretation thus hinges upon which other passages in the book are to be used as the context for this passage. The proposed structure of Fig. 1 shows that vv. 5:9-16, describing the hero, provide that context. There is absolutely no urban/rural contrast here, and the two descriptions supplement one another quite well in describing the groom.
What is happening in Song of Songs 6:11-12?
The fine structure of the individual sections of the book are also helpful in making interpretive decisions. For example, Pope calls 6:12 the most difficult verse in the Song, a judgment in which Longman III concurs. Compare the two translations below as an example of the diversity of interpretations:
“Before I was aware, my fancy set me in a chariot beside my prince” (RSV)
“Before I knew...my desire had hurled me on the chariots of my people, as their prince” (The Jerusalem Bible)
Fig. 2 shows this verse in its structural context and helps clarify the situation.
Figure 2: The Structure of Section III'
A. She goes to see the vines and pomegranates (6:11)
B. Her fantasy (6:12)
C. A request and a question (6:13)
C'. Twofold response to the above (7:1-7)
1. The Daughters describe her (“How...O...maiden”)
(7:1-5)
1'. The Hero describes her (“How...O...maiden”)
(7:6-7)
B'. His fantasy (7:8-9)
A'. Her invitation to see the vines and pomegranates (7:10-13)
The speaker in verse 6:11 uses exactly the same language as in the parallel verses 7:10-13. Since these latter lyrics are spoken by the heroine, she is probably also the speaker in 6:11 and the following verse. Likewise, in 6:12 the speaker (if feminine) appears to daydream of being with her love, or (if masculine) of being admired by his subjects. Only the former interpretation fits the whole context of the Song, is consistent with a female speaker in the previous verse, and is a parallel thought to the symmetrically disposed section (7:8-9) expressing the hero's longing for his love.
Who are these new characters introduced in Song of Solomon 8:8-10?
These troublesome verses apparently introduce a new set of characters into the Song at its near conclusion. Who are these brothers and their pre-pubescent sister and what do they have to do with the lyrics that preceded them? If they are the heroine's brothers and sisters (Woudstra), they seem to be extraneous to whatever plot exists in the rest of the book.
A chiastic reading of the book according to the scheme in Fig. 1 makes it clear that these verses constitute a parallel to the heroine's flashback to her youth in 1:6 under the control of her older brothers. This interpretation is confirmed by the same phrase “my own vineyard” in 1:6 and 8:12.
Why are the lovers living apart from one another at the end of the book?
This is by far one of the most puzzling aspects of Song of Songs until one realizes that a systematic reading of Figure 1 from the outside to the center indicates that the true chronological ending of the narrative lies at verse 5:1 where God blesses the union of the two lovers.
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