Song of Solomon
8 chapters · Old Testament
The Song of Solomon, also called the Song of Songs, is traditionally attributed to King Solomon, whose name appears in the text itself. Most scholars date its composition to the early monarchy period, though its precise origins have long been discussed. Set against the lush backdrop of gardens, vineyards, and pastoral landscapes, the book presents an intimate exchange of poetry between two lovers — a young woman and her beloved — celebrating the beauty and longing of romantic love with striking imagery and vivid emotion.
The book's purpose has been understood in two complementary ways throughout Christian and Jewish history. Read literally, it affirms that romantic love and physical attraction within marriage are genuine gifts from God, worthy of celebration rather than shame. Read allegorically, it has been interpreted as a portrait of the deep, devoted love between God and His people, or between Christ and the Church. Major themes include the goodness of embodied love, the joy of mutual desire and commitment, the pain of separation, and the beauty found in the beloved. Together, these threads invite readers to honor love as something sacred, reflecting the very character of a God who is himself love.