BAKER COMMENTARY on the OLD TESTAMENT

Song of Songs

Richard S. Hess

Baker Academic

Grand Rapids, Michigan

©2005 by Richard S. Hess

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakeracademic.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hess, Richard S.

Song of Songs / Richard S. Hess.

p. cm.—(Baker commentary on the Old Testament wisdom and Psalms)

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN 0-8010-2712-8 (cloth)

1. Bible. O.T. Song of Solomon—Commentaries. I. Title. II. Series.

BS1485.53.H47 2005

223′.9077—dc22

2004023799

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Contents

Series Preface

Author’s Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

I. Title (1:1)

II. Prologue: First Coming Together and Intimacy (1:2–2:7)

III. Lovers Joined and Separated (2:8–3:5)

IV. Love and Marriage at the Heart of the Song (3:6–5:1)

V. Search and Reunion (5:2–6:3)

VI. Desire for the Female and Love in the Country (6:4–8:4)

VII. Epilogue: The Power of Love (8:5–14)

Bibliography

Subject Index

Author Index

Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Writings

Series Preface

At the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, a wise father warns his son concerning the multiplication of books: “Furthermore, of these, my son, be warned. There is no end to the making of many books!” (12:12). The Targum to this biblical book characteristically expands the thought and takes it in a different, even contradictory, direction: “My son, take care to make many books of wisdom without end.”

When applied to commentaries, both statements are true. The past twenty years have seen a significant increase in the number of commentaries available on each book of the Bible. On the other hand, for those interested in grappling seriously with the meaning of the text, such proliferation should be seen as a blessing rather than a curse. No single commentary can do it all. In the first place, commentaries reflect different theological and methodological perspectives. We can learn from others who have a different understanding of the origin and nature of the Bible, but we also want commentaries that share our fundamental beliefs about the biblical text. Second, commentaries are written with different audiences in mind. Some ...