Week 32 Song of Solomon
I read Song of Solomon over the long week-end. All I had access to was an old King James version of the bible but that wasn’t a major obstruction since the Song uses language and ideas that are pretty straightforward and uncomplicated even in 500-year-old language. The big question with the Song is: what does it mean?
I read the Song in an ordinary way and at the end of my ordinary reading I didn’t see anything religious about it at all. It seemed pretty natural and normal and human.
There were quite a few references to the human body: skin cheeks neck breasts eyes hair hands nose head teeth lips tongue arms belly navel legs thigh feet.
Domestic and wild animals were mentioned: foxes stags sheep fillies gazelle deer doves lions panthers.
I didn’t make a list but there was fruit (like apples) & flowers (like lilies) & spices (like saffron).
It all seemed like things that were going on in this world.
I checked a word book. There was no mention of God. Or of the Lord. Or angels. Or the devil. Or sin. I didn’t see animal sacrifices or the Ten Commandments or Solomon’s Temple.
The Song sounds like a romantic poem about a guy & girl in love. But I wonder if it’s about more than a guy & girl in love. The Song seems unambiguous. But I don’t feel reassured that it is. And don’t feel I know what to do if it isn’t.