Song of Solomon Bible Study Lessons

Does God have anything to say to us about love, sex, and intimacy? For many people, the words “romance” and “Bible” conjure up a long list of religious “thou shalt nots.” But God never intended for us to view love in a negative way. He created us in love and for love, and for that reason, the Bible has a great deal to say about romantic love. In fact, it often uses pictures of human love to help us understand God’s love for us.

As one key example, consider the Song of Solomon.

The Song of Solomon is a beautiful love poem written by Solomon that abounds in colorful metaphors and eastern imagery. When considered literally, it depicts the wooing and wedding of a shepherdess by King Solomon, and the joys and thrills and heartaches and surprises of wedded love.

Throughout the ages, scholars have also looked at the book through an allegorical lens. When considered in this way, it pictures Israel as God’s betrothed bride (Hos. 2:19, 20), and the church as the bride of Christ. As human life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of man and woman, so spiritual life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of God for His people and Christ for His church.

The Hebrew title, Shir Hashirim, comes from 1:1, “the song of songs.” The superlative form declares it to be Solomon’s most exquisite song. The Latin title, Canticum Canticorum, also means “Song of Songs” or “The Best Song.” The alternative name for the book, Canticles, is derived from the Latin title. Because Solomon is mentioned in 1:1, the book is also known as the Song of Solomon.

Themes: God demonstrates His grace to us through the joys of romantic love that He enables husbands and wives to share. That human love can also serve as a picture of His divine love for us.

Authors: Solomon.

Time: Solomon ruled over Israel in the tenth century B.C.

Structure: The book is arranged like scenes in a drama with three main speakers: the bride (Shulamite), the groom (Solomon), and a chorus (daughters of Jerusalem).

Charles F. Stanley, The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles, 2005), So.