the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Dictionaries
Solomon the Song of
People's Dictionary of the Bible
or Solomon, the Song of. This book, called also Canticles, and according to its Hebrew appellation "the Song of Songs," always had a place in the Jewish canon, and has consequently been received into that of the Christian church. This book, according to its spiritual meaning, is understood to delineate the mutual love of God and his people, in which there are vicissitudes and trials, and backslidings and repentance, and finally a perfect union betwixt the Redeemer and his ransomed church. The same similitude, not indeed wrought out with such particularity, is to be found in other parts of Scripture. God frequently condescends to take the marriage-tie as illustrative of the close fellowship of himself with his chosen. Departure from him is spiritual adultery. His kindness is pre-eminent in receiving back the polluted one. And the last glorious triumph is called the marriage-supper of the Lamb, where the bride is presented pure and undefiled, every stain obliterated, resplendent in glistening robes, the meet consort of a royal spouse. The idea is repeated in both the Old and New Testaments. See, for example, Psalms 45:1-17; Isaiah 54:4-6; Isaiah 62:4-5; Jeremiah 2:2; Jeremiah 3:1; Jeremiah 3:20; Ezekiel 16:1-63; Hosea 2:16; Hosea 2:19-20; Matthew 9:15; John 3:29; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23; Ephesians 5:29-30; Ephesians 5:32; Revelation 19:7-9; Revelation 21:2. Such passages as these show how familiarly the idea was used, even in prose composition; we need not be surprised to find it expanded in impassioned poetry. Another view is that the book presents a picture of pure domestic love and happiness.
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Rice, Edwin Wilbur, DD. Entry for 'Solomon the Song of'. People's Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/rpd/s/solomon-the-song-of.html. 1893.
