Song of Songs
Biblical love poetry
Song of Songs is a book of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament, also called the Song of Solomon.
It consists of erotic love poetry exchanged between two lovers, celebrating desire and physical beauty: Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon.
Jewish and Christian traditions have often interpreted it allegorically—as God's love for Israel or Christ's love for the Church—though many scholars read it as straightforward celebration of human passion.
Peaceable Hebrew name
- Old TestamentPre-Christian biblical canon
- HebrewSemitic language of Israel
- TanakhJewish scriptural canon
- sacred textHoly religious writing
Jerusalem · Israel · bride · bridegroom · vineyard · beloved · King · shepherd
Intense fond attachment
- belovedOne who is treasured
- desireIntense wanting
- passionIntense emotional drive
- longingIntense, persistent desire
yearning · devotion · intimacy · courtship · wooing · embrace · kiss · beauty
Metered poetic passage
- imageryVivid descriptive language
- metaphorImplied identity comparison
- simileComparison via "as"
- stanzaPoem's line grouping
lyric · refrain · repetition · parallelism · dialogue · monologue · pastoral · idyll
Representing concepts through images
- interpretationAssigned meaning
- mysticismPursuit of divine union
- spiritualRelating to the soul
- divine loveDeity's unconditional affection
Christ · church · Israel · soul · union · commentary · Bernard of Clairvaux · typology
Solomon
Peaceable Hebrew name
- Old TestamentPre-Christian biblical canon
- HebrewSemitic language of Israel
- TanakhJewish scriptural canon
sacred text · Jerusalem · Israel · bride · bridegroom · vineyard · beloved · King · shepherd · liturgy
love
Intense fond attachment
longing · yearning · devotion · intimacy · courtship · wooing · embrace · kiss · beauty · adoration
verse
Metered poetic passage
stanza · lyric · refrain · repetition · parallelism · dialogue · monologue · pastoral · idyll · beauty
symbolism
Representing concepts through images
- interpretationAssigned meaning
- mysticismPursuit of divine union
- spiritualRelating to the soul
divine love · Christ · church · Israel · soul · union · commentary · Bernard of Clairvaux · typology · hidden meaning
- Bible BooksGenesis, Exodus, Proverbs, Matthew, Mark
- Hebrew BibleTanakh, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
- Passoverseder plate, Passover, matzah, seder, charoset
- Biblical WisdomEcclesiastes, Job, wisdom of Solomon, King Solomon, Solomon
- Catholic BibleNew Testament, Old Testament, Gospels, Pentateuch, historical books
- Jewish ScriptureTorah, Hebrew Bible, Tanakh, Pentateuch, Genesis
Song of SongsLamentations
Biblical book of grief
Ecclesiastes · penitential psalms · Book of Revelation · Dies Irae · Ezekiel
Song of SongsLeviticus
Hebrew scripture of rituals
Deuteronomy · legal codes · Mosaic law · Torah · Proverbs