The Sublime Song Of Israel
King Solomon was famous as a sage and a poet, son of a poet, author of three thousand proverbs and a thousand and five songs (1 Kings 4:32). The biblical book, “Song of Songs” is also attributed to him; its Hebrew title is “sir ha-sirim ‘aser li-selomoh” or, “the Song of Songs which is Solomon’s.” According to Hebrew scholars, the title may indicate either “authored by” or “dedicated to” Solomon. Famous British-Israel language scholar, Ferrar Fenton, did a splendid job translating it as a wedding-day drama organized into prelude, acts, and scenes. (The Fenton Bible translation is available from BibleBlessings.net.) In a similar vein, Hebrew language scholars, Ariel and Chana Bloch, in their new version (“The Song of Songs A New Translation,” 1995), presented it in the form of lyric poetry.
Rev. A.B. Grimaldi, M.A., a British-Israel scholar from a century ago, stated, “This marriage epithalamium [a song or poem celebrating a marriage] has its author mentioned, and its internal evidence suits the occasion to which it is generally attributed, viz., the marriage of Solomon with Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kings 3:1).” (Banner of Israel, 36:143, 1912)
In contrast, “The Paragraph Bible” (1857) stated, “There is so little in it (the Song of Solomon) that is distinctive of any individual, that it is difficult to believe it to have been composed either solely or chiefly with a view to any particular nuptial festivity…The peculiarity of its construction, and the generality of its references, seem to intimate that it sprang from, and is intended to lead to, a contemplation of the subject apart from personal application, and in its highest and most important bearings. On examining the Word of God, we find numerous passages in which the marriage relation is used to represent the connection between Jehovah and His chosen people.”
Solomon’s composition provides no basis for a teaching that Israel has been set aside in favor of any other nation or people. An article entitled, “A Prophetic Poem” in the Banner of Israel considered it prophetic of Israel and asked, “But where do we see in the description of the inspired poem by Solomon, a reference made to the Bridegroom choosing a substitute for His rebellious Bride to be one with Him till the latter should turn and seek Him out, and offer Him her deep answering love? Where do we read of such temporary Bride cast off to take a place only amongst the Bride’s guests or attendants?” (16:33, 1892)
Israelite symbolism is embedded in the Song. Twice we are told, “My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag” (2:9, 17), emblematic of the ten-tribe House of Israel (See: Bennett, Symbols of Our Celto-Saxon Heritage). In the same chapter we read, “The fig tree (emblem of Judah) forms its early fruit; and the blossoming vines (House of Israel, Isa. 5) spread their fragrance.” Another interesting example is often blurred in translation. Language scholars Ariel and Chana Bloch render 1:8 as, “Loveliest of women, if you lose your way, follow in the tracks of the sheep…” This may be an implied reference to the House of Israel, the ten-tribe sheep who lost their way in exile. Scripture says “Wherefore, behold Me hedging her way with briars, and I dike her with a stone dike, and she will not find her tracks.” (Hosea 2:6, Concordant Version). Jeremiah 50:6 KJV says, “My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.”
There are a variety of translations of Song 6:13, such as the literal Rotherham Version: “As it were the dance of a double camp…” The Hebrew text reads, “ki-meholat ha-mahanayim,” literally, “as the dance of the two camps.” The word “mahanayim” appears in Genesis 32:2, “And when Jacob saw them [the angels], he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim,” meaning “two camps.” Who do the two camps signify? Genesis 33:2 explained that the Patriarch Jacob had divided his family between his two wives into two camps. Leah and her children were the forerunners of the House of Judah, while Rachel and her children founded the House of Israel. The separation into two camps symbolized the separate destinies of the two Houses of Israel, which seems to be hinted at in Solomon’s Song.
Modern ministers sometimes claim that Solomon’s bride was of Black African heritage, and therefore Solomon’s descendant Jesus was Black also. They quote (1:5 KJV) in which the Shulamite bride says, “I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.” The word translated “black,” Hebrew “shechorah” means dark or dusky. The following verse six explains why: “Do not stare at me because I am dark, because I am darkened by the sun.” (NIV) She had a deep suntan from working long hours in the hot sun in the fields. The Amplified Version with brackets clarifies further, “[Please] do not look at me, [she said, for] I am swarthy. [I have worked out] in the sun and it has left its mark upon me. My stepbrothers were angry with me, and they made me keeper of the vineyards…”
Interestingly, Bible translations differ on translating the Hebrew phrase, “shechorah ‘ani ve-na’vah.” The Septuagint says “black am I and beautiful,” while the Revised Standard Version says “I am very dark but comely.” The Hebrew term “ve-” exhibits some ambiguity; it can have either its common meaning or an adversative sense. Theoretically, the Shulamite may be apologetic for her dark skin or boasting of it! In actual fact, a dark suntan often signified a lower-class worker who spent much time out in the fields, while lighter skin belonged to the wealthy who indoors were able to avoid such grueling manual labor in the hot sun.
An interesting and descriptive passage is found in chapter five. “My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.” (Song 5:10) The Hebrew, “sah ve-‘adom” literally means, “white and red.” He had the ability to blush a red ruddy color.
Song 5:11 adds, “His head is like the finest gold;” the Hebrew “ketem paz” means “pure gold.” The text may be indicating that he had ruddy gold freckles, presented as a way of emphasizing his noble features by likening them to a rare and precious gilt. We are also told, “his locks are wavy and black as a raven.” He had dark (shachor: dusky) hair but white skin, for we are informed, “me’av ‘eset sen,” literally meaning, “his body a polished block of ivory.”
Continuing the description, verse 13 says, “ka-‘arugat ha-bosem.” His cheeks are “like a bed of spices,” perhaps a healthy ruddy color. Verse 14 adds, “his body polished ivory adorned with sapphires,” so evidently he had deep blue eyes. In verse 15 we read, “His appearance is like Lebanon,” the white mountain in Palestine named for its snowy peaks.
If we accept that Solomon was indeed the author, it is possible that his book was written simply as a romantic drama, as Ferrar Fenton presented it, rather than an actual account of Solomon’s marriage to a Shulamite. Does it follow an actual story line of an historical event in his life? Solomon’s marriage to a daughter of Pharaoh would have been an eventful story to tell, but she sadly led Solomon into false worship and moreover she was not a Shulamite.
