What Are the Theme and Purpose of the Book of Song of Solomon?

Like Ps 45, which is titled “A Song of Love” and celebrates a royal wedding, the Song is a celebration of marital love. Its association with Solomon allows it to be read in light of other wisdom books as both a song of celebration and caution—celebrating divinely created and encouraged marital love as well as cautioning against its misuse or exploitation. Just as Solomon repeatedly pleaded with future Davidic rulers, employing the phrase “my son” throughout Pr 1–7, the Song cautions the “daughters of Jerusalem” to be wise about sexuality (Sg 2:7; 3:5; 8:4). Thus the Song may be read as a female counterpart to Proverbs. Sadly, though Solomon did not always follow the wisdom of Proverbs or the Song, God did use him to write of both wisdom and love despite his failures.

The Song borrows imagery from plant and animal life, food and beverage, geography, colors, fragrances, and many other aspects of the natural order that idealize a paradise-like landscape, reminiscent of the garden of Eden. Marital love, though tainted and troubled by the fall, is still a part of God’s creation and a good gift intended for husband and wife to fully enjoy.

Despite the Song’s obviously sensual content, it should not be reduced to a manual on romantic love. The Song warns those who would approach sexuality carelessly that “love is as strong as death, jealousy is as severe as Sheol” (8:6). These very cautions found throughout the Song demonstrate that it is overwhelmingly a celebration of marital love.

Therefore, the major purpose of the Song is to exalt the love and marriage between a husband and wife. Like Hosea and Proverbs, this book teaches the importance of faithful, pure love in marriage, which is also reflected in the NT: “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled” (Heb 13:4).

In addition to the depiction of the celebration of ideal marital love, as Hamilton maintains, its secondary purpose could also be to symbolize the messianic hope of recovery of spiritual intimacy after the alienation of sin (J. M. Hamilton, Jr., “The Messianic Music of the Song of Songs: A Non-Allegorical Interpretation,” WTJ 68 [2006]: 331).