Abstract
This article examines the linear, narrative-plot development in the Song of Songs. Evidence is first given supporting several hermeneutical presuppositions which underpin this study: (1) the unity of the Song, revealed especially in its exquisitely designed symmetrical literary macrostructure; (2) Solomonic authorship of the Song, written early in his reign while he was still monogamous; (3) King Solomon and Pharaoh’s daughter (Shulamit) as the couple in the Song; and (4) a literal (not allegorical) interpretation of the Song as human love poetry. Building upon these presuppositions, this article explores text-indicators for the historical narrative-plot progression of the Song, building largely upon clues found by comparing the matching sections of the literary macrostructure. It is concluded that the Song presents a seven-part impressionistic historical progression of the ever-increasing intimacy in the love relationship between Solomon and Shulamit.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 5-35 |
| Journal | TheoRhēma |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - 2016 |
Keywords
- Song of Solomon
- Literary criticism
Disciplines
- Biblical Studies