Strange Story: THE WRITING OF THE SONG OF SOLOMON

I believe that what we now have as the Song of Solomon was written down for their two daughters. It was penned when their oldest daughter was getting close to the marriageable age of 13.

Either some of their most memorable moments and expressions were written down over time and then compiled into its present form, or they composed something new using the symbol-rich system of communication they had developed between them. I think it was probably the latter.

Who penned it? One option is that Solomon did all the writing himself because, as a peasant and a female, she would not have been taught how to write during her childhood. The other option is that he taught her how to read and write, and she picked it up quickly. When they decided to write down some of their thoughts for one another, I envision him helping her write down parts of it, and him doing other parts himself, with her by his side. Because some of The Song expresses high praise for him, I believe she had lots of direct involvement; it was not just something he wrote by himself on behalf of the two of them.

You may notice that The Song opens with her voice, closes with her voice, and her words figure more prominently than do his. She may have been the one who came up with the idea of writing it for their daughters. While she was highly involved, it was not just her song; it was their song for each other.

The next story about Solomon’s life is THE DEATH OF THE SHULAMMITE.