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11 - The Song of Songs

from Part II - Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Bible

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2022

By
Jennifer L. Andruska
Edited by
Katherine J. Dell
Edited in association with
Suzanna R. Millar  and
Arthur Jan Keefer
Katherine J. Dell
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Suzanna R. Millar
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh
Arthur Jan Keefer
Affiliation:
Eton College
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Summary

J. L. Andruska sees close affinities between the Song of Songs and Wisdom Literature. She acknowledges that this is a minority position, surveying the history of reception, which has offered various alternative interpretations (e.g. literal, allegorical, cultic, feminist). She then defines Wisdom Literature, centralising the forms found in ANE advice literature, the concern for wisdom, and the intended character transformation of the audience. All of these are found in the Song. Andruska discusses the mashal (proverb) in 8:6-7 and the intergenerational instructions found in the refrains (2:7, 3:5, 8:4). She argues that the Song offers wisdom about love, didactically advocating one particular vision of love (in contrast to other ANE love songs, which give varied depictions of love). The purpose of the Song is to transform its readers into wise lovers who follow the example of the lovers in the Song.

Keywords

Song of Songshistory of receptionadvice literaturemashalcharacter transformationlove
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Wisdom Literature , pp. 200 - 218
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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References

Further Reading

Andruska, J. L. Wise and Foolish Love in the Song of Songs. Leiden: 2019.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, Rosalind ‘Seeking Wisdom in the Song of Songs’. Pages 100–112 in Exploring Old Testament Wisdom: Literature and Themes. Edited by Firth, David G. and Wilson, Lindsay. London: 2016.Google Scholar
Dell, Katharine. ‘Does the Song of Songs Have Any Connections to Wisdom?’. Pages 8–26 in Perspectives on the Song of Songs/. Edited by Hagedorn, Anselm C.. BZAW 346. Berlin: 2005.Google Scholar
Exum, J. Cheryl. ‘Unity, Date, Authorship and the “Wisdom” of the Song of Songs’. Pages 53–68 in Goochem in Mokum/ Wisdom in Amsterdam. Edited by Brooke, George J. and Hecke, Pierre van. OtSt 68. Leiden: 2016.Google Scholar
Murphy, Roland E. The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature. Grand Rapids: 1990.Google Scholar
Sadgrove, Michael. ‘The Song of Songs as Wisdom Literature’. Pages 245–248 in Papers on the Old Testament and Related Themes, vol. 1 of Studia Biblica 1978: Sixth International Congress on Biblical Studies, Oxford, 3–7. April 1978, Edited by Livingstone, E. A.. JSOTSup 11. Sheffield: 1979.Google Scholar
Schellenberg, Annette. ‘Questioning the Trend of Classifying the Song of Songs as Sapiential’. Pages 393–407 in Nächstenliebe und Gottesfurcht: Beiträge aus alttestamentlicher, semitistischer und altorientalistischer Wissenschaft für Hans-Peter Mathys zum 65. Geburtstag. Edited by Jenni, Hanna and Saur, Markus. AOAT. Münster: 2016.Google Scholar
Schwab, George M. The Song of Songs’ Cautionary Message concerning Human Love. StBibLit 41. New York: 2002.Google Scholar
Sparks, Kenton L. ‘The Song of Songs: Wisdom for Young Jewish Women’. CBQ 70.2 (2008): 277–299.Google Scholar

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