Allegorical/Parabolic: The Song is a parable of the mutual love between Christ and His church
(or God and the Jews prior to Christ's advent). Solomon is using
himself and a Shulamite bride as figures of these two parties.
Negatively speaking, this is not a historical account of King Solomon
and a real bride.
Proponents: church fathers, medieval theologians, Reformers, Puritans, Separatists, Scottish Covenanters, Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Hudson Taylor, George Burrowes, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Jim Hamilton.
Essential Commentaries: James Durham, John Gill, George Burrowes, Jim Hamilton, Paul Washer.
Strengths: beautiful exalts Christ; provides the church with principles on how to enjoy our greatest blessing, communion with God; instructs spouses on how to display that Gospel through its vivid picture of Christ's eternal love; the predominant view of the church until the 19th century(!).
Weaknesses: authorial intent is possibly confused due to the potential guess work on what the different poetic figures mean; could possibly provoke the false idea that God does not care about physical, human love.
Proponents: church fathers, medieval theologians, Reformers, Puritans, Separatists, Scottish Covenanters, Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Hudson Taylor, George Burrowes, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Jim Hamilton.
Essential Commentaries: James Durham, John Gill, George Burrowes, Jim Hamilton, Paul Washer.
Strengths: beautiful exalts Christ; provides the church with principles on how to enjoy our greatest blessing, communion with God; instructs spouses on how to display that Gospel through its vivid picture of Christ's eternal love; the predominant view of the church until the 19th century(!).
Weaknesses: authorial intent is possibly confused due to the potential guess work on what the different poetic figures mean; could possibly provoke the false idea that God does not care about physical, human love.
Prophetical-Historical: The Song prophecies the entire history of the church.
Proponents: John Cotton, some Hanserd Knollys; I am sure there are more, but I am not very familiar enough with this view to know.
Essential Commentary: John Cotton
Strengths: many poetical sections of Scripture are also in some way prophetic (i.e. Psalm 2; 22; 72; 110).
Weaknesses: though there could be prophetic aspects, there is nothing about the text that causes us to think that every detail functions in that manner (unlike Daniel or Revelation).
Essential Commentary: John Cotton
Strengths: many poetical sections of Scripture are also in some way prophetic (i.e. Psalm 2; 22; 72; 110).
Weaknesses: though there could be prophetic aspects, there is nothing about the text that causes us to think that every detail functions in that manner (unlike Daniel or Revelation).
Literal: King Solomon is picturing for us an actual marriage between him and his Shulamite bride. Therefore, the Song is useful for instruction in Christian marriages. Since it does seem to portray some intimacy between the bride and groom, some go so far as to think of this as a "Christian sex manual".
Proponents (most predominant view today): John Murray, E.J. Young, John MacArthur, Mark Driscoll (famous for his highly sensual sermons on the Song).
Essential Commentary: Tremper Longman, Tom Gledhill
Strengths: takes the grammatical-historical view of Scripture seriously; careful with authorial intent; recognizes and celebrates God's creation of marriage and sexuality.
Weaknesses: songs do not have to be literal-historical events, so insisting on it seems to be unnecessary; over emphasis on physical beauty (contra Prov. 31:30); moralistic rather than redemptive; historical problems (Solomon was not a shepherd, nor did he engage in war); theological problems (Solomon was not a good model for marital fidelity; how does this exalt Christ, who is the center of Scripture?); commentators end up allegorizing just as much as the allegoricists.
Essential Commentary: Tremper Longman, Tom Gledhill
Strengths: takes the grammatical-historical view of Scripture seriously; careful with authorial intent; recognizes and celebrates God's creation of marriage and sexuality.
Weaknesses: songs do not have to be literal-historical events, so insisting on it seems to be unnecessary; over emphasis on physical beauty (contra Prov. 31:30); moralistic rather than redemptive; historical problems (Solomon was not a shepherd, nor did he engage in war); theological problems (Solomon was not a good model for marital fidelity; how does this exalt Christ, who is the center of Scripture?); commentators end up allegorizing just as much as the allegoricists.
Typological: A via-media, a both/and middle view of the literal and the allegorical. Solomon and the bride are types and shadows of the mutual communion between Christ and the church, a la Ephesians 5:22-31. Therefore, the Song provides principles and instruction for our temporal marriage to our spouses and our spiritual marriage to our Savior.
Proponents: this view is gaining momentum among many who even once held the Literal view with a tight fist.
Essential Commentaries: look for Iain Campbell's article in the Westminster Theological Journal called "The Song of David's Son" (he also has a couple of sermons on it); Gary Brady, Iain Duguid, Douglas Sean O'Donnell.
Strengths: the strengths of the allegorical and literal views apply here; fits nicely with a redemptive-historical reading of Scripture.
Weaknesses: the weaknesses of the allegorical and literal views apply here; everyone ends up functioning as either allegorical or literal; it is questionable on whether Solomon's marriage can be considered a type of Christ and His church; there is more pressure to figure out the details than in the allegorical view.
*With regard to the Literal and Typological views, the difference is more a matter of emphasis than substance. To put it crudely, the Literal pays lip service to a typological fulfillment, but basically expounds on marriage and sexuality; the Typological pays lip service to literal instruction, but basically expounds on Christ and His church.
Essential Commentaries: look for Iain Campbell's article in the Westminster Theological Journal called "The Song of David's Son" (he also has a couple of sermons on it); Gary Brady, Iain Duguid, Douglas Sean O'Donnell.
Strengths: the strengths of the allegorical and literal views apply here; fits nicely with a redemptive-historical reading of Scripture.
Weaknesses: the weaknesses of the allegorical and literal views apply here; everyone ends up functioning as either allegorical or literal; it is questionable on whether Solomon's marriage can be considered a type of Christ and His church; there is more pressure to figure out the details than in the allegorical view.
*With regard to the Literal and Typological views, the difference is more a matter of emphasis than substance. To put it crudely, the Literal pays lip service to a typological fulfillment, but basically expounds on marriage and sexuality; the Typological pays lip service to literal instruction, but basically expounds on Christ and His church.
Next post, I will argue for why I believe Allegorical/Parabolic best fits with Scripture, most exalts Christ, and provides the most food for the soul.
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