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 not depicting a literal marriage, but is using himself and the bride as pictures of the spiritual marriage I mentioned above.
Recommended resources: commentaries from James Durham (here is a free online version), John Gill (free online version), and George Burrowes; The Love of Christ by Richard Sibbes (collection of sermons on Song 4:16-6:3); The Most Holy Place by C.H. Spurgeon (a collection of Spurgeon's sermons on the Song); Communion with God by John Owen (not an commentary of the Song per se, but it is a theological treatise on what the Song is about, intimacy with God in Christ. He also does exposition on particular sections of the Song as well.).
Recommended resources: commentaries from James Durham (here is a free online version), John Gill (free online version), and George Burrowes; The Love of Christ by Richard Sibbes (collection of sermons on Song 4:16-6:3); The Most Holy Place by C.H. Spurgeon (a collection of Spurgeon's sermons on the Song); Communion with God by John Owen (not an commentary of the Song per se, but it is a theological treatise on what the Song is about, intimacy with God in Christ. He also does exposition on particular sections of the Song as well.).
Prophetic: The Song prophecies the entire history of the church.
Recommended resources: John Cotton is the most notable proponent of this view. Also the revered 17th century English Particular Baptist Hanserd Knollys appears to have marks of this view in his exposition of the Song's first chapter.
Recommended resources: John Cotton is the most notable proponent of this view. Also the revered 17th century English Particular Baptist Hanserd Knollys appears to have marks of this view in his exposition of the Song's first chapter.
Literal: King Solomon is picturing for us an actual marriage between him and his 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".
Recommended resources: most modern day scholarly commentaries from an evangelical perspective take this view. Some of the most notable are those written by Tremper Longman III, Tom Gledhill, Lloyd Carr, and Richard Hess. One very popular DVD series on the Song from the literal perspective taught by Tommy Nelson, pastor of Denton Bible Church, is available as well. For a frankly shocking example of the "Christian sex manual" view, look no further than Mark Driscoll's series on the Song, "The Peasant Princess."
Recommended resources: most modern day scholarly commentaries from an evangelical perspective take this view. Some of the most notable are those written by Tremper Longman III, Tom Gledhill, Lloyd Carr, and Richard Hess. One very popular DVD series on the Song from the literal perspective taught by Tommy Nelson, pastor of Denton Bible Church, is available as well. For a frankly shocking example of the "Christian sex manual" view, look no further than Mark Driscoll's series on the Song, "The Peasant Princess."
Typological: This is what we call a both/and view. It is a literal marriage between a man and a woman, but it is a "type" or "shadow" of Christ and the church. An example of a type in Scripture is the sacrificial lambs slaughtered for the sins of God's people in the Old Testament. Those sacrifices are "types and shadows" that point forward to the once-for-all sacrifice of the Lamb of God who takes the sins of the world. Solomon and the bride are types and shadows of the mutual communion between Christ and the church, a la Ephesians 5:22-33. Therefore, the Song provides principles and instruction for our temporal marriage to our spouses and our spiritual marriage to our Savior.
Recommended resources: Commentaries by Gary Brady, Iain Duguid, and Douglas Sean O'Donnell. Iain Campbell has done much scholarly work on the Song. Check out this article in the Westminster Theological Journal, this interview, and these sermons.
*With regard to the Literal and Typological views, the difference is more a matter of emphasis than substance. At the risk of giving a hasty generalization, 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.
*With regard to the Literal and Typological views, the difference is more a matter of emphasis than substance. At the risk of giving a hasty generalization, 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.
Shepherd-boy: This is not necessarily a separate view as much as it is how one understands the identity of the characters of the Song. Most commentators believe that the Song is written by Solomon with him as the only male character. However, others argue that the bride's Beloved is a shepherd boy and Solomon is the villain, trying to sway the bride from her true love by his riches and pomp. This structure can apply to any of the views. For example, in the allegorical/parabolic view, Solomon represents false lovers (the world, the flesh, the devil) tempting the bride away from her true love, Christ the Shepherd.
Recommended Resources: The Expositor's Bible Commentary is a good place to start. I really wish I could offer more info on this. The problem, however, is that commentaries do not include what interpretation they take in their title.
Sample Interpretations
To wrap things up, let's look at how each view interprets Song of Songs 2:1-2, I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys. A lily among the brambles is my love among the daughters. (Song 2:1-2).
Allegorical/parabolic
Most allegorical commentators believe that Christ is describing Himself in verse 1, commending His own sweet-smelling excellencies to His bride for her enjoyment. In verse 2, He gives the Bride a similar description. Durham explains why this is so: "Wherein her beauty consists, it is in likeness to Him...from Whom it comes, it is from Him, her being His love makes her the lily."
Historical Prophetic
According to John Cotton, verse 1 describes "the estate of the church from Josiah's repair of the temple". That repair of the temple, according to Cotton, was described at the end of the first chapter of the Song.
Literal
From Adam Clarke: "The bridegroom had just before called her fair; she with a becoming modesty, represents her beauty as nothing extraordinary, and compares herself to a common flower of the field. This, in the warmth of his affection, he denies, insisting that she as much surpasses all other maidens as the flower of the lily does the bramble, Song of Solomon 2:2."
Typological
From John Balchin (New Bible Commentary): "The girl has no moved away from her earlier self-consciousness. The king's love for her causes her to have a new self-esteem. She sees herself as a beautiful flower. It is a very beautiful thing how being truly loved can bring about a transformation in the view you have of yourself. As believers we are the object of Christ's unfailing love, and we are beautiful in His eyes."
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.
