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Topic:
Thoughts And Things Of The Bible -- Canticles
Canticles (Song of Songs), is entitled in the Authorized Version as
THE SONG OF Solomon. It was probably written by Solomon about B.C. 1012.
It may be called a drama, as it contains the dramatic evolution of a
simple love-story. Meaning.-- The schools of interpretation may be
divided into three: the mystical or typical, the allegorical, and the
literal.
The mystical interpretation owes its origin to the desire to find a
literal basis of fact for the allegorical. This basis is either the
marriage of Solomon with Pharoah's daughter or his marriage with an
Israelitish woman, the Shulamite.
The allegorical. According to the Talmud the beloved is taken to be
God; the loved one, or bride, is the congregation of Israel. In the
Christian Church the Talmudical interpretation, imported by Origen, was
all but universally received.
The literal interpretation. According to the most generally-received
interpretation of the modern literalists, the Song is intended to
display the victory of humble and constant love over the temptations of
wealth and royalty. Canonicity.-- The book has been rejected from the
Canon by some critics; but in no case has its rejection been defended on
external grounds. It is found in the LXX. and in the translations of
Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion. It is contained in the catalog given
in the Talmud,a nd in the catalogue of Melito; and in short we have the
same evidence for its canonicity as that which is commonly adduced for
the canonicity of any book of the Old Testament.
Derived from Easton's and Smith's Bible Dictionaries
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