Perhaps I should not confess this but I will. Out of all the traditions in the Hebrew Bible, wisdom and lyric/erotic poetry was my least favorite. I am more fascinated with the grand narratives in the Pentateuch and the Former Prophets. For me, wisdom and lyric/erotic poetry is not that exciting. However, taking a course on the Song of Songs with Dr. Christine Yoder—a first-rate Hebrew Bible Wisdom scholar—has changed my thinking. (By the way, the Song of Song is not wisdom literature)

Although my Ph.D. research is in Ancient Israelite Religion and Semitic Languages, I have been curious about the topic of human sexuality and biblical interpretation. Taking a course on the Song of Song has afforded me an opportunity to explore this area by focusing on desire and the ways desire is shaped through culture, images, metaphors, and tradition.

One of the interesting things about the Song of Song is that it is not wisdom literature. It is, in fact, lyric poetry about the erotic. It is a collection of songs that speak about unhindered human sexuality. Within the book, there is no one to judge the morality of sex behavior; it just happens. It approves and celebrates with all creation, ways to explore desire and intimacy.

To describe desire, the Song uses a various images that are foreign to modern ears. For instance, the male persona in Song of Songs 2:9 compares his lover in this way: “I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.” (NRSV) I think many women would be upset if their significant other compared them to a mare! Also, the Song uses other startling images to express intimacy. For example, the male describes his beloved’s beauty in yet another way: “Your hair is like a flock of goats, moving down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them is bereaved.” (Song of Songs 4:1c-2) On the other hand, some of the Song’s imagery is like watching a Rated R movie on Cinemax: “My beloved thrust his hand into the opening, and my inmost being yearned for him.” (Song of Songs 5:4) Hmm.

One of the things I like most about the Song of Song is its subversive nature. The Song is about two lovers who pursue their desire for sexual intimacy. It is an unrestrained, bold, risky and audacious desire. This desire is a seeking and finding that fulfills a lack. It is, in raw form, a full portrait of human love and sexuality. Yet, this is done in a very unconventional way.

The book begins with a portrait of a woman seeking and finding a male (1:2). She initiates intimacy by inviting him to kiss her, which results in her discovering that this man has what it takes to ignite her deepest sexual desire. The portrait of a woman pursuing a man is uncommon in the ancient world. In the Hebrew Bible, a woman pursuing a man is forbidden (cf. Prov. 7). In this instance, she is referred to with terms such as “prostitute,” “harlot” or “strange.” Yet the beauty of the Song is that it gives voice and validity to women. This validity is liberating for women because it allows them to explore their desire for intimacy, by going against cultural norms.

RRB