These five Old Testament books, traditionally known simply as “the Scrolls,” are among the most neglected parts of the Christian Bible. In Judaism, the Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther were eventually adopted as lectionary readings for five of the major festivals. In Christian tradition, however, no consensus has emerged about their proper use. Each book presents particular difficulties with regard to how it relates to the rest of Scripture, and how it should be understood as the Word of God for us today. Barry Webb offers a Christian interpretation of these problematic writings. He allows each book to set its own agenda, and then examines each in relation to the wider Old Testament and to the New Testament gospel with its basic structure of promise and fulfillment. In this way, Webb presents fresh and illuminating perspectives on these five “festal garments” of love, kindness, suffering, vexation, and deliverance.

This study focuses upon the language of the Song of Songs in an attempt to see how individual images work together in the constitution of a poetic unity. The perception of certain "imaginative fields", each of which organizes a range of related imagery, is helpful to an appreciation of the symbolic density which certain images acquire in the course of the Song's movement and to an acknowledgment of their capacity for narrativity.

Michael D. Goulder argues for a literal reading of the Song of Solomon in this critical interpretation. He presents a new translation of the text and sees it as a narrative written by one author, outlining the courtship, marriage, and consummation of a king and his bride. The Song of Fourteen Songs seeks the original intent of the text and uses a literary and contextual approach. Goulder outlines the various sections and offers a commentary throughout, ending with an overall discussion on the date of the writing, love and sex, and Hebrew culture. He includes notes, a bibliography, and an index of references.

The Song of Songs is an often confusing and controversial book of the Bible—but rich with meaning for those who understand the unfolding story of Scripture. How does this collection of love poems fit in with the rest of God’s Word, and what does it mean for us today? Guiding readers through the Song of Songs verse by verse, this fresh, practical explanation of a fascinating yet often misunderstood portion of the Bible will reveal important insights into romance, marriage, friendship, and human sexuality that are relevant today. This book speaks not only to those navigating romantic relationships, but also to those seeking deeper intimacy with Jesus, because it reveals how the story of love and marriage depicted in the Bible is a living picture of a Christian’s relationship with God himself.

This volume about The Song of Songs was written by one of the foremost Hebrew experts on this subject, Althayla Brenner. She graciously and gratefully delivered this complete and insightful commentary and her expertise made for a unique treatment of this special canon. She presents her analysis in chapters entitled, “The Title and the Place of the Book in the Hebrew Canon,” “The Text: Matter and Form, Unity and Sequence, or an Anthology?,” and “Daily Life: Settings, Contexts, the Environment.” The author further explores the authorship of The Song of Songs, its intertextual connections within the biblical context, and ways in which it has become part of Jewish and Christian Liturgies as well as music and the visual arts.