Song of Songs (Reformed Expository Commentary | REC)
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
To many of us, Song of Songs is a puzzling book. Often we’re not sure whether we should read it as romantic poetry or as allegory, and an answer either way raises new questions. Why is a love poem a whole book of the Bible? If it’s allegorical, what are we to make of the imagery used? And if we’re not married or dating, should we be reading this book at all? As a part of Scripture, Song of Songs is God-breathed and useful to instruct all Christians, single or married, divorced or widowed, straight or struggling with same-sex desires. Pastor-scholar Iain Duguid steers a middle way between allegorical and literal approaches, showing that this book’s celebration of the love between a man and woman can not only shape our thinking about human relationships but also give us profound insight into the love that Christ has for his bride, the church.
Top Highlights
“Entering marriage is not the end of your search for a spouse. It is the beginning of a lifelong pursuit, as you continually sin against each other, and then ask for forgiveness, pushing through the obstacles that threaten to divide you in search of true intimacy.” (Page 98)
“The Song of Songs is not primarily a book about sex, or a manual of dating tips, or an ‘agony aunt’ column of relationship advice. It is a book about desire from beginning to end—desire stirred, desire frustrated, desire satisfied, desire frustrated again—but above all, desire. The woman wants something—or rather someone—with a passionate and breathless desire.” (Page 4)
“It glorifies as the ideal human relationship a single-hearted, lifelong, devoted, and exclusive relationship between one man and one woman.” (Page 8)
“We are all broken people, and the answer that the Song gives to our sexual brokenness is to show us with incredible beauty what sexual wholeness would actually look like: one man and one woman deeply and permanently bonded together in a unique relationship of love.” (Page 9)
“So the finest of songs surely has to point us in some profound way to God’s love for us in Christ, the love that entered our fallen world, lived the perfect life in our place, and suffered and died for our sins.” (Page xviii)
- Title: Song of Songs
- Author: Iain M. Duguid
- Series: Reformed Expository Commentary
- Publisher: P&R
- Print Publication Date: 2016
- Logos Release Date: 2017
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Bible. O.T. Song of Solomon › Commentaries
- ISBNs: 9781596389489, 9781596389496, 9781596389502, 9780830842865, 9780830899142, 9781783591909, 1596389486, 1596389494, 1596389508, 0830842861, 0830899146, 1783591900
- Resource ID: LLS:REC22SO
- Resource Type: Bible Commentary
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-08-30T23:44:30Z
Rev. Dr. Iain Duguid (PhD, Cambridge) is professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Duguid’s academic interests include various topics of Old Testament theology. His doctoral research was on Ezekiel, which was published in the Supplements to Vetus Testamentum series, and he remains part of the small but lively group of scholars around the world interested in the theology of that prophet. He has also published scholarly work on Esther, Nehemiah, the Song of Songs, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi as well as more popular treatments of the patriarchs, Esther, and Daniel. Current research projects include Judges, the biblical theology of worship, and preaching Christ from the different genres of the Old Testament. As part of the oversight committee for the Holman Christian Standard Bible, he engages in regular discussions about best practices in Bible translation. He has also contributed to many study Bibles.
