All Commentaries on Song of Songs 1:1 Go To Song of Songs 1
Aquinas Study Bible
AD 2017
Song of Songs: The Song is a parable which speaks about the love between a bridegroom and his bride. But the text does not clearly indicate who this groom and bride might be. Various people have explained the text differently. Some like Theodore of Mopsuestia have said that the groom is literally Solomon, and the bride is the daughter of Pharaoh whom he desired for his wife. Hebrew interpreters say that this book is a parable which depicts the love between God and the Jews, a love which was promised to them at the giving of the Law, in Exodus 20, when God claimed them as the bride whom he desired. Catholic expositors commonly say that this book depicts the love between Christ and the Church, understanding the Church as an entity separate from the synagogue. Perhaps the groom should be understood as God. The bride, then, is the Church, embracing the circumstances of both Testaments. For just as there is one faith held by modern and ancient people, though there are differences in how clearly things are explained, so there is one Church though there are differences depending on greater or lesser closeness to God, with greater closeness occurring in the time of the New Testament. Perhaps the Jews inappropriately apply some things which pertain to the New Testament to the Old, while conversely some Catholic interpreters inappropriately apply some things from the Old Testament to the New. Some things in this book cannot be easily explained with reference to the situation of the Old Testament. On the other hand, some things cannot be easily explained with reference to the New. (Nicholas of Lyra) For just as one says King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and solemnity of solemnities, so one says Song of Songs, an account of its excellence and dignity. The book is in this way most obscure, since no person is commemorated there, and it is composed in a rather comic style. (Haimo of Auxerre)
