Song of Solomon setting

The Setting of the Song

The Song is set in the beauty of the land of Israel in springtime, and its imagery ranges across that landscape. It moves from the royal court of Jerusalem, with the wedding procession of Solomon, to the vineyards of Engedi by the Dead Sea, the pastures where the flocks graze, the “rose of Sharon” on the coastal plain, and the lily of the valleys. It looks north to the cedars and snow of Lebanon, to Mount Hermon and Amana, and to the towers and pools of the countryside, and it delights in gardens of spices, orchards of pomegranates, and fields in bloom.

This is not a book of journeys but of places evoked to celebrate love — the vineyard, the garden, the banqueting house, the mother’s house, the countryside in flower. Its geography is the geography of delight, drawn from the fruitful land God gave His people, forming a backdrop of beauty for the mutual love of bridegroom and bride.

Timeline

• c. 970-931 BC - The reign of Solomon, to whom the Song is ascribed (1 Kings 4:32).
• c. 960 BC - The traditional setting and composition of the Song of Songs.
• Springtime - The season in which the Song’s love blossoms, “the winter is past... the flowers appear on the earth.”
• In the canon - Received among the Writings and read at Passover in Jewish tradition, celebrating God’s covenant love.