Trinity Apologetics

Is Song of Solomon about Christ and the Church?

Here are ten reasons that Song of Solomon is an allegory about Christ and His beloved Bride, the Church: 1. God having His people as His Bride is a consistent theme throughout the Old and New Testaments 2. Comparing Scripture with Scripture, we see clearly that Christ is the Head and Bridegroom of His beloved Church (e.g. 2 Corinthians 11:2). 3. The royal wedding psalm, Psalm 45, entitled “A song of loves,” is a Messianic psalm quoted and applied to Christ in Hebrews 1:8-9. This psalm is like a condensed version of the Song of Solomon and has parallels in imagery (e.g. Psa. 45:2 cf. Song 5:10, 16; Psa. 45:11 cf. Song 1:15, Eph. 5:27; Psa. 45:15 cf. Song 1:4; Psa. 45:14-15 cf. Song 3:9-11, 6:1) 4. It called the Song of songs in chapter 1. King Solomon composed more than 1,000 songs (1 Kings 4:32) yet this is the Song of all songs: the best and supreme one. It is only right that it is about the supreme man, the King of kings and His darling Bride, the Church, not Solomon and some unknown bride 5. There are flaws described in the Bride by herself, but never about the King, either by the Bride or by the King. Yet Solomon, as we know, fell badly. Christ never fell 6. King Solomon is a type of Christ and called son of God in 2 Samuel 7:14. This is quoted and applied to Christ in Hebrews 1:5. Both are the son of David and Christ is the greater than Solomon (Matt. 12:42) 7. The love of the King is shared with the daughters of Jerusalem and they are called to seek Him with the Bride. This is inappropriate if the song describes a literal relationship 8. The Bride is described as “terrible as an army with banners” (6:10) which suggests a multitude or company of people: good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:3) whose conflict is not against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12). How can a literal bride be described as terrible or fearsome as an army with banners? But a kingdom that conquers Satan suits this description 9. If it is a song merely about human love, then it seems unnecessary, inappropriate and impossible to interpret. If it was only about romantic intimacy, then how would this be applicable or edifying to believers in general? The Bible is meant for all of God’s people: to instruct and bless. If it is about Christ and His Bride, then it is highly applicable and edifying to read 10. It is the historic, conservative, faith-based way of the Church to interpret it and it is natural to understand it this way in light of all of Scripture. Multiple early church fathers and saints from multiple regions, whether Eastern and Western, saw it this way including Eusebius, Cyprian, the two Gregorys, Athanasius, Chrysostom, Ambrose, Jerome and Augustine Yet there are more reasons. The marriage covenant with the marriage bed are symbols of the union of Christ and His Bride. The language of "the daughters of Jerusalem" (Song 3:10 cf. Luke 23:28) and "O ye daughters of Zion" (Song 3:11) echoes "the daughters of Zion" (Isa. 3:16, 4:4 cf. Isa. 52:2) with Zion as a symbol of the Church (Isa. 4:2-6, 60:14, Heb. 12:22-23, Psa. 87:5). The vineyard both of the King and the Bride is frequently mentioned (Song 1:6, 1:14, 7:12, 8:11, 12), yet Isaiah 5:1-2, 7, speaks of God's vineyard as His people and house: "1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching His vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: 2 and He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and He looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes . . . 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant: and He looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry." Also: "2 In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. 3 I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day" (Isa. 27:2-3, cf. 25:6, Gen. 49:11). But how can the Song of Solomon mention the "breasts" of the Bride (Song 4:5, 7:3, 7, 8:10)? God Himself mentions the breasts of His people in Ezekiel 16:7: "I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare." She was poor, and oppressed, and despised in Egypt but God caused her to bud and wax great. She grew to be beautiful and glorious by Jehovah: mature and fruitful with nourishment in her hands to pour forth, like a nursing mother her babes. The breasts symbolise maturity and/or motherly nourishment or even affection and fruitfulness. The Church is the mother of believers (Gal. 4:26 cf. 1 Cor. 3:2, 1 Thess. 2:7–8).