Song of Songs

Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms

by Richard S. Hess

Richard Hess has written an insightful commentary on one of the most intriguing books of the Bible, which celebrates God's gift of love.

Following an introduction to the biblical book and a history of its interpretation, Hess divides his discussion into seven major sections. Each section begins with a fresh translation, followed by paragraph-by-paragraph commentary, and concluding with a summary of the passage's theological implications.

Technical questions related to the Hebrew text or scholarly debate are addressed in the footnotes. Pastors and teachers will find here an accessible commentary that will serve as an excellent resource for their study.

This is the first volume in the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms series.

Genres: Old Testament, Christian

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2005

About the author

Richard S. Hess (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is Earl S. Kalland Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Denver Seminary in Littleton, Colorado, and editor of the Denver Journal. He is the author or editor of more than twenty-five books, including Israelite Religions, Song of Songs in the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms, and the commentary on Joshua in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series.

Reviews

[John Pawlik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the more excellent commentaries I have read!

Hess does a wonderful job at getting into the grammatical/structural details of the poetry of the book while painting a coherent picture of the content as well. This is really hard for Songs, as the book is very disjointed and confusing at many parts. In addition to this, it contains some of the hardest material in the Bible as it is a celebration of the physical and sexual relationship between a man and a woman. That being said, while it best not to jump to the allegorical readings of church history on this book, Hess does a great job at the end of showing how even in the text the broader canonical idea of love is perfectly accomplished in Christ and the wedding between him and the Church. The details of the text even give itself to this interpretation, though not without jumping off the spring board of a real celebration of the physical and sexual desires present in the text between the two lovers.

I’m preaching this text to some middle and high schoolers this Sunday, so pray for me if you think of me haha! But this was a great commentary to prepare with. I’ll be leaving behind some of the more sexually explicit material they aren’t ready for, but the book gives itself to good reflection on the positive value of our sexuality, the importance of dignifying the human body, and why to engage our sexuality within the God ordained confines of marriage.

The book’s refrain is to “not stir up love before it pleases.” And the text repeatedly shows why this is true. Love is beautiful and good, but also fast-paced, dangerous, and vulnerable. Because of this, it burns us when not kept within the context of mutual commitment. Kam’s preaching through this text years ago was so formative for me, and his work has really held up! I am thankful for that brother and the pastors of ICC, especially Dustin as well, for always thinking through these issues so carefully and biblically.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hess, professor at Denver Seminary, has provided a clearly written and competent commentary on the Song of Songs. He argues that the author is the female voice in the poem and sees the genre as a love poem. However, in the theological reflections portion following each section, it is clear that he also sees the superlative Song as pointing to deeper spiritual realities, as Song 8:4 and following makes especially clear. I would highly recommend this commentary for anyone desiring to study the Song of Songs.

[Matt Braymiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am coming to the close of a class on the Song that I've been teaching for the last few months. I chose a number of sources to assist in gaining a deeper understanding of this often neglected book of the Bible.

Richard Hess's volume on the Song was a pleasant surprise for me. Taken together with Longman, he provided a very good depth of insight into the poetry of the Song. I enjoyed the theological insights he offered as a way of making the text valuable to the Church.

[Travis Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent commentary on the Song.