The Song of Songs

Tyndale Old Testament Commentary #19

by Iain M. Duguid

This Old Testament book, 'the best of songs', has fascinated and perplexed interpreters for centuries. We hear the passionate melody of romantic love, and are confronted by erotic imagery but whose love is described? Is it a couple's love for each other, God's love for his people, or a poem that speaks to love in all its dimensions? Iain Duguid's commentary explains how the Song is designed to show us an idealized picture of married love, in the context of a fallen and broken world. It also convicts us of how far short of this perfection we fall, both as humans and as lovers, and drives us repeatedly into the arms of our true heavenly husband, Jesus Christ. The Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries have long been a trusted resource for Bible study. Written by some of the world's most distinguished evangelical scholars, these twenty-eight volumes offer clear, reliable and relevant explanations of every book in the Old Testament, aiming to get at the true meaning of the Bible and to make its message plain to readers today.

Genres: Christian, Old Testament, Theology, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction, Scripture

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 13, 2015

About the author

married to Barbara R. Duguid

Reviews

[Janessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm quite impressed that this was not the usual interpretation of the Song just being a book of sexual narrative or just a metaphor for Christ's love for His bride. The journey of marital love between the man and woman goes far deeper than we can imagine and, just like the rest of the Old Testament imagery, is only a shadow of God's jealous love for His bride. This book has given me a greater appreciation for marriage and its struggles, and as a single woman, has bolstered my gratefulness of God's masterful design and purpose for women. This book has given me the understanding needed to A) understand this poem, as I suck at understanding poetry generally and B) fall deeper in love with my Beloved who fulfills any longing or desire I may have in this world. There is no relationship greater than to be able to say, "I am my Beloved's, and His desire is for me."

Additionally, this book is a helpful resource for rebuke to the feminist mindset that says the Bible is not for women. The way in which Iain M. Duguid interprets the Song shows that the woman is both beautiful and powerful in her husband's eyes and yet she is able to submit to him within that beauty and power. She holds a unique power over him that perpetually fulfills his desire in both sexual AND non-sexual contexts so that he forever returns with yearning for her entire personhood.

Iain M. Duguid also does a great job of contrasting the western culture's idea of what love looks like. He compares the man's singular, lifelong devotion to his wife to that of Solomon's model for love in multiple wives, concubines, and virgins (which are ready to replace his wives at any point) and I can't help but see the parallel of today's mindset of "trying each other out" before committing to one another. We, in the West in particular, can learn greatly from the devotion displayed between this man and woman in a one-flesh union, and learn to fight against the appetite for a second-rate, commercialized love that compares to a man who had 1000 wives and needed to hire keepers to attend to them. Relationships are not a window shopping experience, it's a lifelong commitment that MUST NOT be undertaken unwisely.

[Kyleigh Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

In his commentary on Song of Songs, Iain Duguid takes a view that the Song, in its most basic sense, is a love poem. However, he argues there is also analogy to the relationship between Christ and the church, an analogy that cannot be denied based on Ephesians 5. Yet while he seeks to bridge natural and spiritual interpretations by noting similarities between human married love and God’s covenant love for His people, Duguid denies the presence of typology in the Song.
Dividing the book into six poems (including the introduction and epilogue), Duguid traces the themes of desire and difficulty, drawing parallels between this idealized love story, our own earthly relationships, and how the shortcomings in human love draw us closer to our Heavenly Husband. He also shows the involvement of community in marriage, the Song’s biblical sexual ethic, and its emphasis on the pleasures of marriage in their own right, yet also not divorced from fertility. These motifs place the Song squarely in wisdom literature, showing God’s design for sexuality, while also pointing ahead to Christ like the rest of the Old Testament does.

The greatest weakness of Duguid’s commentary is how little attention he gives interpretive methods of Song of Songs. He defines more than interacts with different viewpoints, making his brief dismissal of typology in the Song unconvincing. While Duguid restrains himself to analogy when explaining the meaning of a passage, he notes metaphors (such as the woman being described in terms of the Promised Land) and intertextual links (Hosea 14:5-7 is the clearest example of this) that point to the Song containing something deeper than simple analogy. Because understanding the Song depends on one’s interpretation, he should have made a more robust case to be made before denying typology.

Yet there is much to appreciate in Duguid’s commentary. Most notable, he is adamant that there be no free association in interpreting the Song, something that both allegorical and literal commentators are prone to do. Duguid guards against this with care in how he both draws analogies and interprets metaphors (neither overly spiritualizing them nor finding erotic euphemisms everywhere).

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tyndale Old Testament Commentary series produced by IVP academic, is a highly respected Commentary series for the educated Layman on up. In the last decade IVP has begun a vast revision of this celebrate series. The newest volume in this sweeping revision is the Song of Songs, by Iain M. Dugid. Dugidhas taken the mantel from G. Lloyd Carr who authored the previous volume entitled The Song of Solomon. It might seem nigh impossible to replace this theological giant yet Dugid uses his masterful understanding of the Hebrew combined with cunning wit to explore these interconnected books for the glory of God.

With regard to the introduction to the commentary, Dugid, does not spend a good deal of time on the authorship or introductory matters on the Book of Song of Songs yet in a stark contrast he spends over 36 pages on the introduction to judges. Sadly it seems that’s the entire commentary on the Song of Songs as a whole is very weak. This does not mean that it is not helpful, rather it seems to be a short summary of greater and just as recently published works, without many new theological insights or application points. While there are a few instances which I disagree with Dugid on in regards to his study on this wisdom book, he keeps the correct theological view in how to interpret this somewhat perplexing book of scripture. I recommend this commentary to Layman as a great tool in preparation for teaching Sunday school as well as a great introduction for the pastor, yet I would use in in conjunction with a volume which would dive deeper into the themes as well as meaning of this love letter.

[Patrick Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Granted, I haven't read too many commentaries on this greatly neglected book, but I can honestly say from a stand point of reading many commentaries in general, this one is a definite keeper! Duguid's treatment of the subject matter is straightforward, easy to understand, and makes sense! We decided to go through the Song of Songs (or Solomon depending on your preference) with our students in our campus ministry during the month of February and I used this commentary as a guide to help navigate the confusing paths that one ventures through when reading wisdom literature, let alone poetry. Since this is a combination of the two, you can imagine just how confusing it can be to try to understand what the author is trying to say. Overall I would HIGHLY recommend you check this out if you are looking to learn more about this book. Don't shy away from it! It's included in our Scriptures for a good reason, and I believe that Duguid has compiled an amazing resource to help guide us through the various interpretive barriers that we face reading it from a western, 21st century civilization point of view.

[Jeff Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a readable and enjoyable commentary on The Song of Songs. Duguid does a wonderful job balancing two interpretations which have often been in competition with one another throughout church history: on the one hand, a highly spiritualized interpretation with little reference to human marriage and sexuality; and on the other hand, a highly eroticized interpretation which sees innuendo in nearly every verse. Duguid charts a middle course between these two poles, arguing that the Song is indeed a portrait of the human marital relationship (sexuality and all), while also having a strong Christ-centered focus. Duguid's commentary clarifies many of the difficult to interpret passages and draws the reader deeper into the text to understand its applicability to both marriage and the Christian life.

[Ness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Песьня Песьняў па-беларуску (бо на гудрідс няма блін амаль што нічога з беларускай літэратуры, што ўж казаць пра такія нішовыя рэчы...)

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Пераклад са старажытнагабрэйскай мовы: Сяргей Шупа
Прадмова і камэнтары: Галіна Сініла

144 с.

Праца над перакладам, прадмовай і камэнтарамі выкананая ў рамках праекту «Новая беларуская Біблія» пад кіраўніцтвам доктара філязофіі і сакральнай тэалёгіі Ірыны Дубянецкай.

Прага: Вясна, 2022
ISBN 978-80-908687-1-7

[Charles Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite commentary on Song of Songs.

[Peter Krol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This commentary was tremendously engaging and helpful in the beginning, but the verse by verse comments lost a little steam. But still helpful.

[David West · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful commentary. I liked the format and the style of writing. Many thoughtful insights.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a jewel of a commentary by a writer always worth reading–Iain Duguid. He writes in venerable Tyndale Old Testament Commentary series (TOTC) on a book of the Bible, Song of Solomon, where many commentaries are disappointing. This volume, for me, was a breath of fresh air.



It is a specimen of succinctness while still speaking on all the important issues that larger volumes tackle. (You can do as I did and take a glance at Duane Garrett’s WBC for meticulous detail on interesting subjects raised here). While the old Tyndale volume on the Song by Carr was a good commentary, I found this one more helpful.



For one thing he respects the allegorical approach (or as he explains, a typological approach). He gently discusses where there might be problems, but he also does on the natural approach. He finally comes to a natural interpretation, minus sexual excess, with a dash of typology. I personally would have more a typological approach with a dash of natural interpretation, but I was enriched by this outstanding volume.



For another, he is talented as a commentary writer wrestling with the text. He has other commentaries out there worth getting too. I found a few places in the text where I disagreed with his conclusions, but again, he writes well and fair. Pastors and Bible students will be glad to get this wonderful, economical commentary. Five stars all the way.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[gail thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are several books of the Bible that are more than difficult for the layperson or new reader to understand. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) are by far the most enigmatic. In Iain M. Duguid's Song of Songs, the reader is given the incalculable gift of having this book unpacked in an understandable and joy-filled way. Duguid expresses the intimate and complex nuances of real love. True love the way God intended the relationship between a bride and her bridegroom was meant to be. This then treatment extends itself to what Holy Scripture is meant to do; reveal the complex, inexplicable love that Christ has for the believer and the church. This book will enrich and encourage anyone who wishes to fully understand and build their relationship with Christ.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource for Christians regarding the Song of Songs.
I knew I was going to enjoy it from the way Duguid says we can get radically different messages out of the same passage for example the Song (which he shortens the name of the biblical book to) can refer to Christ and the church, an erotic relationship or wisdom and the individual soul and this is what he sees and teaches us throughout the book. First we have the passage, then a close look at the text, next the romantic relationship and marriage of one male and one female and finally what it means for individuals and the church today.
If you are going to study the Song of Songs I suggest taking a close look at this commentary as an all rounder not only does it consider the chapters of this book from all angles but it is also quite easily understood.
ARC from NetGalley for an impartial review.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pastor and a scholar - Duguid is always worth reading.