A Literary and Structural Analysis of The Song of Songs

A Literary and Structural Analysis of the Song of Songs
by J. Cheryl Exum
(Union TheologicaJ Seminary, 600 West 122 Street, New York)
"All the world is not worth the day that the Song of Songs was
given to Israel; all the Kethubhim are holy but the Song of Songs is the
holy of holies."1 With this exclamation, Rabbi Akiba justified the in-
clusion of the Song of Songs in the canon. The same enthusiasm might
equally be employed with respect to the study of the Song on literary
grounds. D. Buzy has called the Song "un chef-d'oeuvre de po£sie pure",
and observes that words used in the Song are chosen for their musical
quality and suggestiveness2. Although most commentators make ob-
servations regarding the structure or arrangement of the Song, they
have given insufficient attention to the stylistic and rhetorical devices
of the poet which comprise and elucidate the overall structure. In
language reminiscent of the Song of Songs, D. F. Rauber raises the
point that literary and rhetorical analysis of texts is a frequently
ignored aspect of biblical criticism.
The OT is not in point of fact treated very seriously äs literature. In the scho-
larship one is bombarded with the views of the theologians, the psychologists, the
experts in comparative religion, the mythologists, the historians, the textual critics,
the masters of the Oriental languages, but very rarely is the voice of the literary critic
heard in the land. This is unfortunate, for I believe that the literary viewpoint äs
expressed in detailed analysis has important contributions to make to our total under-
standing of the biblical text and setting3.
It is significant to note that Rauber's field of specialization is
literary criticism. Equally significant is the fact that, in this writer's
opinion, one of the most useful treatments of rhetoric and style in the
Song of Songs is by a professor of English and Comparative Literature,
A. Cook's The Root of the Thing: a Study of Job and the Song of Songs.
However, biblical scholarship is not silent on literary issues äs
J. Muilenburg indicates in his discussion of "Form Criticism and
Beyond"4. The present study owes much to Muilenburg's observations
on style and rhetorical criticism6. It proposes to examine in detail the
poetic form of the Song and to pay particular attention to its literary
and stylistic aspects. A formal analysis being our specific purpose,
1
Mishna Yadaim 3 5.
2
D. Buzy, Un chef-d'ceuvre de poesie pure: le Cantique des Cantiques, in: Memorial
Lagrange, 1940, 147—162.
8
D. F. Rauber, Literary Values in the Bible: the Book of Ruth, JBL 89 (1970), 27.
4
J. Muilenburg, Form Criticism and Beyond, JBL 88 (1969), l—18.
5
Especially ibid. and: A Study in Hebrew Rhetoric: Repetition and Style, Supplements
to Vetus Testamentum, I 1953.
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48 J. Cheryl Exum, A Literaxy and Structural Analysis of the Song of Songs
questions regarding date, authorship, provenance, and Sitz im Leben,

äs well äs consideration of textual matters, will not be discussed.
Nevertheless, we hope that, if our study is successful, the results gained
from literary and structural analysis may be utilized in order to shed
light on numerous exegetical problems and interpretations connected
with the Song.
There have always been those who see the Song äs a collection or
anthology of love lyrics6. In Opposition to this view are commentators
who see the work äs a unity and seek to discover methodological prin-
ciples for determining the Song's structure, the most common criteria
being initial and final themes7 and the presence of refrains8. In a series
of articles published in 1965, 1966, and 1968, J. Angonieux Claims to
have established objective criteria for the poetic division of the Song9.
Angonieux criticizes those who base their formal divisions on the sense
of the Song, since this approach leads to äs many different structural
arrangements äs there are different understandings of the Song. An-
g&iieux proposes to base sense on form, and therefore pursues a ri-
gorous methodology for structural division. He establishes five prin-
ciples äs guides to the Isolation of poetic units: initial and final re-
frains, refrains of time (indicated by waking and movement) and place
(indicated by embracing and possession), initial and final themes, dis-
tinctive themes, and secondary refrains. The most important criterion
is that of principal refrains. It is extremely unfortunate that in the
rigid application of his method, Ang&ueux distorts the text almost
beyond recognition10. Nevertheless Angonieux's work underscores two
important aspects of the literary study of the Song of Songs: the use of
• See, e. g., K. Budde, The Song of Solomon, The New World 3 (1894), 72—74;
P. Haupt, The Book of Canticles, 1902, 18f.; and more recently R. Gordis, The
Song of Songs, 1954, 16—18. 24; R. E. Murphy, Canticle of Canticles. Jerome
Biblical Commentary, 1968, 606f.
7
So D. Buzy, La composition littaraire du Cantique des Cantiques, RB 49 (1940),
172f.; Le Cantique des Cantiques, L' Annexe The*ologique 8 (1947). 2.
8
See A. Robert, R. Tournay, avec le concours de A. Feuillet, Le Cantique des Cantiques,
1963, 18f.; L. Krinetzki, Das Hohe Lied, 1964, 81. Robert and Tournay's division
of the Song into poems differs from those of Tournay (Le Cantique des Cantiques,
1967, 29) and Feuillet (Le Cantique des Cantiques, Lectio Divina 10,1953, 91—117)
only in the place of 8iff. Krinetzki's grouping is the same äs R. Murphy's in: The
Structure of the Canticle of Canticles, CBQ 11 (1949), 383f. Each of these poetic
divisions is similar to the one which I delineate. They tend to Support my structural
analysis in so far äs for various reasons these commentators have sensed the unity
of thought and structure of the poems.
»J. Angenieux, Structure du Cantique des Cantiques, ETL 41 (1965), 96—142;
Les trois portraits du Cantique des Cantiques, ETL 42 (1966), 582—586; Le Cantique
des Cantiques en huit chants a refrains alternants, ETL 44 (1968), 87—140.
10
For the reconstructed text, see Le Cantique des Cantiques en huit chants.

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J. Cheryl Exum, A Literary and Structural Analysis of the Song of Songs 49
form as a guide to meaning and the establishment of methodological

principles for the poetic division of the Song.
In the analysis of the structure of the Song of Songs, our method-
ology consists of the Isolation of poetic units, the examination of the
form and stylistic characteristics of each poem, and the establishment
of parallels among the poems. The criteria used to determine the limits
of the poems are the repetition of key phrases, words, and motifs, and
the contextual coherence of the poems. Sometimes the limits of a poem
are not apparent, and we must rely on its parallel as a guide. It facili-
tates our discussion of the parallelism between the poems to distinguish
smaller units, which we shall call strophes. This division of poems into
strophes is functional; it is based on stylistic rather than metrical con-
siderations and is intended only to indicate a unity of thought and
structure11.
We treat the poems in pairs in the following order: 2 7—3 5 and
5 2—6s; 3 â—51 and 6 4—83; 12—2 â and 84-14, first analyzing the
poems individually, then examining the parallels between the poems.
Thus the first step establishes the limits of the poem and points out the
literary and rhetorical devices of the poet and the second step opens the
question of the implications of the parallels for the overall structure
and Interpretation of the Song of Songs. The order in which we treat
the poems is the result of methodological considerations. Examination
reveals that 2 7—3 5 and 5 2—6 3 are carefully constructed parallel
poems. The accounts of vineyards, keepers, and companions in l â f.
and 8 11-13 give us a hint that we have here an inclusion. On the basis
of these clues to the poet's style, we look to other units within the Song
for further structural parallels which present themselves with the most
reasonable degree of plausibility. If our analysis is correct, two con-
clusions will follow: a unity of authorship12 with an intentional design,
and a sophistication of poetic style.
Parallel Poems in 5 2—6 3 and 2 7—3 5

Within the Song of Songs, there is a remarkable affinity between
two poems of considerable length, 2 7—3 5 and 5 2—6 3. The similarities
between these poems lead us to conclude that they are both dealing
with the same type of experience, so that our understanding of one
poem sheds light on the understanding of the other. Our first step is to
examine the form and stylistic characteristics of each poem. The second
step is to look at the similarities between the two poems. Our con-
clusions regarding the similarity of the poems will be valuable as a clue
to isolating additional poems within the Song of Songs.
11
Cf. Muilenburg, Form Criticism and Bcyond, 12.
12
Either a single author or a school of poets working closely together.
Zeitschr. f. alttcstameatl. Wiss.. Band 85, 1973 4

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50 J. Cheryl Exum, A Literary and Structural Analysis of the Song of Songs
Formal Analysis of 5 2—6 3

The poem 5 2 — 6 a13 lies between a garden-motif poem and a poem
describing the young woman. Broadly speaking, the poem consists of
an account of coition veiled by the indirection of language (5s-ec),
a seeking and finding motif (5 ed-ô), and a carefully constructed dia-
logue between the woman and the daughters of Jerusalem (5 8 — 63).
The account of the lovers moving toward coition is told in terms of the
man seeking admittance to the woman's chamber and her opening to
him. V. 2-ec consist of three parts, each dealing with an action of the
woman and indicated by the personal pronoun 'W: ÐÌÑ 'W v. 2;
•»IX "»n p v. 5; "W "»nnriD v. â. Each part contains a referenceto open-
ing, HDD : first, the request by the lover to open (v. 2) ; second, the
intent "to open to my beloved" (v. 5) ; and third, the actual opening
(v. â). nnD needs no object, especially when understood on the erotic
level.
In the first part, there is reference to the hand, T, of the lover
(v. 4). In the second part, the woman's hand is mentioned. Each time
T can be seen on both the literal and the erotic level. V. 3 displays
synonymous parallelism, with each bicolon ending with a rhetorical
question, HDD^K.
man*?« TDD11« TunD-çê
DDJ K HDD1»«
In the verses to come, the daughters of Jerusalem will employ this

twofold pattern of questioning. In the first six verses of the poem,
mention is made of the D1?, the 0*370, and the tPDl of the woman. a1?
begins the first part and 0*370 ends it; &D2 ends the last part. Thus the
whole person is under consideration. The cognitive and emotive aspects
are normally indicated by nV and 0*370, while tf l refers to the total
personality.
The motif of seeking and finding in v. ed and 7 continues the
woman's account. The key elements are seeking (Wj?a), finding (KS ),
and the watchmen (Ï¹ïÑ) who go about the city. The entire section
displays the technique of double-entendre for erotic play. As A. Cook
observes, "Coition, the center of desire in the poem, is veiled by cir-
cumlocution, by metaphor, or by roundabout description of the delights
of love play."14 On one level, 5 2-7 describes love play in which the man
18
A number of commentators have recognized the material in 02 — 63 s a unit.
See e. g., Buzy, Le Cantique des Cantiques, 12— 14; W. Pouget and J. Guitton,
The Canticle of Canticles, tr. J. L. Lilly, 1948, 184— 86; I. Bettan, The Five
Scrolls, 1950, 27; Murphy, The Structure of the Canticle of Canticles, 384; Robert and
Tournay, 19; Krinetzki, 178— 99; Daniel Lys, Le plus beau chant de la croation,
Lectio Divina 61, 1968, 23.
14
A. Cook, The Root of the Thing: A Study of Job and the Song of Songs, 1968, 110.

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is present throughout and the Intention of phrases such s nVtf HTT

ºÐúôñ IT15 and ô·1» Ion "»» l becomes apparent. On the other hand,
the passage may be viewed s an account of the lover outside the
woman's chamber seeking admittance18. Through the indirection of
language, the motif of seeking and finding is presented by the image of
the woman searching the streets for her lover who has left the scene.
On the erotic level, the motif may express the woman's desire for
further gratification. The woman continues the motif of seeking and
finding in her dialogue with the daughters of Jerusalem (5 8 — 6 3). Her
description of her lover becomes a means of f inding-by-praise in which
his presence is invoked by the power of language17.
V. 8 introduces a favorite refrain of the poet, which we shall call
the refrain of adjuration: VimT JVUa DDflK 'roavn. This refrain ap-
pears in 2 7 and 3 5 (the introduction and conclusion of the poem par-
allel to 5 2 — 6 s) with the phrase, "by gazelles and hinds of the field,
that you do not arouse or awaken love until it please". However
in 5 2 we learn that the woman's heart is awake (ºÂ). Since the verb Tltf
is integral to the refrain of adjuration against the awakening of love,
and since the word occurs outside the refrain only in 5 2, in 4 ie, and
in 85, we may infer that in these cases love is already awakened. That
this inference is correct is witnessed by the fact that both 4 10 — 5 1 and
5 2 ff. are clearly representations of sexual intercourse. The awakening
of love is connected with sexual arousal. In 8 5 it is stated, "I awakened
you." It seems justifiable to see in this verse another reference to sexual
intercourse, and, interestingly enough, 7»jmiy is followed by a reference
to conception and birth: "There your mother conceived you; there she
who conceived you gave birth t o you."
Another reason that the woman does not Charge the daughters
not to awaken love is that she has something eise to ask of them : if they
find (cf. v. â f.) her lover to teil him she is overcome with love, v. 8.
ÃÐÐÊ occurs only here in the poem 5 2 — 6 3 ; it is everywhere a part of the
adjuration refrain. The form of the adjuration refrain in 5 8 is dictated
by the Situation. It is not, s in 2 7 and 3 5, an adjuration not to awaken
ÃÐÐÊ but rather an adjuration based on the fact that ÃÏÐÊ is indeed
aroused. The woman's account ends s it began, with the pronoun "»ax.
The daughters' responses to the woman's request appear in 5 9 and
6 i. Their words are marked by succinctness and parallelism.
15
W. Wittekindt sees yadh s a rcference to the phallus (Das Hohe Lied, 1925, 156f.)·
This euphemism seems clear in Isa 57s; cf. 565.
18
So most translations and many commentators; e. g., Gordis, The Song of Songs, 62;
Bettan 28; Schmidt, The Messages of the Poets, 1911, 261; T. J. Meek, The Song of
Songs, Introduction and Exegesis, The Interpreter's Bible, V 1956, 127 f.
17
See Cook 134.

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Tnia
ÔÐÑ "pn-aa
BSSURS l ? l1??1 5«
n» n»
Their first question is, "What is your beloved more than another
beloved that you so adjure us ?" WSDtfn refers to the woman's words
in v. 8. Their second question inquires where the lover has gone, "that
we may seek with you". tfj?3 also points back to the woman's words in
v. 8, "if you find (KS ) . . .", and re-introduces the seeking-finding
motif explicit in v. â f. Thus, the responses of the daughters of Jerusa-
lem have their point of reference in the woman's request of v. 8.
Just s the word "beloved" has a key place in the questions of the
daughters, so also the woman gives it emphasis by beginning her an-
swers to the two questions with the word "»ÔÇ. The word "»ÔÐ has
a prominent role in the poem. The account begins with what we shall
see later s a major motif, *m Vlp, "the voice (sound) of my be-
loved" (5 2). The first part of the account, 5 2-4, ends with "ÇÐ
stretched out his hand . . .". Both the second and third parts begin with
a reference to opening to ÔÐ (5ä. â), and the third part has "but
¹Ð had turned and gone" (5 â). In v. 8 ÔÐ is mentioned to the
daughters of Jerusalem, who then employ it s the subject of their
questions. Not only does the woman begin her description of v. 10-10
with 'ÔÐ but she also completes it with the words, "this is HTT and
this is my companion, daughters of Jerusalem". Here again ma
tfT&n» points back to v. 8.
The motif of the garden is introduced in the response of 6 2 f. The
verses form an intricate chiastic pattern: garden, shepherd-gardens ;
lilies, shepherd-lilies.
tmn romy1? tuV rr *m
9**?* ä^þ
^ -»ôéôé -
The poem ends with the refrain of mutual possession, "I am my be-
loved's and my beloved is mine", and adds "the one feeding among the
lilies". Feuillet argues that 7Ð7º ought to have the sense of "faire paltre"
and that sheep should be understood s the object just s it is so under-
stood in 1 7 f.18. However, a double-entendre may be seen in the State-
ment, the woman being symbolized by garden and lilies19.
18
A. Feuillet, La formule d'appartenance mutuelle (II, 16) et les interpr^tations
divergentes du Cantique des Cantiques, RB 68 (1961), 7—9.
19
The woman is clearly the garden in 4io— 5l, the verses preceding this poem. She
says that she is a Uly, 2l. Cf. also the discussion of 6 18 and 6 2, infra.

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Some of the words which are used in the account of 5 2 ff. recur in
a different image in the description of the lover, 5 10-16. Both the ac-
count of 5 2 ff. and the description in 5 loff. begin with mention of the
and msip of the lover. In 5 2 the lover says that his wn and
are wet with dew; in 511 his ttrtn and nisij? are described. T,
which we saw in v. 4 and 5 also occurs in 5 u. The lover's hands are an
object of attraction for the woman in 5 4, so that it is natural for her to
mention them again and describe them in 5 u. In v. 5 the woman
describes her hands s º10 IDttt and her fingers *O37 Ti ; in v. 13 she
says the lover's lips are lilies IM *tt niDW20. This image is de-
scriptive of something pleasurable. ITO is used of both the woman
and the man, probably in reference to the sex organs.
Within the section describing the man, TB is used of both his head
and legs (511.15) — gold from top to bottom. In fact, the woman uses
three terms for gold to describe her lover: TD (v. 11.15), DHD (v. 11),
and 3ÐÔ (v. 14). Buzy says, "Dans la pensoe de l'opouse, le bien-aimi
est d'une essence plus rare que le m&al le plus procieux."21 ruinyD
DVan describes the lover's cheeks in 513 and his garden (symbolic for
the woman) in 6 2. A similar Situation may be seen in regard to the
D-WM of 613 and 6 2 and 6 322. What his cheeks and lips are to her,
she herseif is to him. More specifically, it may be that DWH Ã)úÇÂ
and DW1P are references to the woman's cheeks and lips23.
In summary, we have in 5 2—6 3 a complex literary unit which
begins with an episode employing imagery of sexual intercourse. The
ordered divisions, "I was sleeping" (62), "I arose" (65), "I opened"
(5 â), grow shorter s the climax both of the story and of coition
approaches. The form of the story reflects the physicsd act it describes.
When the climax is reached, the pattern is broken. The seeking-finding
motif is introduced. The woman seeks her lover, but she is found by the
watchmen of the city. She enlists the aid of the daughters of Jerusa-
lem. They question her, and she responds with a lengthy description
of her lover from head to foot and an equally short answer telling where
he has gone.
Formal Analysis of 2 7—3 ä
The poem in 2 7—3 5 may be seen s an inclusion framed by the
refrain, "I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by gazelles and hinds
20
"OS? also appears in 5 â, but with a different meaning. However, it does produce an
auditory balance to *12S7, 5sc. Krinetzki 181, suggests a pun in which the man's
movement in withdrawing is like that of the myrrh on the woman's fingers — flowing
21
and silent. Buzy, Un chef-d'ceuvre de poesie pure, 158.
22
It may be coincidence that in the case of TD, DUD JTOV19 and D'UVNP, the term
first occurs in the first half of the line and is repeated in the second half of a line.
28
So Budde in: Die F nf Megillot, 1898, 30; cf. Krinetzki 138.

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of the field, that you do not arouse or awaken love until it please."24
Between the refrains, there is a chiasmus dealing with the lover's move-
ments and call to the woman to join him (2 SC-IT), and a seeking-fmd-
ing section (3 1-4). That these two sections belong together is indicated
by the inclusion and confirmed by the parallels between the poem
2 7 — 3 5 and the poem 5 2— 6 3. Before tnrning to these parallels, we
shall examine the form and content of 2 7 — 3 5.
The chiasmus in 2 8-17 is formed by the longer refrains : A (2 8c-9b)
and A' (2 i7c-f) which compare (ÐÆÐ) the lover ("»ÔÐ) to a gazelle or
young stag (trV'Kn ºÌ1? W OS1?) upon the mountains (áçðð V»,
nw nn V»), and B and B', •jy'OVl W TOH -]1? ^p, "arise, my com-
panion, my fair one and come" (v. 10. 13). These long refrains provide
the overall structure, within which there are numerous intricate styl-
istic devices, including a minor chiasmus.
The poem begins with the man at a distance (Kl ÐÃÔÔÉÐ, í. B)
and brings him outside the woman's window (T W ÐÔ~7ÂÐ, v. 9). The
use of participles heightens the picture of the activity of the lover25.
His movement to reach her is like that of a gazelle (« s) or young stag
(Ï^ÊÐ 1DB), the animals used in the adjuration of 2 7 and 3 5.
V. 10-14 report the words of the lover. He begins his reason for the
woman to join him with run, v. 11 (cf. v. 8 and 9). Blossoms are seen
in the land and the turtledove is heard in our land, v. 12. V. 14 contains
a chiasmus :
a let me see
b let me hear "]Vip
b' for *]Vij? is sweet
a' and "pm is fair.
The woman began her account with a reference to the voice of her lover
(ÇÐ Vip, v. s), and the lover here speaks of her voice. Just s in B,
v. 12, blossoms are seen (1Êº1) in the land and the voice of the turtle-
dove is heard (SJ tW), so also in B' he asks her to let him see (ÔÊºÐ)
her and hear (TSP tfH) her voice.
According to some commentators, v. 15 may be a fragment of
a popul r song, which the woman sings to her lover in response to his
request to hear her voice26. On the other hand, could it be the words
of the daughters of Jerusalem ? In 5 9 and 6 1 the responses of the
24
Krinetzki 126, observes that 210-13 is an inclusion but misses the larger inclusion
2 7—3 5. Thus his second group of songs begins with 2 8.
25
See Gesenius-Kautzsch-Cowley, Hebrew Grammar, § 116.
26
E. g., S. M. Lehrman, The Song of Songs, The Five Megilloth, ed. A. Cohen, 1946, 9;
Pouget and Guitton 177; Murphy, Structure of the Canticle of Canticles, 386 n. 15;
Bettan 20; Gordis, The Song of Songs, 53; Schmidt 249.

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daughters of Jerusalem have a distinctive short, repetitive style. A sim-

ilar style appears here.
Dsw
Unfortunately, however, there is no clear indication of the identity of

the Speaker of these lines. Perhaps the man could be eliminated äs the
Speaker since v. 14 forms a fitting conclusion to his Speech by refening
to the woman's voice just äs she began by speaking of his voice.
In v. ie f. the woman concludes the chiasmus which she began in
v. s. She describes the relationship, iV "»im *V . . ., and calls on
her lover to "turn" (30) and be like a gazelle or stag to reach her. It is
not the case that the lover has come and gone again, so that he must be
called back. The action of coming and going is a Variation of seeking
and finding and, like seeking and finding, it does not move in an or-
dered progression. Seeking is latent in finding and finding latent in
seeking27. The motif of coming and going extends into the motif of
seeking and finding, which dominates 3 i ff. Repetition of key phrases
in v. 1-5 is extensive .The account begins with an ordered pattern:
I sought him whom my nephesh loves
I sought him but I did not find him
(I shall arise) and go about the city
I shall seek him whom my nephesh loves
(the watchmen found me) those who go about the city.
In v. 3c the pattern changes so that the reference to the lover frames the
question and resolution :
Him whom my nephesh loves have you seen ?
Scarcely had I passed them when I found
him whom my nephesh loves.
A motif follows in v. 4 de which appears four times in the Song,
the motif of bringing-to-the-house/chamber. The first two times this
motif occurs it is used of the rnan bringing the woman to the chamber
("the king brought me to his chambers", l 4; "he brought me to the
house of wine", 2 4). The last two appearances of this motif have the
woman bringing the man "to the house of my mother" (34 82).
In 3 4 the house and chamber are in synonymous parallelism, a
witness to the use of house and chamber äs interchangeable members
of the same image28.
27
A motif of erotic poetry, cf. Edward C. Dimock, Jr., In Fraise of Krishna: Songs
frorn the Bengali, 1967, 18 f .
28
Cf. Angenieux, Le Cantique des Cantiques en huit chants, 136.

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The form of 3 1-5 is more complex than these comments indicate,

and only a reading of the Hebrew does justice to the repetition and
compactness of the verses. The root tf pa occurs four times, twice in
conjunction with Wal Jumw ÐÊ and twice with Y»nK3 «Vi. The
phrase 'MPtt ÃÏÐ×Ñ çê and the root KS also occur four times.
The combination of words presents a suspenseful pattern. In v. i and 2,
twice we hear that the woman seeks the one she loves and twice that she
does not find him. Then a finding takes place ! However, it is not the
lover who is f ound by the woman but rather the woman who is f ound
by the watchmen. An ironic contrast is provided through the juxta-
position of TOKS KV and m«*»29. The woman takes the opportunity
to ask the watchmen if they have seen her lover (*tftt mmw ßÀê).
Finally the suspense is resolved, and at the end of the search we have
the combination of words for which we have been waiting: nx
The seeking-finding motif is amplified in this section by the idea

of wandering about the city. The woman goes about in the city
(T»a ÐÌ10Ê) in search of her lover. Since the watchmen too go
about the city (TJD Ï^ÌÏÐ), it is understandable that they should
find her just s she later finds her lover, who, it seems, is also wander-
ing about the city (cf. 34 and 2 n where he is told to "turn", 30).
The section 3 1-5 has three roots in common with 2 7-17 : ÔÐÊ,
2 15 and 3 4, presents the motif of grasping which appears elsewhere
in the Song, 3 8 and 7 9, and with the exception of 3 8 seems to indicate
love play30. The lover calls the woman to arise (Dlp), 2 10. is, and she
arises to look for him in 3 2. He asks to see (nm) her, 2 14, and in 3 3
she asks the watchmen if they have seen her lover. The word ¹Ð
does not occur in 3 1-5 but rather the phrase "him whom my nephesh
loves" is used (cf . 1 7)81.
Comparison of 5 *—6 3 and 2 7—3 ä

We are now ready to examine in detail the correspondences
between the poems in 2 7 — 3 5 and 5 2 — 6 8. Both poems begin with
a significant motif, nn Vip (cf. 8 18). As P. Claudel observes,
"A chaque instant dans le Cantique nous trouvons des allusions la
puissance de la voix . . . ."82 The lover whose sound/voice is heard is
» Krinetzki 143.
80
Unless 3 8 could be seen s a double-entendre combining the Images of love-making
and warfare.
81
Dodhi occurs at the beginning of the poem, 2 8, in the refrain A A' of the Chiasmus,
in 2 10 to introduce his words, and in the refrain of possession, 2 16. The position of
Dodhi in 2 7 —3 5, like 6 2 — 6 3, may be more than coincidental.
82
P. Claudel, Le Cantique des Cantiques, 1948, 143.

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outside. In 2 9 he is looking through the Windows, and in 5 2 he is

knocking at the door. In 2 loff. he calls to his inamorata and she teils
us his words. Likewise, in 5 2 he calls to her and she recounts his
words33. In 2 10.13 he invites her to join him outside, "arise (TOp),
come", and in 82 she teils us "I sha arise" (reipK). According to
5 2 he wants to join her inside, "open", and she reports that she arose
(T j?) to admit him, 5 5. He calls her "my companion, my fair one,
my dove" in 2 10. isf., and "my sister, my companion, my dove, my
perfect one" in 5 2. Two of the epithets remain the same. In both
poems, he gives her his reason for his request: 2 uff., it is springtime
and therefore she should join him outside; 62, it is wet outside and
nighttime, therefore she should let him in.
At least part of the action of the poems takes place at night:
"upon my bed nightly", 31; "my locks with the dew of the night",
5 2. The bed at night sets the scene for erotic play. On another level,
it provides a Situation for the recounting of the lover's words —
something he may have said in the past or words she would like to
hear him speak — but does not necessitate his actual presence. He is
there, and he is not there. The fact that the same account can be
understood on different levels eliminates the need to find in the poems
a literal sequence of events. Indeed, a chiasmus, viz. 2 8-17, does not
require chronology; its function is aesthetic.
In each poem, the account of the man's call to the woman is
followed by the motif of seeking-finding. The seeking-finding motif
is resolved in 2 7—3 5 when the woman finds her lover. She holds him
and refuses to release him, 3 4. In 5 2—6 3, the woman enlists the aid
of the daughters of Jerusalem to find her lover, and they engage in the
process of finding-by-praise. Both poems contain the phrases, (in)T>JWpa
(ôð)ô·çé«ï «Vi and ô» Ï'ÌÏÐ on tfn 'i(l)KS .
In 2 9 and 17, the lover is compared to a gazelle and a young
stag; 5 lo-ie presents a lengthy description of the lover. The descrip-
tion in chapter ä ends with the words, "ÐÔ is my beloved and ÐÔ is my
companion . . .", which remind us of 2 8 and 9, "behold ÐÔ coming",
"behold ÐÔ standing". The lover teils the woman, "your appearance
(Ô¹ºï) is fair" in 2 u, and in 5 15 she says his appearance (ÀÐÊºï)
is like Lebanon. In 3 1-5 the woman constantly refers to the man s
"him whom my nephesh loves", and in 5 â her nephesh "goes out" (Ê2Ã)
because of him34.
33
According to Murphy (The Structure of the Canticle of Canticles 386 and n.), the
fact that she quotes his invitation in 2 lOff. and 52ff. is an indication that she is
narrating his visit.
34
ÐÍ2Ã* **tPDJ may be a reference to orgasm. On *Ð3*Ô3 s literally "because of him",
cf. the lexicons of Brown, Driver, Briggs 184 and Koehler—Baumgartner 70;
cf. also The Five Megilloth and Jonah, 1969, 12 n. T. Wahl has suggested to me

Authenticated
We presented above the conjecture that the verse about the

foxes in 2 15 might be spoken by the daughters of Jerusalem. In
comparing the poems of 2 7 —3 5 and 5 2 —6 8 we find an additional
hint of this possibility. If 2 15 is assigned to the daughters, the woman's
account and recounting of the lover's words in 2 8-u begin and end
with a reference to the voice, Vip. It is precisely the case that, in
5 2 — 6 3, the words of the daughters are preceded each time by sections
which begin and end in the same way: «OK begins and concludes
62-8, and 5 9 introduces the words of the daughters of Jerusalem.
¹Ð occurs at the beginning and end of the description of the man in
5 lo-ie and is followed by a question by the daughters of Jerusalem, 61.
We have seen that the poems 2? — 3s and 62 — 6s share the
adjuration refrain (2 7 3 5 and 5 8. 9. ie 6 1), and the seeking-finding
refrains, "I sought him but I did not find him" and "the watchmen
found me, those who go about the city". The poems also share the
refrain of mutual possession, 2 ie and 6 3.
Ð3ÐÐ V? "•ÁÐ **? %"Ð"Ô
6 Sa is the chiastic repetition of 2 iea. In the poem 2 7 —3 5 the refrain

comes bet re A7 of the Chiasmus (2 i7c-f) ; in 5 2 —6 3 it comes at the
end of the poem. The refrains which do not have parallels in the
poems we shall have reason to examine later: "until the day breathes
and the shadows flee", 2 ie, and "I am overcome with love", 5 8.
The refrain of adjuration is recognized by commentators s a
major motif of the poet, although there is disagreement with regard
to its use. For example, Murphy takes it to mean that the woman's
love need not be awakened, for it is ever burning86. Angonieux under-
stands the refrain s a reference to physical awakening, since the
physical awakening of the woman symbolizes the exciting of love of
which she is the personification86. We have indicated that the refrain
refers to sexual arousal since the verb m» always appears in explicit
erotic contexts. The refrain appears in its entirety in 27 and 3s
(cf . 8 4) and serves s a frame for the poem. It provides the external
structure. In 5 8. 9. ie and 6 1, the refrain is ramified, thus it is integral
to the infernal structure of the poem. The chief parallels we have
discussed between the poems 5 2 — 6 8 and 2 7 —3 5 may be seen from
the following Schema.
that perhaps ¹3¼, if intended s "when he spoke", might have the same double
meaning s the Greek üìéëâÀí (cf. English "intercourse"). Cf. T. Wahl, The Books
of Judith and Esther. Old Testament Reading Guide 25, 1971, 48.
85
Murphy, The Structure of the Canticle of Canticles, 387.
86
Ang&iieux, Structure du Cantique des Cantiques, 121 f.

Authenticated
Poem 5 2—6 3
I. The call to the woman
¹ÔÔ Vif? (v. 2)
the man is outside: knocking
he calls to the woman: "open"
epithets: my sister, my companion, my dove, my perfect one
reason for call: it is wet and night (nV»V)
he wants to come in
her response: I shall arise (w&p, v. 5)
the lover has gone (ºÌ p rt, v. â)
II. The seeking and finding (v. â ff.)
the watchmen f ound me
ADJURATION leading to finding-by-praise of lover
(5 8. 9. ie 61)
refrain of mutual possession, "»V ôôç 'ÔÐ1? çê, 6 3.
Poem 2 r—3 ä
I. The call to the woman
ÔÐ Vtp (V. 8)
the man is outside: coming, standing at one of the Windows
he calls to the woman: "arise" (TOp, v. 10. IB)
epithets: my companion, my fair one, my dove (v. 10.13f.)
reason for call: it is springtime
he wants her to come outside
winter has gone ("US); rain has passed away (*ã?ú\ ç^Ð, í. 11)
refrain of mutual possession, iV ••an ^ '»ôç, 2 éâ
II. The seeking and finding (3 iff.)
takes place nightly (mV^s, v. i)
I shall arise (ÐàÀñê, í. 2)
the watchmen found me
finding of the lover leading to ADJURATION (v. 4f.).
Extension of the Poems 2 7—3 5 and 5 2—6 3

Having examined two poems in the Song of Songs, 2 7—3 5 and
5 2—6 3, and having seen something of the stylistic characteristics
of the poet, we now have a basis from which to study other parts of
the Song. In the material preceding 2 7—3 5, we are able provisionally
to isolate a short unit in 2 1-6. A careful examination reveals that
these verses have a number of features in common with 5 2—6 3,

Authenticated
60 J. Cheryl Exum, A Literary and Stmctural Analysis of the Song of Songs
the parallel to 2 7—3 5. Like 5 2-8, 21-5 begins and ends with "»a«.
The refrain "»Àê ßàÐÊ nVin in 5 8, which we noted above s not
having a parallel in 2 7—3 5, has its duplicate in 2 5. According to 2 8,
¼Ð1? pro ÕÐÂº Tom vnnn i1?»; 5 ie reads ÃÃÔÏÐÏ itai 07^00 ¼Ð.
The woman calls herseif a mew in 21, which provides a clue to
the symbolism of gathering Ï¿Ðí and feeding among them in 6 2f.
Certainly 2 3 answers the question, "What is your beloved more than
another beloved ?" (6 9). As an answer to this question, 2 8 has a form
reminiscent of the answer of 5 éï-éâ. Just s 5 éï-éâ begins and ends
with a reference to "my beloved", 2s-5b begins and ends with a
reference to apple(s/tree), a metaphor suggestive of the lover. The
section 2 i-â also shares a major motif with 2 7—3 5, that of bringing-
to-the-house/chamber (3 4). In the case of 2 4, it is "the house of wine".
On the basis of parallels to 5 2—6 3 and 2 7—3 5, 2 i-â may be
viewed s an introduction to 2 7—3 5. However, we do not believe it
to be an integral part of 2 7 ff., since 2 i-â serves s the conclusion to
another poem which begins in 1237. We suggest that 2 i-â serves a
transitional function. It links the first poem of the Song, of which it is
a part, to the inclusion 2 7—3 5.
Turning to the poem 5 2—6 3, we find a Situation similar to that
which occurs when we add 2 i-â to 2 7—3 5. The poem ends in 6 2f.
with the Information that the lover has gone down to his garden.
5 2 is preceded by an account in 410—51 which deals extensively with
the motif of the garden. Thus 410—6 8 might be viewed s an inclusion,
beginning and ending with the lover in his garden. The formal Situation
in 5 2 ff. is precisely opposite of that of 2 7—3 5. In the latter, we have
an inclusion, but lose it if we add the introduction, 2 i-â. In the former,
we gain an inclusion if we attach 410—5188.
Like the poem which follows it, 410—51 is a representation of
coition told through the indirection of language. The excellent fruits,
milk, and honey that the lover enjoys are figurative of erotic pleasures.
The garden story in 4 loff. makes clear the symbolic reference to the
lover going down to his garden in 6 2f. "Spices" (DW) is a key term
in this section, occurring in 4io. u. ie 5i. The word occurs in the
phrase "garden-bed of spices" in 513 and 6 2. The word "garden" (p)
appears five times in this section; elsewhere it is used in the associate
in the inclusion, 62, and in 611. Elsewhere in the Song cr W and
Ï'Á occur only in 818 and u, summary verses which reiterate major
emphases of the Song. Thus 8 i3f. which ends the Song with the mention
of gardens and spices might bring to the hearer's mind the account
s?
See the discussion of l 2—2 â inf ra.
88
It is questionable whether this arrangement is intentional, but we do know that the
poet's style is extremely intricate.

Authenticated
of coition which is here so strongly associated with spices and the

garden.
In 4 11 the lover teils the woman, "your lips distil (ni n)
flowing honey". In 5 13 she returns the compliment, saying that bis
lips distil (niS l) liquid myrrh. In 5 5 the woman has her hand upon
the holt, ViStt . In 4 12 the lover compares her to a garden ViStt
and a fountain Visn. Perhaps i t is farfetched to see the same erotic
imagery in the background. In any case, the presence of the root º137
in 416 and 5 2 indicates that sexual arousal has a prominent role in
both sections. However, in spite of these similarities, 410—51 is not
so much a part of 5 2—6 3 s it is of the poetic unit which precedes it;
viz. 3 â—51. It is the case with both 2 i-â and 410—51 that they are
transitional elements; each concludes a poetic unit and prepares the
hearer for the poem to follow.
Further Isolation of Poetic Units: 3 â—51 and 6 4—8 3

The existence of parallel poems in 5 2—6 8 and 2 7—3 5 provides a
basis for isolating other poems within the Song of Songs. We suggest
that there is a parallelism between the poems in 3 â—51 and 6 4—8 8.
Isolation of this material was at first practical: 3 â—51 comprises the
material between the established poems 2?—85 and 62—63. The
poem 6 4 ff. begins where the latter poem ends. The reasons for ending
the poem with 8 3 will become apparent later, when we examine the
parallel to this poem. We have seen that the poems 2?—3s and
62—63, while parallel, are developed through the use of different
poetic techniques. Thus we are presented with complex artistry rather
than monotonous repetition. Such is the case with poems 3 â—51
and 64—83. Poems 3 â—5i and 64—83 each consist of four
strophes — three introduced by refrains of beauty ("Behold, you are
beautiful. . . ," or some similar Statement, 4 i 4 7 4 10 and 6 4 7 2 7 7);
one containing the question DXT "»D, 3 â and 6 10. Although the poems
are parallel, the strophes do not exhibit a sequential parallelism.
It follows that the internal structure of the poems is not the same s the
external design.
Formal Analysis of 3 â—5 i

Using the refrain of beauty s a guide, and attempting to maintain
a continuity of context, we have divided the first poem into the
following four strophes: 3 6-11 4 1-6 47-9 4io—5i. The first strophe
begins with the refrain, "Who is this coming up from the wilderness ?"
A description of the litter of Solomon follows. Solomon's name is
mentioned three times; the title *]*?» is used twice. Emphasis appears

Authenticated
to be on the state89, for there is mention of "Israel", "Jerusalem",

and "Zion". Israel and Zion occur only here in the Song (cf. 64,
"beautiful s Tirzah, fair s Jerusalem"). Synthetic parallelism is
employed in the description of the gibbortm in v. 7 and 8.
^ner» naia nV MO onai
n»1?» :çð çðê
» \:nn
V. 9-11 maintain|this parallelism in the description of the palanquin.
naVtp "fran iV w?
am IDTDI *)OD nro TTI P
*psn ¼Àç
nun rmm
rnwa
1
•a ? nnatz? orai inann
We prefer to follow here L. Krinetzki in maintaining a chiastic
paraUelism between ÐÔÊ× D^T wn and ]T»S nua Ð^×ºº40.
The second Strophe, 4 i-â, is introduced by the formula, "Behold
you are beautiful, my companion, behold you are beautiful, your eyes
are doves . . .." The introduction concludes, "from under your veil".
This phrase reappears in sd and forms a kind of inclusion around the
description of the woman's hair, teeth, lips, and temple. The inclusion
serves somewhat to distinguish this part of the description from that
which f ollows and indicates that the two parts of the description are not
inseparable. It happens that the two parts of the description of 4 i-e
are indeed separated in the parallel poem, 6 4 — 8 8 : 4 1-3 provides the
material for the Strophe 6 4-7, and 4 4-e forms a part of Strophe 7 2-e.
There is a word play on DVsv and rfTDff in v. a41. The description
continues in 44 with a picture of the woman's neck using militaiy
terms. The gibbortm who surrounded the litter of Solomon in 3 7 hang
their shields upon the tower to which her neck is compared. Here we
have a suggested word play, ÔÐ calls to mind
89
Gordis has observed the national references; see A Wedding Song for Solomon,
JBL 63 (1944), 266.
40
See Krinetzki 300f. An alternative might be to read DVttTPT1 fll^SD Ð3ÐÊ, "wrought
with love by the daughters of Jerusalem", s does J. Winandy, La Litiere de Salomon
(Ct. III 9—10), VT 15 (1966), 1091; however, this arrangement does not maintain
the parallelism we observe here. On 2ÐÊ cf. also, H. H. Hirschberg, Some Additional
Arabic Etymologies in Old Testament Lexicography, VT 11 (1961), 373.
41
D. Lys, Notes sur le Cantique, Supplements to Vetus Testamentum 17 (1969),
170; Krinetzki 168.

Authenticated
In Strophe 41-6 there is a movement from shepherd imagery

(v. 2f.) to military imagery (v. 4) back to shepherd imagery (v. s)42.
V. 5f. are reminiscent of the inclusion in 2 7—3 5. Her breasts are
compared to two Ï¹Ì, twins of a rrax. These are the animals of the
adjuration refrain, 2 7 and 3 5, and of the comparison in 2 8f. and 17.
Before the compaiison of the man to a gazelle and stag in 2 17, we
find the lines, "My beloved is mine and I am his, DWTNft Ð5ÐÐ,
£r»y?sn 10Ð DW m 1»«? TB . . . ." Similarly, 4 5f. reads, "Your two
breasts are like two stags, twins of a gaze e, D*Witfn O'Win. m 11» TO
D^Vsn 1031 DT»n . . . ." In both cases the reference to the passing
of the day is followed by a reference to movement of the lover toward
the woman. In 4 â the lover will come to the mountain (*nn) of myrrh
and the hill (nyaa) of frankincense. In 2 8f., the chiastic match to 2 17,
the lover is pictured s bounding over mountains (onn) and hills
(nwaa).
Strophe 4 7-9 is introduced by the formula, "You are all beautiful,
my companion, and there is no fault in you." The formula is followed
by the enigmatic ditty, "With me from Lebanon, bride; with me from
Lebanon, come . . .," v. 8. V. 9 informs the woman that she has
ravished his heart with one of her eyes (cf. 4 i) and with one pendant
of her necklace ("pHlS, cf. ·ñê«, 4 4)48. The motif of coming (êð)
and the epithet "sister, bride11, which play prominent roles in the
following Strophe, are introduced in v. 8f. In 4 8—5 2, the epithet moves
from "bride" to "my sister, bride" to "my sister, my companion"
in 5 244.
The last Strophe of the poem, 4 10—5 i, is introduced by "How
beautiful are your love-caresses, my sister, bride; how much sweeter45
are your love-caresses than wine." We have already pointed out the
major role of spices (Wz) and the importance of the garden (p)
motif in this Strophe. The motifs of coming (tna, three times), eating
(*?DK, three times), and drinking (ÐÐÑ, two times) are central to the
account of the lover in his garden. He eats his precious fruits, ¹Â
42
So F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes, tr. M. G. Easton,
76.
43
Krinetzki 165, sees here an intentional similarity between the twice-repeated "¹×
p33 70 and ^HM?. Although l have reservations with regard to the applicability
ot Krinetzki's sound analysis, there does appear to be a balance created through
the repetition.
44
The order is: bride; sister-bride; sister-bride; bride; sister-bride; sister-bride;
sister-companion.
45
For the translation "sweeter", see W. F. Albright, Archaic Survivals in the Text
of Canticles, Hebrew and Semitic Studies, ed. D. Winton Thomas and W. D. McHardy,
1963, 2; M. Dahood, Hebrew-Ugaritic Lexicography II, Biblica 45 (1964), 410f.

Authenticated
, í.éâ, a phrase which is descriptive of the woman in v.is46. Honey

and milk, WT and aVn, are under the woman's tongue, 4 11, and her
lover eats his honeycomb with his WT and drinks his wine with his
Ëð, 5i. "Wine", through its association with love in the Song,
functions s a suggested metaphor for love47. Wine and love are
juxtaposed in 4 10 where the lover says the woman's love-caresses are
sweeter than wine.
The garden is clearly that of the lover: she calls it "his garden",
4 ie c; he calls it "my garden", 4 ieb 5 1. Possession on the part of the
lover is emphasized by the suffix "my": "I come to my garden, my
sister, bride, I gather my myrrh with my spiee. I eat my honeycomb
with my honey, I drink my wine with my milk." The woman is
both a Vntt p and a ViSH to, a mrm p* and a tra ps . She is a
cistern of living water flowing (trVtt) from Lebanon, and her spices
are wafted abroad (V?P). The odor of spices pervades the poem. In
fact, the ÃÃº of the woman's oils is sweeter than all spices, 4io.
The ÃÑº of her garments is like the rm of Lebanon (v. 11), from which
her living water flows. V. u appears to be a chiasmus, in which nard,
saffron, calamus, and cinnamon are chief spices, and myrrh and aloe
are trees of frankincense.
The epithet "sister, bride" is prominent in this Strophe. It is found
in 4 10. 12 and 5 1, with "bride" alone in 4 11. Since 4 éï-ieb and 5 ia-d
address the woman and use the designation "my garden", they are
the words of the man. V. iecd, which speaks of '»ÕÐ and "his garden",
belongs to the woman. The text does not indicate the Speaker of the
plural imperative in ief, ÏÇÐ nDtt WD mn V7DK. If ÉÔÔÐ is
read in parallelism with D*1»*!, the line is directed to "companions"
and "lovers". Since VDK and MW are figurative descriptions of the
enjoyment of love, it follows that the line is addressed to the woman
and her lover. This fact suggests that the daughters of Jerusalem say
the line — if it is necessary to identify the Speaker48. The verse about
the foxes in 2 15, which may be spoken by the daughters of Jerusalem,
and the questions of the daughters of Jerusalem in 5 9 and 6 1 are all
preceded by sections which begin and end in the same way. It happens
that 5 ief concludes a Strophe which both begins and ends with a
reference to "wine", 4 10 and 5 id.
46
Although the meaning of 418 is obscure (cf. the interpretations of S. Krauss, The
Archaeological Background of Some Passages in the Song of Songs, JQR32 (1941—42).
130f.; Hirschberg 379f.; and Lys, Notes sur le Cantique, 171f.). the cross reference
to the enjoyment of love is clear.
47
E. g. 12 24 5l 7io 82; cf. Cookl44.
48
I am not certain whether it is important to identify the Speaker. There is much
disagreement. W. W. Cannon (The Song of Songs Edited s a Dramatic Poem,
1913, 107) identifies the Speaker s the poet. Meek (IB 5, 126) says the verse may

Authenticated
We have seen that this Strophe serves s a transitional element

which connects the poem 3 â—5 i to 5 2—6 3. In addition, 410 ("How
beautiful are your love-caresses, my sister, bride; how much sweeter
are your love-caresses than wine, and the scent of your oils than all
spices.") is clearly a parallel to 12f. ("Let him kiss me with the kisses
of his mouth, for your love-caresses are sweeter than wine; the scent
of your oils is pleasing."). Thus the last Strophe of 3 â—5i contains
a parallel to the beginning of the first poem in the Song.
6 4—8 s and Its Parallels to 3 â—51

Since the similarities between the poems in 3 â—5 i and 6 4—8 3
are at times so close, we shall avoid unnecessary repetition by dealing
with the structure and unity of 6 4—8 3 and its parallels to 3 â—51 at
the same time. The first Strophe, 6 4-7, begins, "You are beautiful, my
companion, s Tirzah, fair s Jerusalem." It continues with WN
nVjTTO which is taken up in 610. The woman is asked to turn her eyes
from her lover, so that we have here a refrain of beauty and a ref erence to
eyes s in 41. The description which follows in 6 5c-7 is like that of
41 d-3 with minor variations.
In the second Strophe, 6s—7l, we find the question, "Who is
this ...?," 610. Strophe 3 â-n in the parallel poem begins with the
refrain, "Who is this coming up from the wilderness ?" The complete
refrain, "who is this coming up from the wilderness", appears in 3 â
and 8 s. In both cases it is a rhetorical question which seems to be
loosely connected to what follows. This fact is especially clear in 8 549,
and although in 3 â the question may be seen s anticipating the descrip-
tion of the litter of Solomon, it might also refer to the woman50. The
partial refrain ÐÊÔ^ï in 610 shares these traits: it is a rhetorical
question referring to the woman and it is loosely connected to the
be assigned to the man, the chorus, or the poet. The line is assigned to the daughters
of Jerusalem by Lehrman 18, and C. D. Ginsburg (The Song of Songs, 1857, 163).
A. Harper (The Song of Solomon, 1902, 34), Delitzsch 89, and Krinetzki 177 see
5 lef s the man's invitation to his friends to join in the celebration oi his happiness.
Bettan 27, sees the line s spoken by the lover, but not addressed to a visible audience.
Gordis, The Song of Songs, 61, understands the woman s the Speaker.
49
So also M. Jastrow, The Song of Songs, 1921, 228; M. H. Segal, The Song of
Songs, VT 12 (1962), 474.
50
Segal ibid., and Ange*nieux (Le Cantique des Cantiques en huit chants, 118; Struc-
ture du Cantique des Cantiques, 122) find no relation between the question and the
litter of Solomon. Jastrow 182, Gordis (A Wedding Song for Solomon, 268f.),
S. Krauss (The Archaeological Background of Some Passages in the Song of Songs,
JQR 33, 1942—43, 18—20), and F. Landsberger (Poetic Units within the Song of
Songs, JBL 73, 1954, 210 n. 7 and 210f. n. 8) see the question s a reference to the
woman in the wedding procession.
Zcitschr. f. alttestamentl. Wiss., Band 85, 1973 5
Authenticated
following material in 6 11ff. However, 6 10 and 8 5 resemble each other

in that the refrain in 6 10 is followed by a scene in a nut garden; and
that in 8 5, by a scene under an apple tree. Part of the description in
610 contains the word "beautiful" (HD·»), which plays a major role
in the poem.
In 3 â the rhetorical question is followed by a praising of Solomon,
in which it is said that sixty mighty men surround his litter. In 6 s,
the rhetorical question is preceded by a song of praise to the woman, in
which sixty queens (not to mention eighty concubines and young
women without number !) take part. OWV begins the line in both cases.
The uniqueness of the woman is described in v. 9.
ÐÂ«1?, Ê2É DS ™ w *rn nrw
Her singularity is set apart by the position of this line between
references to queens and concubines61. The woman is the chosen one
of her mother, and in 3 11 it is Solomon's mother who crowns him. In
v. 9 we are told that the daughters saw (Ð×º) the woman and pro-
nounced her happy ; in 3 11 the daughters of Zion (synonymous paral-
lelism with daughters of Jerusalem) are called to come and see (am)
Solomon on the day of his gladness.
The Strophe continues in 6 11 with the motif of going down (TV)
to the garden. Since it is the lover who goes down to his garden, 6 2,
perhaps the lover is the subject of 6 nf. He goes to see (nm) the
reeds of the wadys and to see (Tun) whether the vine has budded and
the pomegranates are in bloom. This theme is repeated in 7 13, where
he is called to the vineyards to see whether the vine has budded, the
blossoms have opened, and the pomegranates are in bloom. In each
case three elements are used; two of them remain the same. In 6 12 the
man is figuratively set s the chariots of the special royal bodyguard.
is from the same root s ÀÌºï in 3 ßï of the parallel poem.
will be taken up in the next Strophe to describe the woman, 7 2.
The refrain "ñ-ÃÐÐúú *aw 'aitf nntaffil *3W *3iV, which we have
considered part of the Strophe 6 8 — 7l, is highly alliterative. Buzy
says, "Nous avons ici une nouvelle application du genre litt£raire
qui rogit l'onomastique de ces pofemes, o les vocables sont choisis
pour leur valeur musicale et la valeur magique de leur 6vocation."62
The refrain may be the words of the daughters of Jerusalem63. The
call for the Shulammite to return so that they might look upon her
might be compared to the call to the daughters to view King Solomon
M
Krinetzki 205.
52
Buzy, Un chef-d'ceuvre de poesie pure, 153.
M
So Meek, IB 6, 134; Robert and Tournay 248; Murphy, The Structure of the Canticle
of Canticles, 390 (cf. Canticle of Canticles 609); Gordis, The Song of Songs, 68;
cf. Jastrow 217.

Authenticated
in 3 n. However, we think 4s provides a more likely parallel. The

words
•»man paaVa w rno paaVa ¹Ê
exhibit the same iterative style s
•ñ-ðôðç •»nw OW n^Vivn ?aw ¼ÔÑ
Both are calls for movement on the part of the woman. Of the available
material in the poems 3 â—5 i and 6 4—8 3, these are elements which
most resemble each other. The response in 7 i cd takes up a word
from each bicolon of the call: éôðç Ðï (ntm, v. ib), iFDVwa (v. ia).
The third Strophe, 7 2-e, presents the second refrain of beauty of
the poem, "How beautiful are your feet in sandals, daughter of
nobility." V. ac-3 contain a description unparalleled in the poem
3 â—51. However, the remaining description finds its parallel in 4 4f.,
with the line, "your two breasts are like two stags, twins of a gazelle",
and its comparison of her neck to a tower. The description in 4 i-e
has been split, half of ic forming the Strophe 6 4-7, and the other half
forming the conclusion to an entirely different description in 7 2-e.
In 7 3f., the reference to breasts is preceded by a comparison of |Da
to a heap of wheat surrounded by lilies. In 4 5, the reference to breasts
is followed by the imagery of lilies. In fact, the arrangement of elements
in 44f. and 7sd-5 is chiastic. In 44f., the order is: tower/neck; Off
rras ççêç tmcs -WD -pro; lilies. The order in 7sd-5 is: lilies; W
,Tas '»êç tmas "WD "p-ro; neck/tower. -]V , which was emphasized
in 3 6-11, appears here in v. 6.
Strophe 7 7—8 3 begins with the refrain, "How you are beautiful
and how you are fair, love with delights." The lover compares the
woman's figure to a palm tree and her breasts to clusters (v. â). He says
he will climb the palm tree (9a), and expresses the desire that her
breasts be like clusters of the vine (9c). V. 11, "I am my beloved's and
his desire is for me", begins in the same way s the refrain in 2 ie and
6 3. In fact 7 12ff., in which the woman calls her lover to join her in the
vineyards, reminds one of the lover's request for the woman to join
him in 2 loff. The lover in 7 i2f. is invited to come forth (NSl) to the
field and to see (fflni) whether the vine (cf. v. 9) has budded. This
combination of verbs is reminiscent of the call to the daughters of
Jerusalem to come forth and see (rmn\ JTPKS) King Solomon, 3 n64.
The motifs of giving ()DJ) and of loving are associated in the
images of giving love (ðôç÷ )çê, í. 13) and mandrakes giving
fragrance (nn^W3 Ï'ÊÔÐ, v. u). In 8 i there is the idiom for
giving him s a brother to her. The motif of bringing-to-the-house/
64
It is interesting that with the exception of the phrase ÐÊ2Ñ "ºÑÂ× Í2Ñ is always used
with ÐÉÐ in the Song: l â and 8 3 11 7 12.

Authenticated
68 J. Cheryl Exum, A Literary and Structural Analysis of the Song o£ Songs
chamber appears in 8 2. If the lover were like a brother who nursed

at the breast of her mother (81), the woman could bring him to the
house of her mother (8 2) without being derided. 81 contains the key
word KS& which reminds the hearer of the seeking-finding imagery
which pervades the Song. Here the woman would find her lover at once
and kiss him. *]j?tfK, v. i, "I would kiss you", is used in paronomasia
with "]?&«, "I would cause you to drink", v. 2W. The use of úñ&ê
takes the hearer back to the first word of the Song (excluding the
title), while Itw anticipates ira* ra near the end of the Song in 8 7.
The last Strophe of the poem 6 4—8 3 has some interesting £eatures
in common with the last Strophe of the poem 3 â—51. Both have an
outdoor (garden/vineyard) setting. "Excellent fruits" (DHJ n )
appears in 4is and ie, and "excellent things" (cm ) is in 7 u.
Fragrance (im) helps to set the erotic mood, 4 lof. and 7 u; p may
be a metaphor for love in 410 51 and 8 2. ºÌ, 413 and 7 12 and
twiin ('»n), 4 18 and 8 2, lend suggestive overtones. The most
significant feature shared by 4io—5i and 7?—8s is that they
parallel the first poem in the Song. The resemblance between 4io
and l2f. is obvious, and the garden motif of 412 ff. is comparable
to that of the vineyard in l â. It can be shown that Strophe 7 7—8 3
parallels 112 ff. However, we shall reserve the analysis of these parallels
until we have examined the structure of the poem 12—2 â. First,
we shall look at the external design of 3 â—51 and 6 4—8 8.
The Eocternal Design of the Poems 3 â—ä é and 6 4—8 9

The following analysis of the external design is based on the
Position of refrains and major motifs in the two poems. The diagram
refers to the parallel elements noted above.
Poem 3 â—51
a Who is this . . . ? (3 â)
b A description of the sixty mighty men surrounding the litter
(3 7f.); description of the palanquin (3 9 ff.)
c Behold, you are beautiful, my companion, behold you are
beautiful, your eyes are doves. Description of hair, teeth,
temple (4iff.)
d Neck compared to tower; breasts compared to two stags,
twins of a gazelle; mention of lilies (4 4 ff.)
e A refrain of beauty: you are all beautiful, my companion,
there is no fault in you (4 7)
56
Krinetzki sees in the word play a hinted Identification of kissing and drinking
spiced wine.

Authenticated
f With me from Lebanon, bride, with me from Lebanon come

(48)
410—5 i parallels l 2 ff. How beautiful are your love-caresses my
sister, bride; how much sweeter are your love-caresses than
wine.
Poem 6 4—8 s
c' You are beautiful s Tirzah, my companion, fair s Jerusalem.
Description of hak, teeth, temple (6 4 ff.)
b' A description of the sixty queens and others who praise the
woman (6 8f.)
a' Who is this ... ? (610)
f' Return, return, Shulammite; return, return, that we may look
upon you (7 i)
e' A refrain of beauty: how beautiful are your feet in sandals,
daughter of nobility (7 2)
d' Mention of lilies; breasts compared to two stags, twins of a
gazelle; neck compared to tower (7 3 ff.)
7 7—8 3 parallels 112 ff. How you are beautiful and how you are
fair, love with delights.
From the diagram it will be seen that the first three strophes of
3â—5i form two chiasm with the first three strophes of 64—SB.
The last strophes of both poems are respectively parallel to the
beginning and conclusion of the introductory poem of the Song of
Songs.
In summary, if our analysis of the poems 3 â—5 i and 6 i—8 3 is
correct, the poems take their internal form from four strophes intro-
duced by refrains of beauty and the question, "Who is this . . . ?"
Both poems appear to exhibit a progression of intimacy66. The poem
3 â—5i begins with a description of the litter of Solomon (3e-n).
The description is followed by the praising of the woman's eyes, hair,
teeth, lips, temple, neck, and breasts (4 i-â); next comes the Statement
that she has ravished her lover's heart (4 7-9); and finally, a veiled
account of coition (4 10—5 i). Similarly, the poem 6 4—8 3 begins v/ith
a description of the woman's hair, teeth, and temple (64-7), which is
followed by an account of the queens and concubines who praise her,
a garden story, and the call to return (6 8—7 i). Next comes a more
intimate description of the woman's charms (72-e), and the whole is
concluded by an invitation to love-making couched in the form of a call
to enjoy the vineyard (7 7—8 3). Coexisting with this internal similarity
is a chiastic external design in which the key elements of the first three
M
This is not to say that there are not multiple-entendres throughout.

Authenticated
strophes of the poems 3 â —5 1 and 6 4 —8 8 occur in the order: abcdef,

c'b'a'f'e'd'. The last Strophe of 3 â — 5i parallels 1 2 ff. and the last
Strophe of 6 4—8 3 parallels 1 12 ff.
The Introductory and Final Poems of the Song:

1 2 —2 â and 8 4-u
We have suggested that strophes 4 10—5 i and 7 7 — 8 3 parallel
the first poem of the Song, 1 2—2 â. In order to examine these parallels,
it is first necessary to study the form of 1 2 — 2 â. It is not impossible
that 1 2-11 and 1 12 — 2 â are two separate poems. The unity of 1 2-11
has been shown by Cook, who observes that l 8-11 belongs with the
preceding s a response to 1 5-7. He sees in these verses an expansion
from remote tents (tents of Kedar) and a near king (Solomon) into
near tents (mnn IV D&D) and a remote king (pharaoh)57. That
1 12 — 2 â belongs together is seen by means of circular argument from
its parallel 7 7 — 8 3. Since 1 2 — 2 â consistently exhibits a dialogue
form infrequent in the rest of the Song, and since other parts of the
Song are composed of units built into long poems, it seems reasonable
to consider 1 2 —2 â s one poem rather than two.
Formal Analysis of 1 2—2 â

The first poem of the Song, 1 2 —2 â, serves s an introduction
proper, presenting the major motifs to be encountered in the poems
which follow. The complexities of the poet's style become evident in
the first three verses. The Song begins with a cognate object, ijper»
mpTOD. The woman begins speaMng by asking f or something other than
speech from the mouth of her lover58. After expressing her desire,
she turns to address him directly, switching from third person to
second person in v. 2b.
nyiwa
"Ð?4?£
ôðð "|V n *awn nami
Ô*»ñ *ñôô
The woman teils her lover that sweeter is p» ·ñôô and that they
shall extol pa ·ñôô. Twice she states that he is loved (7DTO).
in 2b is taken up in 8a to describe the scent of his oils
*7 Cook 136f.
88
Ibid. 116.

Authenticated
is repeated in 3b in paronomasia with ^öff, "your name". The

association of love with wine is repeatedly made in the Song, e. g. 2 4
410 51 7 10 8 2, and the pleasing scent of oils is the central theme of
4 10—5 i. V. 4 introduces the term *]Vö for the first time in the Song,
and also the motif of bringing (KT3 in the hiphil)-to-the-house/chamber.
Emphasis is twice given to "pam through its position äs the last
word in an unparalleled stichos. In addition, the word "love" makes
a fitting conclusion to the woman's address to her lover.
In v. 5f., the woman addresses the daughters of Jerusalem (mia
^ ). She teils them *w rrnw in v. 5 and reverses it, mmntf *W,
in v. . She follows this chiastic arrangement with another one
when she says, "They set me keeper (inttt) of the vineyards (DWDn);
my vineyard (WD) which is mine, I have not kept ("»möl)."
In v. 7 the woman asks a question of ^Di Tnnw, the term used
so often in 31-4. The twofold form of questioning (cf. 5 8. 9 6l) is
presented by ^ . The woman asks, "Where do you shepherd
(nsnn) ?"68m The key word nsn is used twice in the answer of v. 8
where we find a double play on words, "go forth ('KS) in the foot-
prints of the sheep (]XS) and shepherd ("»sn) your kids beside the
tents of the shepherds (OTnfl)". Elsewhere in the Song, the root mn
appears only in the context of pasturing in/feeding on the lilies or
garden (2 ie 4 5 6 2f.), double-entendres for erotic play.
The identity of the Speaker in v. 8 perplexes the commentators.
It is clear that the lover is speaking in v. 9, where he compares "my
companion" (wsn, the introduction of this term of endearment
which he uses througbout the Song to address the woman) to a märe
of pharaoh's chariot (the beginning of the use of military imagery to
describe her). He says that her cheeks are fair in Dnn, and nm
of gold they shall make for her. Some commentators think that v. 8
is also part of the lover's speech69, while a number of scholars assign
v. 8 to the daughters of Jerusalem60. One reason for assigning the verse
to the daughters is that the tone is not that of the lover. M. H. Segal,
who assigns v. 8 to the lover, says, "His reply is not couched in terms
of tenderness."61 The response has been called ironic62 and sarcastic63.
It seems to us to be badinage, äs for example, the verbal play between
58a
There is no mention of sheep äs the object, and we have here, äs elsewhere, a
double-entendre based on 3)*1. Thus the question is "Where do you feed ?" and the
answer implied here is given in 6 2f.
59
E. g., Jastrow 163; Bettan 16; Cook 136; Segal 472.
60
E. g., Ginsburg 136; Delitzsch 31; Cannon 100; Lehrman 3; Pouget and Guitton 173;
Meek, IB 5, 108; Tournay 41; cf. Schmidt 242: "other shepherdesses".
61
Segal 472.
62
Ginsburg 136; Krinetzki 95f.
63
Lehrman 3; Krinetzki 95 f.

Authenticated
the woman and the daughters in 5 8 — 6 8. In the dialogue of 5 8 —6 8,

the daughters both times address the woman s DMWa HDVl. This
is the term used in 1 8, and it does not occur elsewhere.
If . indeed, v. 8 is spoken by the daughters of Jerusalem, v. 5-11
fall into an interesting chiastic pattern:
A v. 5f. the woman, addressed to the daughters:
a description of her, black and fair
B v. ô the woman, addressed to the man:
a question, where do you shepherd
B' v. 8 the daughters, addressed to the woman:
an answer, shepherd ('sn) beside
the tents of the shepherds (tnnn)
A' v. 9-11 the man, addressed to the woman:
a description, fair
The Statement made to the daughters is answered by the man, and the
question asked of the man is answered by the daughters. B gives us a
location for the woman, *<l?y the flocks of your companions", and B'
teils her where she should go to find her lover, "Vy the tents of the
shepherds".
In v. 12-14, the woman speaks again. She reintroduces Ð¹, v. 8,
•jV , v. 4, and Ïº3, v. â. She is intemipted by the man, who praises
her, v. 15, and she responds, v. ief., by building her praise for him
upon the form which he employed in praising her.
'W TTV ÐÅÑ "]1Ð XCK? Ð&** "pH
nasn
In 2 1 she states, "I am the lotus of the plain, the lily (rww) of the
valleys." In the next line, the man again Interrupts by using her image
(JWltf) to build a comparison. The same phenomenon appears in
2 2f. s in 1 15ff.: the woman reproduces the form of the man's Speech
and continues her account.
mian t2 :p;?D R
oian pa ÷ôéô |D nsrn -wa maro
The woman begins her comparison with mon and near the end repeats,
crmon, so that we have "lily" v. i and 2, and "apple(s/tree)", v. 8
and 5. The result is that "lily" governs v. if. internally by occurring
in the second and third of the four stichoi, and "apple(s/tree)" governs
v. 3-5 externally, by occurring at the beginning and end of the com-
parison (excluding the refrain "for I am overcome with love").

Authenticated
The house of wine, v. 4, suggests the comparison of love-caresses

to wine in 1 2 and 4. The motif of bringing-to-the-house/cb amber
occurs at the beginning of the poem in the form, "the king brought me
to his chambers", and at the end of the poem s, "he brought me to
the house of wine". Wine is a suggested metaphor for love, and the
house is where the lovers dwell in their mutual intoxication64. The
house of wine fuses the two images. The poem ends with the refrain,
"His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me."
Since in 1 2 — 2 â there is a f requent change of Speaker, the over-all
arrangement of the poem invites consideration. The poem begins with
the woman speaking to her lover, 1 2-4. There follows a chiasmus built
upon the key words 7ÐÊ3 and Ð5Ð in which: she addresses the
daughters, v. 5f . ; she addresses the man, v. 7 ; the daughters address
her, v. s; and the man addresses her, v. 9-11. In 1 12-14 the woman
speaks about her lover. There follows a dialogue in which: he speaks,
v. 15 ; she responds, l ie — 2 1 ; he speaks, 2 2 ; she responds, 2 3-6.
A Comparison of 4 10—5]i and 7 7—8 3 with the Poem l 2—2 â

Of the similarities between 4 10 —5 i and the introductory poem of
the Song, the most striking feature is the close parallelism between 4 10
and 1 2. The Song begins:
1TPD
4 10 reads:
·ñô? u -n ÃËï íéðê ·ñí? ºÏ·»-;»
ÃÃºÉ
The story of the garden (4 10 — 5 i) is comparable to that of the vine-
yard in l 5f. Both garden and vineyard are used symbolically for the
woman, and in 8 i2f. the vineyard and garden are juxtaposed. The
wine in 5 i and 2 4 is suggestive of the delights of love. The poet is
aware of the fragrance of nature and odors of beauty : ºÌ appears in
4 13 and 1 14 ; Ôº3 in 4 13. 14 and 1 12 ; and ºï in 4 14 and 1 13. The fruit
(ÔÐÂ) of the lover is sweet, 2 3, and the woman is excellent fruit
(DHi no), 4 13. 16.
Whereas 4 10 — 5 i begins in the same way s 1 2 ff., 7 7 — 8 3 ends in
the same way s l 2 — 2 6. Its beginning bears a striking similarity to
l ie. 7 7 reads, tm»M Ð3ÐÊ n Stt-TOl JW-ji ; lie has ÇÐ HD1· çÀÐ
Ï*1»! çê. This statement in l ie is preceded by the image of
the lover s a cluster (VDtfK) of henna (1DD) in the vineyards (WM)
of Engedi, v. 14. He spent the night (pV») between the woman's breasts
(•»Ttf), v. 13. In 7 8 and 9 the woman's breasts (7ÐÑ) are described s
64
Cook 143 f.

Authenticated
clusters (mVD&K). She calls her lover to spend the night (nr1?!) in
the henna (Ï¹ÂÌ) and to go early to the vineyards (ïçôêË),
V. 12f.
The woman's nard gives forth its fragrance (lim )ni), l 12,
and mandrakes give forth fragrance (rFV M), 7 u. In 7 9 the man
hopes the m of his inamorata's breath will be like apples (rrmonD) ;
she used apple(s/tree) s a suggestive reference to him in 2 3 and 5.
7 10 compares the woman's palate ftDn) to good wine, and her lover's
fruit is sweet to her palate (*DJlV), 2 8. The comparison to good wine
suggests the comparison of love-caresses to wine, 1 2 and 4. In 8 2f.
the woman will bring her lover to her mother's house where she will
give him her wine of love ; in 2 4 it is the lover who gives the woman
wine of love in the house of wine66. Both 8 3 and 2 â conclude their
poems with the refrain, "His left hand is under my head and his right
hand embraces me", npann wri wiM çðç V?XW.
8 4-i4 : Inclusion and Summary

The poem 84-14 forms an inclusion with the poem 1 2 — 2 â
(l ef.=8 11-13) and brings together motifs found throughout the Song.
Krinetzki has called his seventh Liedgruppe, 8 5-14, uneven. However,
what he considers a collection of fragments is really a recapitulation
of motifs66. The poem begins with the adjuration refrain which formed
the inclusion 2? —3 6. However, 84 does not have the words "by
gazelies and hinds of the field", and instead of DK, it has TO. The
refrain now becomes, "Why do you arouse and awaken love . . . ."
That love is fully aroused is clear from v. 5c, "under the apple tree I
awakened you" ("pnYTMJ). The poem ends with a refrain like that
which formed A and A7 of the Chiasmus in 2 8-17.
"[V-TOTI HTT Ð*Ï
1Ê
Thus 84-14 takes its introduction and conclusion from the poem
2 7 — 3 5. The introduction to 3 â —5 1 is the source for 8 5ab, "Who is
this coming up from the wilderness . . . ?" (cf. 6 10). V. 5c, "under the
apple tree I awakened you", is reminiscent of the picture of the
woman under the shade of the apple tree which is the lover, 2 3-5.
In v. 5 de we find a reference to the man's mother who bore him,
fm1?1 ÃÞáð TOtf ç»ê -|ÃËáð TO», which is similar to 6 9, "to her
mother", (TOlo), "to her that bore her", (nmVrV). "Set me s
a seal (onirD) upon your heart, s a seal (DmriD) upon your arm",
âä
Ang^nieux observes this similarity, Structure du Cantique des Cantiques 124.
" Krinetzki 236.

Authenticated
8 6, employs the root used in 4 12, "a fountain locked, a spring sealed"
(Dinn).
The poem 8 4-14 contains a praise of love which consists of two
short lines and two long ones.
VlKlZD TOp Ð3ÐÊ JY1 D
rrmnVff wt $tzn
1
» ê ? jmmi rurwrrnK ðáË I^DT ß
occurs three times in v. ef., and counting its appearance in

84, four times in the poem. "Wi ÃÑÂ&Ð is alliterative, and the
notable word TPMnVff receives stress by Standing alone. Some of the
images behind this poem suggest motifs which appear elsewhere in the
Song. ]iv» (cf. v n ) hints of the giving theme in 7i3 — 81, and ÉÃÑÐ
recalls the motif of bringing-to-the-house/chamber. If a man gave all
the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly rejected (ira1» ra) ;
elsewhere the house is the place for love and the woman would not be
derided (ITD1») if she brought her brother to the house, 8 1. The many
waters (ÏÐº £P , v. 7) which are not able to quench love recall the
living water (0*»n WZ) which describes the woman in 4 15.
V. 8-10 present a new theme, but build on famili r words: for
example, ÐÉÐÊ, WHK1? (4 9—5 2) ; mt)f> (2 15) ; Dntf (l 13 4 s 7 4
7 sf.) ; Ð03Ç (l 11) ; na— çôí Þôá refers to the same event s OT»3
iaV nnaw, 3 n ; n»in (5?); naaa (44); çïï (In); çê (Ééô); m^Ti (44
7 5). nKSI recalls the seeking-finding motif of the Song. Now the lover
has found 'frtf . trfw appears only here in the Song. V. 9 displays an-
tithetic parallelism67.
çôï rr^s? roai ê\ç
nx mV rr*?» ºÀ2« >ôç
The woman is the Speaker in v. 10, "I am a wall and my breasts
are like towers . . . ." The question arises: who is the Speaker in v. 8f. ?
A number of commentators assign these verses to the woman's
brothers68. It is interesting that the brothers should be assigned a
speech, since they are only mentioned in passing, l â, and there they
are not "brothers", but "the sons of my mother", "» X ¹. Cook has
rightly observecl, "There are only three voices present in the Song,
and nothing spoken really suggests any more than these three voices :
the woman, the man, and a group of women [the daughters of Jerusa-
87
Cf. Gordis, The Song of Songs, 32f.
68
Krinetzki 248; Schmidt 274; Jastrow 235; Lehrman 31; Segal 481; Pouget and
Guitton 194, the woman quoting the brothers; Bettan 41 f., the brothers of an
unnamed child; Ginsburg 188f., v. 8 by one brother and v. 9 by a second brother.

Authenticated
lern]."69 Since the daughters do have a role in the Song, and since it
may be that they have a part in each poem70, it is possible that the
daughters of Jerusalem are the Speakers of v. 8f.
V. n-13 clinch the inclusion with chapter 1. The key terms in
8iif. are "vineyard" (ÏºÏ) and "keepers" (tmttt). This is the case
with 16. In l â the woman is made keeper of the vineyards, but "WD
•»V» she does not keep. In 8 nf., Solomon has a vineyard which he lets
out to keepers, but *b0 "W3 is '•»V (literally, "before me"). "Solomon"
occurs in 811 and 12 and in 15. 818 says, "the companions
are waiting for your voice". l 7 speaks of the companions
of the man.
The identity of the Speaker is problematic in v. nf. Some commen-
tators assign the speech to the man71; others, to the woman72. Since
8 4-14 forms an inclusion with 12—2 â, and since both poems emphasize
dialogue, perhaps 12 ff. will allow us to make a tentative observation
regarding the identity of the Speaker in 8 nf. In 15f. the woman speaks
of being keeper of the vineyards. She then asks a question, v. 7, and is
given a playful answer by the daughters of Jerusalem, v. 8. In 8 8f. the
daughters make a Statement about the woman. The woman gives a
playful response in v. 10, and it would be appropriate if she were to
continue with an account of vineyards and keepers. If this Suggestion
is correct, the woman would have the Statement about the vineyards
in both chapters l and 878; in chapter l, she receives a playful answer,
and in chapter 8, she gives one. In 11-4, preceding the banter, there
is a praise of the lover's caresses (T*n) a^d the Statement that he is
loved, v. 3f. (º¼ÐÊ). In 8ef., preceding the banter, there is a praise
of love (Ð3ÐÊ) in the abstract.
In 8 is, the man addresses the woman s traa iDVpn, "the
one dwelling in the gardens". The garden (v. 13) and vineyard (v. nf.)
motifs are juxtaposed. The man says the companions are listening
"for your voice ftVlp1?) — let me hear it (WWH)". These words
take the hearer back to the entreaty çíø-çê Tsrwn of 2 u. The
request in 2 u is soon followed by the refrain, "Turn, be like, my
beloved, a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains between us"
(or, "split mountains"), 217.
HTT 1^-ÐÆÐ 30
69
Cook 135.
70
1s 2i5(?) 5i(?) 69 and 6l 7i(?).
71
E. g., Jastrow 237; Gordis, The Song of Songs, 76.
72
E. g., Ginsburg 190; Cannon 114; Lehrman 32; Pouget and Guitton 194f.; Bettan
43f.;Segal472.
78
"My vineyard" belongs to the woman in contrast to "my garden" which is the lover's.

Authenticated
So also the request of 8 13 is followed by the lines, "Flee74, my beloved,

and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of spices."
ÇÐ rro
nn éê
If ºÌ ¹Ð refers to "mountains of Separation", then Delitzsch is
discerning in his observation that mountains of spices (D'Wa) replace
the mountains between them (IM, 2 1?) so that there are no more
obstacles to be overcome75. At the same time, if ºÌ ¹Ð is taken s
"separated" or "split" mountains, then an erotic image is brought
before us by the woman asking the man to be to her like a stag upon
the separated mountains75·.
The Song of Songs ends with the woman's call to the man to come
to her, a desire she had expressed in 2 7 —3 5. We are back where we
began, but we have progressed. We are not told that the lovers meet;
it is unnecessary. The climax of the Song is heightened by the restraint
of the poet, who uses silence now s suggestively s he has employed
words throughout the Song. The lovers come together, so they are
silent.
The Poetic Form of the Song of Songs
and its Implications for Interpretation
If our structural hypothesis is correct, the Song may be seen s
consisting of six poems, which can be basically outlined s follows:
I. l 2—2 â, containing (a) l 2-11 and
(b) 112—2 â, 2 i-â being a transi-
tional element
, II. 27—35
,111. 3 â—5i, containing (a') 4io—5i,

which also serves s a transitional
element
. IV. 62—63
V. 6 4—8 s, containing (b') 7 7—8 3
• VI. 84-14
74
Not to be understood in the sense of Separation, s Ange*nieux understands it,
Structure du Cantique des Cantiques, 118f.
75
So Delitzsch 56.
?5a j^ meaning of "1J13 is dubious and has given rise to numerous interpretations.
For more specific erotic interpretations, cf. P. Haupt, Biblische Liebeslieder, 1907,
78; Lys, Notes sur le Cantique, 173 f.

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Poems I and VI form an inclusion within which poems II, III,

IV, and V occur in the order ABA'B'. The first poem presents the
hearer with the motifs he should expect to encounter and the final
poem summarizes these motifs so that he can fix them more firmly
in his mind. The beginning of poem I is like the end of poem III (B),
and the conclusion of poem I is paralleled by the end of poem V (B').
Poems II and IV, which we have shown to be intentional paraUels,
are linked to poems I and III by the transitional elements 2 i- and
410—51 respectively. The poetic design of poems II and IV is provided
by the refrain of adjuration, "I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem. ..."
In poem II, the refrain forms the external structure; in poem IV, it is
the source for the internal structure. Poems III and V exhibit a
similar internal development based on refrains of beauty and the
question nxt *»», whereas in their external design, the first three
strophes of poem III form a twofold chiastic arrangement with the
first three strophes of poem V.
Since the proper articulation of form serves äs an indication of the
proper understanding of meaning, the results of our analysis will have
implications for the Interpretation of the Song of Songs in general.
While not attempting here to apply the principles of form to the
exegetical problems of the Song, we would like to indicate the direction
in which our observations on structure point us. As we indicated above,
two conclusions follow from our structural analysis: a unity of author-
ship with an intentional design, and a sophistication of poetic style.
The structure of the Song which we have delineated, in addition to the
unity of theme and consistency of character portrayal, proves un-
tenable the theory that the Song is an anthology or collection. If the
poet based his work upon extant love songs, he has reworked them
and appropriated them so that they are uniquely his own76. The
sophistication of the poet's style is evident throughout the work, in his
use of imagery and tnultiple-entendre and in his application of tech-
niques such äs repetition, paronomasia, and Chiasmus77. The structural,
stylistic, and rhetorical devices employed by the poet prove in-
defensible Jastrow's opinion, "The further we get away from the idea
that we are dealing with delicately refined and polished compositions,
the nearer will we come to the spirit of the songs."78
In addition to proving the collection theory untenable, our
analysis has implications for the theory which sees the Song äs a drama.
Although the dramatic theory assumes a basic unity in the Song,
it meets criticism for its need to supply Speakers, scenes, and a plot.
76
Just äs Israel appropriated Canaanite mythologies. However, one wonders whether
it is necessary to posit such existent love songs.
77
See the list of rhetorical devices given by Krinetzki 61—74.
78
Jastrow 13. Cf. here S. N. Kramer, The Sacred Marriage Rite, 1969, 88 f.

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In addition, adherents to this theory are in disagreement on each of

these matters. It cannot be denied that the Song contains a dramatic
element in so far äs there are Speakers, but the Song does not seem to
be concerned everywhere t o identify them. Either the Speaker is
obvious, äs, for example, the woman speaking about her lover in
5 2-8, or the Speaker appears to be irrelevant, äs in the rhetorical
question of 3 6. Furthermore, on formal grounds our analysis argues
against the division of the poems on the basis of scenes and Speakers
and in favor of Isolation of poetic units guided by stylistic considera-
tions. In our analysis, dialogue does not serve äs a key to structure.
However, structure may serve äs a key to dialogue; e. g., in the
identification of the Speakers in l 5-11 and 8 8-12.
We have seen that we have in the Song a complex and highly
sophisticated love poem. The limited scope of our investigation gives
us indications that the artistry in the Song is even more intricate than
we have been able to suggest here. Much more investigation of the
poet's style needs to be done. In addition, it remains for further study
to relate the intricate workings of the poet's style to the problems of the
over-all Interpretation and exegesis of the Song. We hope that our
analysis has provided some ground work for the undertaking of this
task.
Das Hohelied läßt durch seinen komplexen Aufbau und seine bewußte Konstruk-
tion auf eine einheitliche Verfasserschaft schließen. Es besteht aus sechs Liedern: l 2
bis 2 2 7—3 5 3 —6 l 5 2—6 8 6 4—8 3 und 8 4-14. Das 1. Lied führt die Hauptmotive
und Themen des Hohenliedes ein, während das 6. Lied diese Motive zusammenfaßt, da-
mit sie sich dem Hörer besser einprägen. Das 2. und das 4. Lied verlaufen parallel, ge-
nauso das 3. und das 5. Lied. Parallelen zwischen den Liedern können auf der Basis der
Wiederholung von Schlüsselwörtern, bestimmten Wendungen und Motiven sowie the-
matischen und bildlichen Ähnlichkeiten festgestellt werden. Im Hohenlied bilden also
das 1. und das 6. Lied den Rahmen, innerhalb dessen das 2.—5. Lied die Reihenfolge
ABA'B' aufweisen.
La structure complexe du Cantique des Cantiques> et son elaboration consciente
permettent de conclure ä. unc homogenoito dans la rodaction. Le Cantique est forme de
six chants: l 2—2 2?—3s 3 6—5 l 62—63 64—83 et 84-14. Le premier chant in-
troduit les motifs et themes principaux du Cantique, tandis que Ic 6° chant les resume
de fa9on particulierement prägnante pour les auditeurs. Le deroulement des chants 2 et
4 est parallele, de m6me celui des chants 3 et 6. De tels paralleles entre les difforents
chants peuvent etre otablis sur la base de la repetition de mots-cles, de certaines con-
structions, de motifs ou sur la base d'analogie de themes et d'images. La structure du
Cantique est la suivante: les chants l et 6 forment le cadre ä l'intörieur duquel los
chants 2—5 suivent l'ordre ABA'B'.

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A Literary and Structural Analysis of The Song of Songs

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A Literary and Structural Analysis of the Song of Songs

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questions regarding date, authorship, provenance, and Sitz im Leben,

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form as a guide to meaning and the establishment of methodological

Parallel Poems in 5 2—6 3 and 2 7—3 5

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Formal Analysis of 5 2—6 3

In the verses to come, the daughters of Jerusalem will employ this

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is present throughout and the Intention of phrases such s nVtf HTT

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daughters of Jerusalem have a distinctive short, repetitive style. A sim-

Unfortunately, however, there is no clear indication of the identity of

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The form of 3 1-5 is more complex than these comments indicate,

The seeking-finding motif is amplified in this section by the idea

Comparison of 5 *—6 3 and 2 7—3 ä

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outside. In 2 9 he is looking through the Windows, and in 5 2 he is

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We presented above the conjecture that the verse about the

6 Sa is the chiastic repetition of 2 iea. In the poem 2 7 —3 5 the refrain

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Extension of the Poems 2 7—3 5 and 5 2—6 3

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of coition which is here so strongly associated with spices and the

Further Isolation of Poetic Units: 3 â—51 and 6 4—8 3

Formal Analysis of 3 â—5 i

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to be on the state89, for there is mention of "Israel", "Jerusalem",

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In Strophe 41-6 there is a movement from shepherd imagery

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, í.éâ, a phrase which is descriptive of the woman in v.is46. Honey

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We have seen that this Strophe serves s a transitional element

6 4—8 s and Its Parallels to 3 â—51

following material in 6 11ff. However, 6 10 and 8 5 resemble each other

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in 3 n. However, we think 4s provides a more likely parallel. The

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chamber appears in 8 2. If the lover were like a brother who nursed

The Eocternal Design of the Poems 3 â—ä é and 6 4—8 9

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f With me from Lebanon, bride, with me from Lebanon come

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strophes of the poems 3 â —5 1 and 6 4 —8 8 occur in the order: abcdef,

The Introductory and Final Poems of the Song:

Formal Analysis of 1 2—2 â

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is repeated in 3b in paronomasia with ^öff, "your name". The

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the woman and the daughters in 5 8 — 6 8. In the dialogue of 5 8 —6 8,

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The house of wine, v. 4, suggests the comparison of love-caresses

A Comparison of 4 10—5]i and 7 7—8 3 with the Poem l 2—2 â

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8 4-i4 : Inclusion and Summary