The "song of songs which is Solomon's" identifies the author and beauty of this poem. Although some question has been raised to the Solomonic authorship, it is generally accepted that Solomon is the author. The canonical authority of the book has received very little question. The book is found in all the early Hebrew Bibles and in the Septuagint.
All agree that the subject of the book is love. Beyond this, there is very little agreement. There are primarily three forms of interpretation - the allegorical, the literal, and the typical.
Allegorical
"Allegory" is defined as, "the veiled presentation, in a figurative story, of a meaning metaphorically implied but not expressly stated" (Webster). Books have been written and many theories advanced by those trying to explain the meaning of the book by this method of interpretation. Some of the positions have been things that are taught in the scriptures, such as the love between God and Israel and between Christ and the church. While it is true that such love is taught in the Bible, there seems to be no basis for believing that this is what is taught in this book. Others have tried to teach the perpetual virginity of Mary from the book, but this is absurd and unscriptural.
Literal
This method of interpretation maintains that the primary purpose of the poem is to present pure ideal love. Some who have taken this position have argued that it is simply a collection of love songs. This idea overlooks the unity of the poem which indicates that it was one poem written by the same person.
Typical
This method is a combination of the two previously mentioned methods, while not accepting wholeheartedly either position. It suggests that the poem is literal in that the love scene actually happened but that it also figuratively represents the union between God and His people.
The New Analytical Bible, published by John A. Dickson Publishing Company, presents the following outline of the book, which I offer for your consideration.
The theme of the book is love. Around this theme the outline presents five major divisions in the poem, which we shall abbreviate.
I. The Shulamite Maid (1:2-2:7). The rural maiden has affection for her lover but King Solomon woos her by praising her beauty. She and her rural lover praise each other and she pleads with the court of women not to urge her to love another.
II. A Dream and Reminiscences (2:8-3:5). Her lover invites her to meet him in the field and she takes a job in the vineyard. She expects him to visit her at night but is disappointed, so she seeks him, and pleads with the court of women to refrain from urging her to love another.
III. Taken To Jerusalem (3:6-5:1). King Solomon brings the maiden to Jerusalem and rides in his chariot and receives praise in order to impress her. He praises her virtue and describes her beauty. Her true lover comes to Jerusalem and she pledges herself to him.
IV. Maiden, Ladies, King, and Lover (5:2-8:4). The Shulamite maiden relates to the court of ladies a dream. She describes her lover and asks them to help her find him. Solomon renews his attempt to win her love but she loves another and again pleads with the court of ladies not to try to change her affections.
V. The Maiden's Triumph (8:5-14). Realizing that he cannot win her love, the king releases her, and her true lover takes her to her country home. The maiden states her triumph over temptation and is commended by her brothers. Her lover asks for a song and she sings (end of outline).
All who have the proper understanding of love will see within this poem the beauty of true love. The song is plain but not vulgar, save to him who has that kind of mind.
It seems that all who have studied the Song of Solomon admit that it is beautiful but difficult to understand. Since it is not quoted or explained anywhere in the Bible, we should strive to understand it as best we can and be sure that our understanding does not conflict with other portions of scripture.
- Apostolic Doctrine, Jan. 1962