Author: Little, Tim and Angela
Genre: Bible Studies / Devotionals
Tags: Christian Living / Cross / Discipleship
Series:
Rick Shrader‘s Review:
Tim and Angela Little (Tim is professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Faith Baptist Theological Seminary in Ankeny, IA) add a new and refreshing view of this difficult Old Testament book of wisdom literature. It is a passage by passage commentary on the book, but it also is a message to singles and married couples on how to handle sex. The message to singles is most important. Tim and Angela follow the “Adjuration Refrain” throughout the book. This becomes the “theme” of the book.
“Song of songs 2:7 and 3:5 read exactly the same: ‘I put you under oath, O daughters of Jerusalem; by the gazelles or by the does of the field; do not stir up, do not even awaken love, until it pleases.’ When a phrase is repeated in a small book like Song of Songs, that means it is an important phrase. It is called a refrain, kind of like a chorus in a song. Just like the chorus is repeated for emphasis, so also is this refrain. In fact, it is repeated a third time in a modified form in Song 8:4: ‘I put you under oath, O daughters of Jerusalem! Why would you stir it up? Why would you awaken love until it pleases?’ Three times the woman directly pleads with the single ladies not to awaken love until the appropriate time. While this refrain is primarily directed toward the single ladies, the single men are not exculded. When the woman says, ‘I plead with you,’ the pronoun you is masculine. So, this refrain is directed to all, but the specific audience is young ladies.” (p. 81)