Is There Sin in Song of Solomon?

Question
I've seen some answers that express the possibility that Song of Solomon is written as an expression of love between a soon-to-be married couple. My question then is: aren't some parts of the book describing sexual intimacy, such as intercourse and nudity? So is the book then fantasizing about what they will do, or describing what they are doing? Or maybe they are being sexually intimate short of intercourse? What is your opinion?
Answer

Thanks for your question. It definitely isn’t describing what an unmarried couple were literally doing. Not only would this be sinful, but the imagery of Christ and his bride would be lost as well as the church is covenantally (legally) married to him.

The sections of the book that you describe as possible sexual intimacy and so on are probably part of a non-lucid “dream” where there is no conscious awareness or control. This actually helps with the imagery of Christ and his church in that the church (bride) “dreams” of what is in store in the new heavens and new earth.

In my opinion it would not be proper to say that anyone was “fantasizing” about the issues at hand. In the context of Song of Solomon, fantasizing could imply being awake and engaging in immoral thoughts. I can’t see the Holy Spirit inspiring such! This is just not the case here. Non-lucid dreams can’t be controlled, and one can describe a dream without being in sin regarding an issue. Think about John’s vision in Revelation, a dream per se that he couldn’t control, but was controlled by the Holy Spirit.

Personally, I believe this is the best way to read, interpret and understand the material.

Related Topics

Overview Song of Solomon

Answer by Dr. Joseph R. Nally, Jr.

Dr. Joseph R. Nally, Jr., D.D., M.Div. is the Theological Editor at Third Millennium Ministries (Thirdmill).