|
|
Article: Song of Songs: A Commentary.(Book review)
- Article from:
- Shofar
- Article date:
- September 22, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 University of Nebraska Press. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Song of Songs: A Commentary, by J. Cheryl Exum. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2005. 263 pp. $39.95.
The Song of Songs expresses the various emotions associated with love in subtle poetry with vivid and often provocative metaphors. A proper interpretation of the book for an academic commentary requires all the usual skills of a Hebrew linguist, since the book is full of rare words and constructions, as well as first-hand knowledge of ancient Near Eastern love poems and culture. In addition, since the Song is poetry, the commentator must be sensitive to the ancient conventions of the poet. Even further, the Song is lyric poetry, and thus necessitates an ...