Song of Songs

The three year Bible reading cycle I am on has just about left Song of Songs. I have had nothing to say about this selection. As I've read it in past years I have read it chastely, you might say. I've read it to spiritualize it. Some translations are actually very helpful in that regard. But commentors and even professors have talked of this as an erotic love song. DW mentioned that Jewish men were not allowed to read it until they were 35. That sounds an exaggeration. Well anyway, imagine Playboy for teen age Jewish kids at the time of Jesus. It's forbidden, that makes it all the more erotic. heh
Still one has to do a lot of work to see the eroticism. I do anyway. I think it comes down to language. The Hebrew language had very few words compared to English. So each word has to do a lot of heavy lifting. Each word can mean different things in different contexts. Here the context is passion, love making, sexual images. So I am trying to read it in that context.
But I have to stretch. How is a pomegranate a sexual word? Actually I think I know. But its not easy. One has to decide this word must be erotic and then go from there. How are breasts like a palm tree? It's a strange word picture for me. I have to use my mighty imagination. ;-)
There are fawns, gardens, mountains. All these can be interpreted erotically if one will. I suspect this was easier, more natural to the original Hebrew reader.
Isn't it amazing that such a book would be included in the Biblical canon? Surely God did create sexuality as good, and not just as a way to procreate the race. He meant for it to be mutually pleasurable.
There are even some spots which seem to address the angst, disappointment, insecurity that love can bring.
I always note with interest that the human condition has been the same since God made us and Adam fell into sin. I become aware of how we are part of the march of time. We are here for such a short while. Then we will be gone and others will continue on, just as we have continued on in the place of many before us of whom we only have records, maybe a few pictures, or maybe nothing at all.