Proverbs, Ecclesiastes Song of Songs

The writing is clear, very readible,and insightful. It will be a good reference for me. The Rev. Dr. Mary Delaney

For centuries, rabbinic and Christian interpreters of the mysterious poem, Song of Songs, have argued over whether the dialogue is a mystical conversation between Israel/the believer and God on the one hand, or an erotic exchange between two human lovers on the other. Ellen Davis brilliantly and beautifully cuts through this false divide by showing how the Song is both these and more: a three-level presentation of the restored relationships between the people of God (Israel) and their lover (God); between human men and women (healing the rift from the Garden of Eden) and between Israel and the Land. With Davis' commentary, readers will suddenly experience the depth of this classic poem opened up with the spaciousness of the vast plains and the intimacy of the marital bed. A rare commentary that combines scholarly precision with faith-filled sensitivity to the importance and power of the biblical Word. Not only that, it's very readable by ordinary, literate people, not just scholars or pastors.

Ellen Davis is one of those rare scholars who is willing to go outside the mainstream to provide new and tantalizing interpretation of the Bible. Thinking particularly of her work on the Song of Songs, she gives a sensitive analysis that explores the religious metaphors of the Book. Rather than thinking of the Song as the least biblical of the Bible books, she argues that it is the most biblical of books. For example, the verse,"your nose is the tower of Lebanon" makes sense once you grasp that Lebanon is an exchange word for Jerusalem...since the temple of Solomon was built primarily from Lebanon wood. Unfortunately, some modern scholars refuse to even consider a religious reading of the Song...as if the great church and rabbinical thinkers were fools. Ellen Davis is correct that the rich imagery is closely linked INTERTEXTUALLY with other works of scripture. (Put another way, the Song of Solomon is written in the language of the Bible...not just Hebrew but in the language of the Bible). Once that point is understood, the Song becomes much more exciting to listen to. Hands down, this is one of the best books on the subject. Indeed, the author is the preeminent scholar on the ecological/spiritual aspects of the Song. Highly recommended.