What do you think?
Rate this book
The Love of Loves in the Song of Songs
We live in a world where sexuality is ruined by sin, its beauty obscured by our brokenness. We need a divine vision for the way love was meant to be , with a gospel that offers forgiveness for sin and grace to live in the way that God has made us to be. In the Song of Songs, we encounter a love story that is part of the greatest love story ever told. Philip Ryken walks through this biblical love poem verse by verse, reflecting on what the Bible says about God’s design for love, intimacy, and sexuality and offering insights into not only human relationships but also our relationship to God himself―learning more about the One who has loved us with an everlasting love.
200 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2019
22 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Philip Graham Ryken
109 books70 followersPhilip Graham Ryken is Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, where he has preached since 1995. He is Bible Teacher for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, speaking nationally on the radio program Every Last Word. Dr. Ryken was educated at Wheaton College (IL), Westminster Theological Seminary (PA) and the University of Oxford (UK), from which he received his doctorate in historical theology. He lives with his wife (Lisa) and children (Joshua, Kirsten, Jack, Kathryn, and Karoline) in Center City, Philadelphia. When he is not preaching or spending time with his family, he likes to read books, play sports, and ponder the relationship between Christian faith and American culture. He has written or edited more than twenty books, including Bible commentaries on Exodus, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Galatians.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 21, 2019
I really enjoyed this work. In fact, perhaps even more than I anticipated. Ryken is a gifted writer. Extremely lucid; care with the Biblical text; helpful modern examples; love for the gospel. He is not dogmatic in his interpretation of the Song of Solomon--some commentators are, but this is not the book to be strident in one's views, for it admits a range of approaches. Ryken balances the close meaning of a man and her beloved with the extended application of Christ's love for his church. This should not be an either/or proposition.
This book is not a verse-by-verse exposition. It is divided into 7 chapters, each addressing one song from the book. Ryken traces the general narrative flow but again is not stubborn in his views about what is happening in each scene. After all, this is not historical prose! It is a collection of songs likely sung at ancient Hebrew weddings. Trying to ferret out every detail is not the purpose in reading the book, even if we ought to pause and appreciate the exquisite poetry.
Unique among most approaches to the Song of Solomon, Ryken offers lots of exhortation to today's marriages (I guess you could call this this tertiary meaning, after the first two mentioned above). His college setting is evident, for most of his application is addressed toward the as-of-yet unmarried (which of course matches the characters in the first half of the book). This application was helpful, never moralistic.
This book also has an extensive Discussion Guide, crafted by a trusted local pastor whom Ryken thanks in the acknowledgements. It would make for an excellent shortish Bible study (two months?), but is very worthwhile as a straight-through read as well.
This book is not a verse-by-verse exposition. It is divided into 7 chapters, each addressing one song from the book. Ryken traces the general narrative flow but again is not stubborn in his views about what is happening in each scene. After all, this is not historical prose! It is a collection of songs likely sung at ancient Hebrew weddings. Trying to ferret out every detail is not the purpose in reading the book, even if we ought to pause and appreciate the exquisite poetry.
Unique among most approaches to the Song of Solomon, Ryken offers lots of exhortation to today's marriages (I guess you could call this this tertiary meaning, after the first two mentioned above). His college setting is evident, for most of his application is addressed toward the as-of-yet unmarried (which of course matches the characters in the first half of the book). This application was helpful, never moralistic.
This book also has an extensive Discussion Guide, crafted by a trusted local pastor whom Ryken thanks in the acknowledgements. It would make for an excellent shortish Bible study (two months?), but is very worthwhile as a straight-through read as well.
September 21, 2025
Can read this in a couple hours. Not necessarily new information, but a generally refreshing account on the Song of Solomon and the gospel.
“A faithful marriage is the gospel made visible to the watching world.”
“Will we let our sinful desires govern our reading of Scripture, or will we let the Bible teach us what we should want?”
“I was accepted without qualification, forgiven without question, and loved without reservation by my best friend in the whole wide world.”
“We are fickle, but He is faithful, so against all odds, we are still together.”
“A faithful marriage is the gospel made visible to the watching world.”
“Will we let our sinful desires govern our reading of Scripture, or will we let the Bible teach us what we should want?”
“I was accepted without qualification, forgiven without question, and loved without reservation by my best friend in the whole wide world.”
“We are fickle, but He is faithful, so against all odds, we are still together.”
June 4, 2024
This is the most in depth I've looked at the Song of Solomon, potentially rivaled by Pastor Chris' teachings on it from like 10 years ago. It's a very digestible, straight to the point book- a more diligent reader than myself could finish it in a couple days. Ryken has some really valuable insight throughout and paints a beautiful picture of Christ's love for His church as the penultimate marriage. That's the overarching emphasis, and man it made me really excited for the day when we are reunited with Jesus- not to meet a stranger we read about in our Bible, but our closest Friend who has been with us our whole life, who we now can meet face to face. (face reveal). But until then... marriage on earth seems pretty cool too. I have more thoughts which I began to type, but I am going to pivot to my journal.
Also rating books is really hard. I have no complaints, and I liked reading it, 5 stars whatever.
Also rating books is really hard. I have no complaints, and I liked reading it, 5 stars whatever.
August 31, 2020
Excellent book!
Unlike other books on the Song of Songs that try to allegorise and overtly re-interpret everything Christocentrically, this book deals with the actual content––its sexual and erotic tones that mirror a perfect love and marriage that reflects God's standard.
Nonetheless, Ryken does not fail by principle to contrast this perfect earthly marriage with the NT concept of Christ and his bride: reminding us both of our earthly relationship and heavenly relationship. Perfectly well balanced!
Unlike other books on the Song of Songs that try to allegorise and overtly re-interpret everything Christocentrically, this book deals with the actual content––its sexual and erotic tones that mirror a perfect love and marriage that reflects God's standard.
Nonetheless, Ryken does not fail by principle to contrast this perfect earthly marriage with the NT concept of Christ and his bride: reminding us both of our earthly relationship and heavenly relationship. Perfectly well balanced!
February 11, 2019
First sentence: The woman slipped into the pew in front of me and sat down, alone, just a few minutes before the worship service began.
The Love of Loves in the Song of Songs is a commentary on the book Song of Songs or Song of Solomon--depending on your bible translation. Ryken guides readers verse by verse, chapter by chapter through this Old Testament wisdom book. He invites readers to think of this book as an album of love songs. There are tracks--songs--capturing the whole experience. Courtship. Wedding. Honeymoon. Being In Love. Fighting and making up again. The chapters of this one are poems--songs--and the story they tell isn't as straight-forward (if straight-forward at all) as other genres of Scripture--aka historical writings.
Why do believers need to study the Song of Songs?
In the introduction Ryken writes, "We live in a world where sexuality is ruined by sin, its beauty obscured by our brokenness. We need a divine vision for the way sex was meant to be, with a gospel that offers forgiveness for sexual sin and an empowering grace to live into the sexuality that God wants to give us."
Is the book about human sexuality and marriage? Is the book about Christ's love for the church? Every commentary has to pick a way to interpret the book. Ryken answers with a yes to both. He argues that it isn't about a historical couple--Solomon and one of his many wives. He argues that it is about an ideal couple--courtship and marriage as it should be even if it isn't always. He also believes that it can teach us a great deal about God's love for his people. When Ryken is through guiding us through the book Song of Songs, he takes a chapter to flash to the REAL happily-ever-after--Christ's marriage to the church as celebrated in the book of Revelation.
Who is this book for? Engaged couples? Married couples? Single people? Ryken's audience is all the above. He makes a case that the book is equally for the single. And not in the wimpy way that single people will one day marry and need to start preparing their hearts and marriage now for that moment when all the waiting will be over. He acknowledges that not every single person will marry--and that God's plan may include singleness. That God's good and perfect plan may never include marriage for some. To be single is not to be missing out on God's magnificent plan.
I had my doubts about how much I'd like this one. I am single. I didn't really know how applicable this one would ever be to me. But I found it worth reading.
Quotes:
The Love of Loves in the Song of Songs is a commentary on the book Song of Songs or Song of Solomon--depending on your bible translation. Ryken guides readers verse by verse, chapter by chapter through this Old Testament wisdom book. He invites readers to think of this book as an album of love songs. There are tracks--songs--capturing the whole experience. Courtship. Wedding. Honeymoon. Being In Love. Fighting and making up again. The chapters of this one are poems--songs--and the story they tell isn't as straight-forward (if straight-forward at all) as other genres of Scripture--aka historical writings.
Why do believers need to study the Song of Songs?
In the introduction Ryken writes, "We live in a world where sexuality is ruined by sin, its beauty obscured by our brokenness. We need a divine vision for the way sex was meant to be, with a gospel that offers forgiveness for sexual sin and an empowering grace to live into the sexuality that God wants to give us."
Is the book about human sexuality and marriage? Is the book about Christ's love for the church? Every commentary has to pick a way to interpret the book. Ryken answers with a yes to both. He argues that it isn't about a historical couple--Solomon and one of his many wives. He argues that it is about an ideal couple--courtship and marriage as it should be even if it isn't always. He also believes that it can teach us a great deal about God's love for his people. When Ryken is through guiding us through the book Song of Songs, he takes a chapter to flash to the REAL happily-ever-after--Christ's marriage to the church as celebrated in the book of Revelation.
Who is this book for? Engaged couples? Married couples? Single people? Ryken's audience is all the above. He makes a case that the book is equally for the single. And not in the wimpy way that single people will one day marry and need to start preparing their hearts and marriage now for that moment when all the waiting will be over. He acknowledges that not every single person will marry--and that God's plan may include singleness. That God's good and perfect plan may never include marriage for some. To be single is not to be missing out on God's magnificent plan.
I had my doubts about how much I'd like this one. I am single. I didn't really know how applicable this one would ever be to me. But I found it worth reading.
Quotes:
Sexual restraint is spiritually fruitful. One day the cross-bearing we do with our sexual desires will be crowned with honor and consummated in the eternal life of Jesus Christ.
We all have a choice to make, whether we are married or single, and whether we desire the same sex or the opposite sex. Will we let our sinful desires govern our reading of Scripture, or will we let the Bible teach us what we should want? Will we let temptation take control, or will we honor God with our bodies by embracing his purposes for our sexuality?
When obedience to God contradicts what I think will give me pleasure, let me ask myself if I love him. ~ Elisabeth Elliot
If I do love Jesus, I will choose purity for him over pleasure for myself.
The Song of Songs is like the box top for a jigsaw puzzle. When you dump the pieces on the table, they're a total mess; you need a picture to help put them into place. The Song of Songs is a picture of love for people who are still figuring out how the pieces fit together. It doesn't show us everything that's broken, but mainly shows us the way things were always meant to be.
When the Bible says that God is our husband, and when it says that Jesus is the Bridegroom of our salvation, it means that we are loved with this kind of love--the ardent affection that we see in the Song of Songs.
We need to be careful not to think that sexual sins are worse than other sins, or that they carry a special stigma.
The sacrifice we make in pursuing sexual purity is a precious gift to God. Practicing celibacy is not merely refraining from any form of sexual intimacy; it is the active choice to dedicate our bodies to God.
It only takes one person to forgive, but it takes at least two people to reconcile. This is the basic difference between forgiveness and reconciliation.
The love of Jesus is as strong as death--no stronger! He loved you all the way to death on the cross, but his love did not die in the grave. His death was the defeat of death, and therefore on the third day he rose again with the power of eternal love. His triumphant love for you can never be extinguished by any doubt, drowned by any sorrow, or quenched by any enemy, which means that the song of his love for you will never, ever end.
When things go wrong, as they certainly will, we should remember that we are not off script. Instead, we should realize that whatever we are going through was always going to be part of our story.
Sin brings suffering into the world, and there is no way for anyone to escape it. But our trials are only temporary. We will have more joys and more sorrows until our story takes its final turn--one last twist in the plot. Then there will be no more death and no more pain forever!
March 24, 2025
I found this book so helpful, because time and time again Ryken shows us Jesus in all His beauty. When he goes to Christ, it isn't contrived or forcing an analogy, but beautifully opens up Song of Songs to show us the True Bridegroom.
For anyone teaching through SoS, this would be very helpful, not necessarily in giving super detail study/commentary, but most importantly showing how SoS can point us to Jesus Himself.
He was also very helpful in how he thought about the different contexts people might be in, married, single, widowed, broken marriage.
Here are some quotes I wanted to keep coming back to:
'The reason God tells us not to awaken sexual desire before its time is very simple: when we share sexual intimacy with the wrong person at the wrong time - or when we gratify sexual desire all by ourselves - we destroy relationships. Sex is like superglue: it is designed to form a lifetime bond between husband and wife. But when we use it in all the wrong ways, it loses its power. If we are not careful, the superglue of sex will end up losing its power to unite, like a sticky note that we have pressed down and pulled off a few dozen times. This is not to say that our sins cannot be forgiven, that our sexuality cannot be redeemed, or that the bonding power of sex cannot be restored in the context of a faithful marriage. But it does explain why even when your body and your culture say yes, the Holy Spirit may say, "Not now," "Not yet," or even "No, this is not the plan I have for you."
The gift of our sexuality is a huge test for us. God is calling all of us - in one way or another - to what one pastor has termed "consistent sexual sacrifice."
... What is really at stake in the sexual choices we make is our relationship to Jesus. Sex is never disconnected from the rest of spiritual life. In fact, it is as closely connected to our souls as anything else in the world. As Paul Tripp explains:
'Sex is presented in Scripture as a principal way a person expresses his submission to or revelations against God... Human beings live out of one of only two identities: that I am ultimate and autotonomous or that I am created and dependent on God. Our sexuality constantly forces us to choose between these two identities. At the same, our sin in this area shows us our need for God's mercy: It is when I am confronted with my utter inability to meet the demands of God's standards that I am also confronted with the reality and majesty of His grace... Sex reveals my need of grace. God's call to sexual purity is as impossible for me to achieve without His help as it would have been for me to save myself.'
'If we do not answer God's call to sexual purity, the Gospel will not penetrate this area of our lives. But the more we pursue sexual purity, the more passion there will be in our relationship with Jesus... As we move toward purity, we move toward Jesus.' (p.57-58)
Quoting Elisabeth Elliot, "When obedience to God contradicts what I think will give me pleasure, let me ask myself if I love Him."
'The Song of Songs is for lovers - not just in human relationships but also in our soul's relationship to God. Remember, the human experience of love and marriage always speaks to us about the deep mystery of redemption, in which God the Father promises to present us as a beautiful bride to his beloved Son. Thus the passion we see in the lover and the beloved from the Song of Songs - a passion they protect with their purity - calls us to fall deeper in love with Jesus Christ.
'According to the imagery of the Song of Songs, Jesus is the apple tree of our salvation. He is the source of our rest abd refreshment, whose fruit is sweet to our taste. He invites us to behold His rare beauty, even as He celebrates the beauty He has created in us. His banner over us is love - a banner that bears the emblem of the cross where he died for our sins (including all our sexual sins). Now He invites us into His banqueting house, where the bread and wine on His table provide rich food for our souls...
'Our Beloved Saviour is calling us into a deeper love.' (p.58-59)
'Not only did Jesus protect the vineyard of His own body by resisting the temptation to sexual sin, but He also restored our own spoiled vineyards through His death on the cross. Therefore, God's promise of forgiveness is as true for our sexual transgressions as it is for anything...(1 Jn 1:9). By His grace, God has made peace with us, even after all our spiritual promiscuity... Our iniquity is not our identity...our history is not our destiny. What counts far more than our record of wrongs is the perfect faithfulness of our heavenly Husband. We are holy in Jesus.' (p.76-77)
'One of the main reasons the Bible tells us not to arouse desire unwisely is that the Holy Spirit does not want anything to get in the way of our soul's relationship with our Saviour. God wants everything for us that the lovers had in the Song of Songs, and more. He wants to be the Redeemer of our dreams. He wants us to want to be with Him all the time. He wants us to seek Him and find Him and never let Him go. He wants us to be able to say, "My beloved is mine, and I am his."' (p.78)
'Know this: you have a Saviour who loved you with the same kind of love, to infinite perfection. He started to show you His love when He came knocking on the door to your heart (see Rev 3:20 & Song of Songs 5). Even when you turned your back on Him - more than once - He came looking for you. Heedless of all danger, He was willing to endure every kind of abuse, up to and including crucifixion. To personalise one good old hymn, "From heaven He came and sought you, to be His holy bride; with His own blood He bought you, and for your life He died."
'Knowing exactly what kind of sinner you are, Jesus nevertheless was willing to fight for your love all the way to the cross. He did this because He loves you, because He sees the beauty in you, and because He wants to have a relationship with you that will go on and on forever. This is your Lover. This is your Friend.' (p.112-113)
'In the spiritual mystery of our marriage to Christ, Jesus is a one-woman man, so to speak. He has never wavered in His affection for His people - for everyone who belpngs to Him by faith. As imperfect as we are, He sees us as the perfect people for Him. So whenever there is a breach in our relationship - which is always our fault, never His - He comes to us again and tells us how beautiful we are, how much He loves us, and how pure we are in His sight. Jesus gives us every reassurance that even after everything we have done wrong, we are still the object of His affection.' (p.122, reflecting on SS 6:4-8:4)
'...When one of their fathers was asked about the martyrdom of his son (Libya 2014), he offered a Gospel perspective that anticipated the end of his son's story: "He left to marry heaven, where he'll meet Christ."
Knowing who we will meet at the end of the story also gives us the courage to persevere through present trials. ...flip ahead to the last chaptet and remember how the story ends. Then we will realise that by the grace of God, we are going to make it to the last chapter. When we doubt we can take another step, when we don't think we can make it through even one more day, we should anticipate the final scene. There we can see ourselves standing with our Lover and Friend in the new heavens and the new earth. The vows that Jesus has made to us are not conditional. He has promised to love us no matter what and stay with us to the very end.' (p.155)
Quoting Lilias Trotter (Victorian North African missionary): "Take the very hardest thing in your life - the place of difficulty, outward or inward, and expect God to triumph gloriously in that very spot. Just there He can bring your soul into blossom!" (p.159)
For anyone teaching through SoS, this would be very helpful, not necessarily in giving super detail study/commentary, but most importantly showing how SoS can point us to Jesus Himself.
He was also very helpful in how he thought about the different contexts people might be in, married, single, widowed, broken marriage.
Here are some quotes I wanted to keep coming back to:
'The reason God tells us not to awaken sexual desire before its time is very simple: when we share sexual intimacy with the wrong person at the wrong time - or when we gratify sexual desire all by ourselves - we destroy relationships. Sex is like superglue: it is designed to form a lifetime bond between husband and wife. But when we use it in all the wrong ways, it loses its power. If we are not careful, the superglue of sex will end up losing its power to unite, like a sticky note that we have pressed down and pulled off a few dozen times. This is not to say that our sins cannot be forgiven, that our sexuality cannot be redeemed, or that the bonding power of sex cannot be restored in the context of a faithful marriage. But it does explain why even when your body and your culture say yes, the Holy Spirit may say, "Not now," "Not yet," or even "No, this is not the plan I have for you."
The gift of our sexuality is a huge test for us. God is calling all of us - in one way or another - to what one pastor has termed "consistent sexual sacrifice."
... What is really at stake in the sexual choices we make is our relationship to Jesus. Sex is never disconnected from the rest of spiritual life. In fact, it is as closely connected to our souls as anything else in the world. As Paul Tripp explains:
'Sex is presented in Scripture as a principal way a person expresses his submission to or revelations against God... Human beings live out of one of only two identities: that I am ultimate and autotonomous or that I am created and dependent on God. Our sexuality constantly forces us to choose between these two identities. At the same, our sin in this area shows us our need for God's mercy: It is when I am confronted with my utter inability to meet the demands of God's standards that I am also confronted with the reality and majesty of His grace... Sex reveals my need of grace. God's call to sexual purity is as impossible for me to achieve without His help as it would have been for me to save myself.'
'If we do not answer God's call to sexual purity, the Gospel will not penetrate this area of our lives. But the more we pursue sexual purity, the more passion there will be in our relationship with Jesus... As we move toward purity, we move toward Jesus.' (p.57-58)
Quoting Elisabeth Elliot, "When obedience to God contradicts what I think will give me pleasure, let me ask myself if I love Him."
'The Song of Songs is for lovers - not just in human relationships but also in our soul's relationship to God. Remember, the human experience of love and marriage always speaks to us about the deep mystery of redemption, in which God the Father promises to present us as a beautiful bride to his beloved Son. Thus the passion we see in the lover and the beloved from the Song of Songs - a passion they protect with their purity - calls us to fall deeper in love with Jesus Christ.
'According to the imagery of the Song of Songs, Jesus is the apple tree of our salvation. He is the source of our rest abd refreshment, whose fruit is sweet to our taste. He invites us to behold His rare beauty, even as He celebrates the beauty He has created in us. His banner over us is love - a banner that bears the emblem of the cross where he died for our sins (including all our sexual sins). Now He invites us into His banqueting house, where the bread and wine on His table provide rich food for our souls...
'Our Beloved Saviour is calling us into a deeper love.' (p.58-59)
'Not only did Jesus protect the vineyard of His own body by resisting the temptation to sexual sin, but He also restored our own spoiled vineyards through His death on the cross. Therefore, God's promise of forgiveness is as true for our sexual transgressions as it is for anything...(1 Jn 1:9). By His grace, God has made peace with us, even after all our spiritual promiscuity... Our iniquity is not our identity...our history is not our destiny. What counts far more than our record of wrongs is the perfect faithfulness of our heavenly Husband. We are holy in Jesus.' (p.76-77)
'One of the main reasons the Bible tells us not to arouse desire unwisely is that the Holy Spirit does not want anything to get in the way of our soul's relationship with our Saviour. God wants everything for us that the lovers had in the Song of Songs, and more. He wants to be the Redeemer of our dreams. He wants us to want to be with Him all the time. He wants us to seek Him and find Him and never let Him go. He wants us to be able to say, "My beloved is mine, and I am his."' (p.78)
'Know this: you have a Saviour who loved you with the same kind of love, to infinite perfection. He started to show you His love when He came knocking on the door to your heart (see Rev 3:20 & Song of Songs 5). Even when you turned your back on Him - more than once - He came looking for you. Heedless of all danger, He was willing to endure every kind of abuse, up to and including crucifixion. To personalise one good old hymn, "From heaven He came and sought you, to be His holy bride; with His own blood He bought you, and for your life He died."
'Knowing exactly what kind of sinner you are, Jesus nevertheless was willing to fight for your love all the way to the cross. He did this because He loves you, because He sees the beauty in you, and because He wants to have a relationship with you that will go on and on forever. This is your Lover. This is your Friend.' (p.112-113)
'In the spiritual mystery of our marriage to Christ, Jesus is a one-woman man, so to speak. He has never wavered in His affection for His people - for everyone who belpngs to Him by faith. As imperfect as we are, He sees us as the perfect people for Him. So whenever there is a breach in our relationship - which is always our fault, never His - He comes to us again and tells us how beautiful we are, how much He loves us, and how pure we are in His sight. Jesus gives us every reassurance that even after everything we have done wrong, we are still the object of His affection.' (p.122, reflecting on SS 6:4-8:4)
'...When one of their fathers was asked about the martyrdom of his son (Libya 2014), he offered a Gospel perspective that anticipated the end of his son's story: "He left to marry heaven, where he'll meet Christ."
Knowing who we will meet at the end of the story also gives us the courage to persevere through present trials. ...flip ahead to the last chaptet and remember how the story ends. Then we will realise that by the grace of God, we are going to make it to the last chapter. When we doubt we can take another step, when we don't think we can make it through even one more day, we should anticipate the final scene. There we can see ourselves standing with our Lover and Friend in the new heavens and the new earth. The vows that Jesus has made to us are not conditional. He has promised to love us no matter what and stay with us to the very end.' (p.155)
Quoting Lilias Trotter (Victorian North African missionary): "Take the very hardest thing in your life - the place of difficulty, outward or inward, and expect God to triumph gloriously in that very spot. Just there He can bring your soul into blossom!" (p.159)
January 8, 2025
What a great exposition of the Song of Songs. Reading this reminds me of Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" because it is for a lack of a phrase to describe it, a "sanctifying look" at sex and sexuality intended as the Father had designed it. This is a Christ-centred book
.
.
February 22, 2019
The mystery of marriage is one of the Bible's main metaphors for the romance of our redemption. We are fickle, but he is faithful, so against all odds, we are still together. Tim Keller likes to say that God has been trapped in the longest bad marriage in history. Even when he had legitimate grounds for divorce, God never gave upon his people. This is all leading up to the happy day when the church of Jesus Christ will be presented as a perfect bride for the Son of God.
The Songs of Solomon, a small book of the Old Testament that is poetic in nature but overwhelming shares the attributes of our Savior told in a love story. The desires of both man and woman for each other. How they respond to each other with passion and a fierceness that is love centered. God is not prudish but he is faithful and loyal. A purity that is rare and beautiful when love is protected and pursued. A relationship that is celebrated as it is set apart for holiness.
Each chapter goes thru the scripture as it written and the context begins. The context in bibical times and how it pertains to our marriage and most important our relationship with the Father. I resonated with what Ryken says that there are passages where the Bible shows us the way things were meant to be. The word of God is not being unrealistic when it does this; instead it is holding out a promise. We desperately want everything to be right with the world. This in itself is a clue that we were made for eternity. In fact, it is more than a hint: it is an invitation. Through the Songs of Songs, Jesus is calling us to come away and be his love.
This study gave me a new appreciation for this book of the bible that is not taught much but should. The key word of the book is my beloved. What a sweet phrase to be called someone's beloved. My favorite is My beloved is mine and I am his. A relationship that is set apart from all relationships. That is soul satisfying and heart pursuing. I highly recommend.
A Special Thank you to Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
The Songs of Solomon, a small book of the Old Testament that is poetic in nature but overwhelming shares the attributes of our Savior told in a love story. The desires of both man and woman for each other. How they respond to each other with passion and a fierceness that is love centered. God is not prudish but he is faithful and loyal. A purity that is rare and beautiful when love is protected and pursued. A relationship that is celebrated as it is set apart for holiness.
Each chapter goes thru the scripture as it written and the context begins. The context in bibical times and how it pertains to our marriage and most important our relationship with the Father. I resonated with what Ryken says that there are passages where the Bible shows us the way things were meant to be. The word of God is not being unrealistic when it does this; instead it is holding out a promise. We desperately want everything to be right with the world. This in itself is a clue that we were made for eternity. In fact, it is more than a hint: it is an invitation. Through the Songs of Songs, Jesus is calling us to come away and be his love.
This study gave me a new appreciation for this book of the bible that is not taught much but should. The key word of the book is my beloved. What a sweet phrase to be called someone's beloved. My favorite is My beloved is mine and I am his. A relationship that is set apart from all relationships. That is soul satisfying and heart pursuing. I highly recommend.
A Special Thank you to Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
April 8, 2019
If you were to list the most popular books of the Bible — those most preached from or commented on — would Song of Solomon make your list? Probably not. In his new book "The Love of Loves in the Song of Songs", Philip Ryken points out that in actuality for most of Church history (up through the 1600s), Song of Solomon would find its place near the top of that list (p. 44)! This is surprising to anyone familiar with Solomon’s Song because no book in the Bible is more sure to bring redness to the face when read aloud in mixed company! Indeed the book is a collection of love poems centering on the relationship between a man and woman, which like many love poems can be quite suggestive and evocative (almost erotic).
For those who need help in understanding and appreciating the Song of Solomon I recommend picking up Philip Ryken’s new book "The Love of Loves in the Song of Songs". This book helpfully includes the entire biblical text (ESV) of Song of Solomon alongside Ryken’s easy to read devotional thoughts on this fascinating (and often troubling) book.
In earlier eras of the church, Song of Solomon was often interpreted allegorically as a way to sanctify its use in the church. Ryken approaches the Song in a similar way noting that it “awakens a desire for intimacy that can be satisfied only by a personal relationship with the living God.” (p. 44). He notes how sexual imagery is often used to describe Israel’s rejection of the exclusive worship of Jehovah. And marriage itself is a picture both of God’s relationship with Israel, and more especially (from our perspective) Christ’s relationship with the Church. Yet Ryken stops short of reading the book allegorically: there are parallels between the relationship between Christ and the Church in the relationship idealized in Song of Solomon, but there is also something to be learned with regard to human relationships as well.
The context of the love relationship described is, according to Ryken, a covenant marriage: he affirms that the book upholds traditional Christian teaching that sexuality is intended to flourish within (and only within) a marriage between a man and a woman. Ryken also holds that the book uses Solomon as an ideal figure but the relationship described is not necessarily Solomon’s. He doesn’t speak too dogmatically on that interpretive point, however. Ryken does draw out important lessons from the book with regard to singleness, purity, engagement and marriage — and more.
But Song of Solomon is more than a marriage manual or typological description of Christ and the Church. It is poetry. Ryken often describes the book as a collection of song lyrics: “Read this book the way you read the liner notes to an album of love songs” (p. 31-32). Ryken masterfully reads the poetry and follows the Hebrew text to spell out who is talking and sets the stage, so we can follow along and enjoy the love poems and their underlying story.
One other point deserves mention with respect to Ryken’s handling of the text. Ryken does not eagerly proclaim Song of Solomon as a manifesto on sexual liberation. Instead he finds its instruction on marital love appropriately muted by the poetic nature of the book, and not as graphic or explicit as quite a few modern writers envision.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Love of Love". It rekindled my appreciation for Solomon’s Song. I highly recommend it.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.
For those who need help in understanding and appreciating the Song of Solomon I recommend picking up Philip Ryken’s new book "The Love of Loves in the Song of Songs". This book helpfully includes the entire biblical text (ESV) of Song of Solomon alongside Ryken’s easy to read devotional thoughts on this fascinating (and often troubling) book.
In earlier eras of the church, Song of Solomon was often interpreted allegorically as a way to sanctify its use in the church. Ryken approaches the Song in a similar way noting that it “awakens a desire for intimacy that can be satisfied only by a personal relationship with the living God.” (p. 44). He notes how sexual imagery is often used to describe Israel’s rejection of the exclusive worship of Jehovah. And marriage itself is a picture both of God’s relationship with Israel, and more especially (from our perspective) Christ’s relationship with the Church. Yet Ryken stops short of reading the book allegorically: there are parallels between the relationship between Christ and the Church in the relationship idealized in Song of Solomon, but there is also something to be learned with regard to human relationships as well.
The context of the love relationship described is, according to Ryken, a covenant marriage: he affirms that the book upholds traditional Christian teaching that sexuality is intended to flourish within (and only within) a marriage between a man and a woman. Ryken also holds that the book uses Solomon as an ideal figure but the relationship described is not necessarily Solomon’s. He doesn’t speak too dogmatically on that interpretive point, however. Ryken does draw out important lessons from the book with regard to singleness, purity, engagement and marriage — and more.
But Song of Solomon is more than a marriage manual or typological description of Christ and the Church. It is poetry. Ryken often describes the book as a collection of song lyrics: “Read this book the way you read the liner notes to an album of love songs” (p. 31-32). Ryken masterfully reads the poetry and follows the Hebrew text to spell out who is talking and sets the stage, so we can follow along and enjoy the love poems and their underlying story.
One other point deserves mention with respect to Ryken’s handling of the text. Ryken does not eagerly proclaim Song of Solomon as a manifesto on sexual liberation. Instead he finds its instruction on marital love appropriately muted by the poetic nature of the book, and not as graphic or explicit as quite a few modern writers envision.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Love of Love". It rekindled my appreciation for Solomon’s Song. I highly recommend it.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.
September 3, 2020
“The Song of Songs is like the box top for a jigsaw puzzle. When you dump the pieces on the table, they’re a total mess; you need a picture to help put them into place. The Song of Songs is a picture of love for people who are still figuring out how the pieces fit together. It doesn’t show us everything that’s broken, but mainly shows us the way things were always meant to be.”
Ryken undertakes one version of interpretation of the Biblical book Song of Solomon. He undergirds the book as a practical guide for relationships in light of KChrist’s love us especially centered on the love of Christ and the church as to that of the love experienced between a couple. One could call this Ryken’s mixtape on healthy love and relationships as there is a lot of direct application for married couples as well as those that are still single. Because of this, at times, it felt too pastoral though I can easily excuse this as he built it around his university context.
It is not a verse by verse commentary so much as a resource for contemplation and meditation than edification or preaching. In a few places, I felt it was tame and lacked the oomph in engaging with spiritual eroticism.
It is thick in experiential connection to Christ and even if you do not use the practical buide at the end each section lends itself to good meditation and contemplation.
Tags: Bible; theology
Who might be interested: couples, single (healthy sexuality)
**This was a review copy**
Ryken undertakes one version of interpretation of the Biblical book Song of Solomon. He undergirds the book as a practical guide for relationships in light of KChrist’s love us especially centered on the love of Christ and the church as to that of the love experienced between a couple. One could call this Ryken’s mixtape on healthy love and relationships as there is a lot of direct application for married couples as well as those that are still single. Because of this, at times, it felt too pastoral though I can easily excuse this as he built it around his university context.
It is not a verse by verse commentary so much as a resource for contemplation and meditation than edification or preaching. In a few places, I felt it was tame and lacked the oomph in engaging with spiritual eroticism.
It is thick in experiential connection to Christ and even if you do not use the practical buide at the end each section lends itself to good meditation and contemplation.
Tags: Bible; theology
Who might be interested: couples, single (healthy sexuality)
**This was a review copy**
January 28, 2019
This gives a wonderful perspective of God's great love for His bride, the church, and each individual He has created. He has created us with a deep yearning in our hearts for His love and Song of Songs is a series of love poems using the allegory of the lover and his beloved as a means for demonstrating how deep His love is for each of us.
Ryken does an excellent job making Song of Songs very accessible and understandable. As Ryken says near the end "This remarkable book (ie Song of Songs) tells us what kind of relationship God wants to have with us: passionate, affectionate, driven by holy desire." That's the kind of relationship I desire with the Lord.
Further, the Song of Songs gives great insight to what a great marriage looks like and doesn't shy away from the wonder and magic of sexual intimacy in a marriage.
It's not a deeply exegetical study and perhaps if you were wanting more depth could combine this with another commentary of sorts, however, I found it tremendously satisfying and is sufficient for me at this time. The book also provides a series of discussion questions for each chapter at the end.
I received a PDF copy via Net Galley supplied by Crossway, however, this had no bearing on my review.
Ryken does an excellent job making Song of Songs very accessible and understandable. As Ryken says near the end "This remarkable book (ie Song of Songs) tells us what kind of relationship God wants to have with us: passionate, affectionate, driven by holy desire." That's the kind of relationship I desire with the Lord.
Further, the Song of Songs gives great insight to what a great marriage looks like and doesn't shy away from the wonder and magic of sexual intimacy in a marriage.
It's not a deeply exegetical study and perhaps if you were wanting more depth could combine this with another commentary of sorts, however, I found it tremendously satisfying and is sufficient for me at this time. The book also provides a series of discussion questions for each chapter at the end.
I received a PDF copy via Net Galley supplied by Crossway, however, this had no bearing on my review.
December 23, 2018
The Love of Loves in the Song of Songs looks at each verse of the Song of Songs, a book from the Bible. I always liked this book best, because I always saw it as a representation of an eternal and powerful love between God and a person. I believe it’s symbolically about a persons’ relationship with God. Our author goes a bit further. He describes some of the historical background and customs that are referred to in the Song of Songs, thus putting them into context. He also relates the Song of Songs to a monogamous love between a man and a woman. Although I do not agree with every single interpretation of the Song of Songs that he makes here, I find that this book might be a good one for meditation on these wonderful verses.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
January 22, 2019
The Love of Loves in the Song of Songs is an in-depth look into the Songs of Solomon. I enjoyed learning more about these verses and understanding what was intending by each verse. Each book chapter has two parts. The first part is the discussion of each passage broken down. This is where the book is at its' strongest, providing insight into this Book of the Bible. The second section then tries to connect the book to Jesus. The author did not present clear biblical evidence to link the two and I felt many ideas were a bit of a stretch.
Overall, I learned a lot about the Songs of Solomon.
I received an ARC through NetGalley; al opinions are my own.
Overall, I learned a lot about the Songs of Solomon.
I received an ARC through NetGalley; al opinions are my own.
July 19, 2019
This book captures the heart in the prologue. A deep theological truth of God’s covenant love expressed toward individuals as demonstrated through the metaphor of marriage is explained with scholarship, integrity and honesty. The continued reminder of the overall context of this Book by the author focuses the readers’ attention on the grandeur exemplified in the marriage vows of those who wait in purity and of those restored to purity until the day they are married. This is a book for single as well as married people. I recommend it for all Christians.
August 16, 2024
When I picked up this book I was looking for a commentary that was "thorough, but not too dense" and this was way lighter than I wanted. Think all the worst parts of Paul Miller without any of the really good bits. I also really didn't like that Ryken basically told the story as he understood it without ever noting where theologians disagree with one another. Didn't seem like he was really wrestling with the poetry, just trying to make it palatable (i.e. straightforward) to a young-Christian audience.
February 9, 2025
A light study of Song of Songs. This book did a good job of overviewing the book: covering the main ideas, explaining the basic structure, drawing out application and connecting with redemptive themes and Christ’s return.
This book did leave me wanting more depth.
I think this would be a great read for a person who is single or dating - most application described would pertain to and be helpful for a Christian in those stages of life.
This book did leave me wanting more depth.
I think this would be a great read for a person who is single or dating - most application described would pertain to and be helpful for a Christian in those stages of life.
October 19, 2022
Love love love this book! Song of Songs was the book I least liked in the Bible, but this book got me to not only learn a lot from it, but also to love it! Dr. Ryken’s writing style is also fun and easy to read. Definitely recommend this book for those who are struggling to like Song of Songs, who are thinking it is too cheesy, or who are not into poems.
January 30, 2023
I find the unfolding motif of Christ and his bride (the Church) to be one of the most beautiful imagery that parallels reality. Romance, love, dating, marriage, and intimacy–these are all but foretastes to our ultimate marriage to Christ. Ryken elaborates on this often disregarded reality through his commentary on Song of Songs.
July 20, 2019
Ryken carefully examines the text of Song of Songs while offering practical application for relationships, but also relates it to the believers’ relationship with Christ (without over-interpreting every minute detail).
June 5, 2022
One of the best books I’ve ever read. It def fed my spirit right. A perfect mix between practical validation, conviction, empowerment, and spiritual counselling. I would recommend it to anyone struggling to understand how love should work in the kingdom of God
March 12, 2019
Excellent în terms of the premise that the song is not hypererotic. Perhaps a bit too pastoral. Some weaker exegesis of passages.
March 9, 2020
At the very end, we’ll marry the Son of God and live happily ever after, which is exactly the way a love story is supposed to end. This is the Love of Loves in the Song of Songs ❤️
July 17, 2020
Helpful insight into the text of Song of Songs. Explained areas that were unclear.
October 14, 2020
This book opens my eyes to the real biblical meaning of the Book of Song of Songs. It's a good introduction for us Christians, and remove misconception of the book. Lovely.
September 27, 2021
Beautiful and thought-provoking.
January 30, 2022
While I want to do more indepth study of Song of Solomon, I found this book helpful in giving perspective on both interpretation and application of this important Book.
December 31, 2024
The book itself is nothing extraordinary but it made me appreciate the Song of Songs, which is extraordinary, more.
June 5, 2025
This was a great overview of one of the greatest love songs and poems ever written. The epilogue in particular was helpful in pointing to the eternal love of God which human marriage represent.
August 7, 2021
Well-written walkthrough Song of Songs on the basis of the standard view. Though Ryken does deviate slightly from a straightforward pro-Solomon exposition. My issue with The Love of Loves in the Song of Songs is that I think the standard literal view is flawed. I like Klink/Van Pelt's reading called the Shepherd reading. It makes much more sense of the text as a whole in my opinion.
February 17, 2025
Very solid book about earthly relationships and our relationship to Christ. He makes Song of Songs relevant for everyone, though it is tailored for college students. It certainly gave me a fuller and clearer vision of Christ through God’s word so that’s kinda the whole thing right? Love to see it. “Based takes,” as they say…
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews