Love Lament of the Daughter of Pharaoh

The Song of Songs is a mystery to many. Is it a romantic love story? An intimate, erotic poem? A spiritual allegory? The greatest love song of ancient times? It turns out that the Song is something quite different. For example, its well-known line, "I am my beloved's, and he is mine," is often quoted without its final phrase, "the one feeding among the lilies." Throughout the Song, "lilies" are a poetic reference to women, revealing the conflict between exclusive marital devotion and the promiscuous behavior of "feeding among" other women. In this one phrase, the Song shifts from a romantic love poem into a heart-wrenching love lament.

Seven interpretive keys unlock the long-overlooked meaning of the Song. One critical key is authorship. Properly identifying who wrote the Song and why it was written has a profound impact on understanding its message. Taking the Hebrew text of the Song at face value and considering the relevant historical, cultural, and biblical evidence reveals that the author is a woman-and not just any woman, but the daughter of Pharaoh who became Solomon's first queen and wrote the Song to him after he had abandoned her in his pursuit of many women.

The Song has eluded comprehension over the years because the daughter of Pharaoh masterfully designed it to be a puzzle that only Solomon would understand how to assemble. As a result, her publicly veiled but personally convicting message could reach Solomon's heart, prophetically calling him to turn from his sinful pursuits and return back to her in covenant faithfulness. This was a poetically brilliant way to reach Solomon privately, in public. A mystery becomes unveiled in plain sight when the Song is dovetailed into the familiar story of Solomon's life and downfall.

Love Lament of the Daughter of Pharaoh, based on decades of research and a rigorous examination of the Hebrew text, provides in-depth analyses, ground-breaking hermeneutics, and a new translation of the Song of Songs, allowing its message to be heard once again. Rediscovered anew, the Song issues a prophetic call that speaks to us today.