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Why is the Song of Solomon traditionally associated with Solomon?
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Solomon
The Judgment of Solomon, oil on canvas by Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1617; in the Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery of Denmark), Copenhagen.
The Song of Solomon is traditionally associated with Solomon primarily due to his posthumous reputation as a legendary sage, poet, and lover. While the bookās opening verse attributes the work to him, scholars consider this attribution spurious, as the text contains late vocabulary and likely reached its present form long after his reign.12
The association with Solomon is reinforced by several factors:
- Reputation as a Lover: Solomonās fame as a great lover, exemplified by the size of his harem, aligns with the romantic and sensuous themes of the poems.1
- Literary Tradition: As a celebrated poet and the traditional author of the Book of Proverbs, it was common for later works to be attributed to him to honor his legacy as a wise ruler.1
- Canonical Acceptance: The poems were likely accepted into the biblical canon despite their secular nature because they were attributed to Solomon and understood as wedding songs, which were viewed as being ordained by God.2