Summary
Tremper Longman’s Song of Songs in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament takes seriously the poetic, sensual, and theological challenges of the book. He begins with a full introduction—addressing authorship, date, language, literary style, genre, structure, the Song’s place in the canon and the history of interpretation. He does not shy away from the book’s frank romantic and erotic imagery, yet brings to it a thoughtful, respectful, and evangelical hermeneutic that reads the Song as part of God’s Word without forcing it into categories it never claims for itself.
In the commentary proper Longman proceeds carefully, dividing the text into poetic units and offering verse-by-verse exposition that attends to Hebrew idiom, metaphor, and imagery. He works to show what the lovers’ language meant in its ancient Near Eastern context, and what it may legitimately say to believers who long to honour marriage, sexuality and covenant love under the Lordship of Christ. His tone is honest about difficulties; he rarely proposes speculative allegory, but he also does not reduce the book to a purely secular romance. Instead, he leaves space for preachers and teachers to bring the gospel and covenant-wisdom convictions to bear even while respecting the poetic integrity of the text.
Why Should I Own This Commentary?
If you are a pastor or Bible-teacher who needs to preach or teach the Song of Songs faithfully and sensitively, this commentary is among the most balanced you can own. Longman helps you navigate the erotic imagery, ancient linguistic and cultural background, and interpretive history with clarity and caution. That frees you to preach the Song without embarrassment—aware of its beauty and complexity, yet anchored in Scripture’s authority.
Moreover, for a Reformed preacher who wants to avoid a cheap allegorizing or trivialising of the Song, this volume offers a healthy middle path. Longman does not demand that every phrase point to Christ, but he holds open the possibility of using the Song within a covenant-redemptive framework. That makes it a helpful companion when preparing a sermon or a series on marriage, covenant love, or biblical sexuality. It helps you honour both the text and the gospel at once.
Finally, the book’s brevity and clarity make it useful for regular ministry use. With only about 250 pages, it is manageable for pastors who want a serious, text-rooted treatment without wading through multi-volume tomes. In a busy preaching calendar, that balance of scholarship and readability is a real strength.
Closing Recommendation
We recommend Tremper Longman’s Song of Songs (NICOT) as a very worthwhile addition to the preacher’s or teacher’s library. It gives you thorough exegesis, sober reflection, and an opportunity to handle one of Scripture’s most intimate and challenging books with reverence, discernment, and pastoral care. For those who want to honour both Scripture and the gospel while teaching on love, marriage, and covenant intimacy, this volume is a strong and wise investment.
Tremper Longman
Tremper Longman III is an American evangelical Old Testament scholar of the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries, known for his work in wisdom literature, poetry, and biblical theology.
Longman has written numerous commentaries and introductions aimed at bridging scholarship and church life. His volumes on Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and other books combine literary analysis, historical context, and theological reflection. He often explores how Old Testament books function as part of the larger canon and how they point forward to Christ, while engaging with a broad range of scholarly discussion.
He is valued for his engaging style, sensitivity to genre and literary artistry, and willingness to wrestle with difficult interpretive issues. His work is frequently used by pastors who want commentaries that are serious yet readable, and that take both scholarship and church interpretation seriously.
Notable titles include his commentaries on Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs, and his introductions to the Old Testament and its literature.