SECTION I.—TITLE OF THE BOOK, AND ITS SIGNIFICATION.
This book is called (
Hebrew characters), which is literally translated
by the Septuagint, ᾄσμα ᾀσμάτων, by the Vulgate, Canticum Canticorum, and by the English Version, Song of Songs; and,
according to a Hebrew mode for expressing the superlative
degree by repeating the same noun in the genitive, denotes the finest, the most beautiful, or the most excellent Song. Compare
(Hebrew characters), servant of servants, i.e. most abject servant (Gen.
ix. 25); (Hebrew characters), holy of holies, i.e. most holy (Exod. xxix.
37; Numb. iii. 32; Deut. x. 14; Eccl. i. 2; Hos. x. 15; Jer. vi. 28;
Gesenius, Grammar, § 119, 2; Ewald, Lehrbuch, § 313, c).
Medrash Yalkut renders it (Hebrew characters), a song more celebrated and sublime than all songs; as Rashi, Ibn Ezra
Rashbam, Luther, and many others. The opinion of Kleuker,
&c., that this interpretation of the Rabbins is more owing
to their preconceived notion of the sublime contents of the
book than to the real meaning of these words, is refuted by
Rashbam himself, who, having explained this phrase by
"most excellent song," refers not to the contents of the book
for its corroboration, but adduces similar constructions of
the superlative from other passages of the Bible, viz., (Hebrew characters)
(Hebrew characters), and (Hebrew characters) (Deut. x. 17). Other explanations,
such as a song of songs, i.e. a song from the songs of
Solomon (Kimchi), or a collection of songs (Kleuker), or a
chain of songs, or string of strings, comparing (Hebrew characters) with the
Chaldee (Hebrew characters)[HE: S/Eyr]-->, (Hebrew characters), Greek (Greek characters)[GR: seira\], chain (Velthusen, Paulus,
Good, &c.), are contrary to the Hebrew usage of the word (Hebrew characters),
and the construction of (Hebrew characters)}}. More recent comment-
