1. Human love is only a picture of the grand archetype of divine love. Human love, like most everything on earth, is only a picture of a grander, greater theme. The apostle Paul, in Ephesians 5:22-33, spoke of marriage, explaining that it is a picture of Christ and the church. It is thus not unnatural for the love in Canticles to be explained allegorically. One man said, “For my part, I should deem something wanting in the Bible if no expression were there found for the deepest and strongest of human feelings.”
  2. Canticles is most easily explained allegorically. When exegetes have attempted to explain the Song literally, they have run into many problems. Who is the bride? How many characters are in the Song? What is the plot of this story? All of these questions are easily answered when one holds to the allegorical interpretation. When a literal interpretation is used, it requires an intricate and detailed plot to explain verses such as Canticles 4:8.
  3. The Song can only speak of Christ if it is interpreted allegorically. Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” According to the literal interpretation, Canticles testifies to the love of humans. According to the allegorical interpretation, Canticles testifies to the love of Christ.
  4. The connection between this book and other passages of scripture demonstrates that the Song should be interpreted allegorically. The main theme of the Song is that of a bride and groom. The same idea is found in Psalm 45, Isaiah 54, John 3, Ephesians 5, Revelation 19, Revelation 21, and many other passages. Almost all would agree that these passages are allegorical, referring to Christ and his church. From a different perspective, such passages as Jeremiah 3, Ezekiel 16, the book of Hosea, and other scriptures speak of idolatry as spiritual whoredom. Thus there is, throughout scripture, a precedent for viewing marriage and human love as a type of the relationship between Christ and the church.
  5. The allegorical interpretation has been held throughout church history. Many Christians, from the early church to the present, have believed that the Song is to be interpreted allegorically. Some of those who held to this opinion include Origen, Athanasius, Eusebius, Basil, Chrysostom, Ambrose, Augustine, Owen, Henry, Gill, Wesley, and McCheyne.
  6. Similar writings from the Orient have been meant to be understood allegorically. The literal interpretation is based on the hypothesis that an allegorical interpretation was not intended. However, the literary tradition of the Orient includes similar writings from Arabia, Persia, and India. These writings are comparable in content to the Song, but are clearly figurative and allegorical.[1]

 

[1] See George Burrowes Commentary, pp. 30-33