About This Text
Composed: Talmudic Israel/Babylon, c.790 – c.990 CE
Shir HaShirim Rabbah is a 7th-century midrash on Song of Songs with verse-by-verse commentary. Compiled in Israel, it gathers material from the Jerusalem Talmud, Pesiḳta d'Rav Kahana, Bereishit Rabbah, Vayikra Rabbah and other sources, and also includes midrashim that are not found in any earlier sources. The work interprets Song of Songs allegorically, assuming that the relationship between the lovers in the book is a metaphor for God’s relationship with Israel.