New Books Network Christopher Wright Mitchell, "The Song of Songs - Concordia Commentary" (Concordia Publishing, 2001)
Mar 29, 2026
Christopher Wright Mitchell, an Old Testament scholar with a PhD in Hebrew and Semitic studies and editor for the Concordia Commentary series. He discusses the Song of Songs as Solomon’s lyrical masterpiece. Short takes cover why he studied it, his both-and interpretive approach seeing human and divine love, Solomon’s complex portrayal, and chapter 8’s theological significance.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Long Academic and Personal Journey With the Song
- Christopher Mitchell traced his long engagement with the Song of Songs from a formative UW class and mentors to decades of teaching and preaching.
- He married at 19 and says his 25 years of married life shaped his pastoral interest and perspective on the book.
Both Human Romance And Divine Metaphor
- Mitchell argues for a both-and reading: the Song is both literal human love and a depiction of God's love for Israel/Christ and the church.
- He grounds this by linking Genesis marriage design and Ephesians 5 where marriage is a real human relationship and a 'great mystery' pointing to Christ.
Why The Church Neglected The Song
- Mitchell links modern neglect of the Song to a defensive church reaction against secularizing scholarship that treated it as merely erotic or secular.
- He says the church often avoided the book rather than engage its dual human/divine reading.
