You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling, as lovely as Jerusalem, as majestic as troops with banners. – Song of Songs 6:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 21, 2026): Song of Songs 6

Capital cities vary in size and shape. Some are old and antiquated; others are newer and often the result of significant planning. Some Capitals are beautiful, others are ugly, and frequently the ugliness is a direct result of war and crime. When Donald Trump ordered troops into Washington, D.C. in 2025, the President seemed to indicate that his concern was that the American Capital had become ugly because of the high crime rate in the city. Historically, he was probably right. Washington, D.C., had become a dangerous city. But at the time of President Trump’s order, crime in the city had hit a 30-year low. Still, an argument can be made that crime in a city, especially a capital city, can never be too low.

I recently read an article that listed the ugliest capital cities in the world. This list of the ugly included Damascus, Syria, primarily due to the devastating effects of a civil war. It also listed Lagos, Nigeria, because of high crime rates, a lack of adequate infrastructure, and overcrowding, as well as Tripoli, Libya, because of political instability. Recent events might require us to add Caracas, Venezuela, to this list. Caracas is plagued by crime, hyperinflation, and economic instability, all of which diminish the city's appeal.

On the other side of this coin are the beautiful capitals of the world: cities such as Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Islamabad, Pakistan. Maybe that last city is a bit of a surprise to those of us living in the West. However, Islamabad is known for its natural beauty. The city is nestled in the Margalla Hills and is recognized for its lush greenery and modern architecture.

There are many questions surrounding the Song of Songs, including who really wrote it. Solomon is the traditional author, and it is possible that the last King of the United Kingdom of Israel wrote it. We sometimes like to think that this King wrote it to Abishag, the beautiful woman who appears to have been used as a pawn for a significant portion of her early life, including being chosen to warm King David’s bed during the last days of his life. But it is equally possible that it was written by someone else.

If King Solomon wrote it, one problematic passage is this one, in which the author compares his bride to the beauty of Tirzah and Jerusalem. Both cities are capitals, and both are considered very beautiful by the author. The problem is that Tirzah might have been a lovely city; the name of the city itself means “delight” or “pleasantness.” However, if the Song of Songs was written by Solomon somewhere around 950 B.C.E., Tirzah wasn’t a capital city; therefore, it was not a city on par with Jerusalem. Tirzah didn’t become the Capital of the Kingdom of Israel and the counterpart of Jerusalem until after the death of Solomon in 931 B.C.E. It remained the Capital city of the Northern Kingdom until Omri burnt Tirzah when he took control of the Kingdom in 886 B.C.E. At that time, Omri moved the Capital of the Northern Kingdom to Samaria. This comment about Tirzah would seem to indicate that the Song of Songs was written between 930 and 886 B.C.E.

However, whoever wrote Song of Songs compares his bride to the most beautiful cities that he could imagine: Jerusalem, the Capital of Judah, and Tirzah, the Capital of Israel.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Song of Songs 7