Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Mga Kawikaan 1:1

King in Yerusholayim. The city of wisdom.¹⁴Shlomo is known by three titles. In Shir Hashirim 3:11 he is called King Shlomo, in Mishlei 1:1 he is called “King of Yisroel,” and here he is called “King in Yerusholayim.” The Gemara in Maseches Sanhedrin 20b, comments that his kingdom was diminished by the virtue of sin. He was first recognized universally as King Shlomo, after his sin he was King of Yisroel only, and then King of Yerusholayim alone. Alternatively, Sefer Koheles is replete with wisdom, therefore it states that its author reigned in “the city of wisdom,” thus he was exposed to much wisdom and his conclusions are worthy of great regard.

The song of songs which is Shlomo’s. Our Rabbis taught, “Every Shlomo (because they were at a loss to explain why [Scripture] did not mention his father,¹I.e., King Dovid. as it did in Mishlei and Koheles) mentioned in Shir Hashirim is sacred [=refers to God], the King to Whom peace שָׁלוֹם belongs.²Maseches Shavuos 35b. It is a song which transcends above all other songs,³Rashi offers this explanation because he questions why does it not state, “The song which is Shlomo’s,” why is “of songs” necessary? (Sifsei Chachomim) ⁴Alternatively “of songs” refers to the one thousand and five songs attributed to King Shlomo as it is stated, “and his songs were one thousand and five,” in I Melachim 5:12. (Gra) which was recited to the Holy One, Blessed Is He, by His assembly and His people, the congregation of Yisroel. Rabbi Akiva said, “The world was never as worthy as on the day that Shir Hashirim was given to Yisroel, for all the Writings are holy, but Shir Hashirim is the holiest of the holies.” Rabbi Elazar son Azaryah said, “To what can this be compared? To a king who took a se’ah of wheat and gave it to a baker. He said to him, ‘Extract for me so much fine flour, so much bran, so much coarse bran, and produce enough fine flour from it for one loaf, sifted and superior.’ Similarly, all the Writings are holy, but Shir Hashirim is the holiest of the holies,⁵Mishnayos Yodayim 3:5. for it is all comprised of fear of Heaven and the acceptance of the yoke of His kingdom.”⁶Alternatively “the song of ‘songs’,” the plural corresponds to the dual “songs” that comprise Shir Hashirim, the song that the congregation of Yisroel praises the Holy One, Blessed is He, and the song that the Holy One, Blessed is He praises the congregation of Yisroel. (Sefer Duda’im)

Some authors named the book after themselves, and some named it according to its topic or purpose. Both approaches were learned from the Prophets, like Yehoshua, Shmuel, Yeshaya, Yirmiyah, and the like, as well as Judges, Kings and Psalms. It is quite fitting when both styles can be combined—for example, King Solomon named his book "Proverbs of Solomon". According to our Sages, the book of Kohelet [Ecclesiastes] is also like this, as Rashi explains: The book is called Divrei Kohelet, the "Words of Kohelet," and the connotation of the word "Divrei" hints to words of rebuke, which is the topic of the book.