Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee. Ver. 1. _Whither is thy beloved gone? &c._] All Christ's disciples are ζητητικοι, inquisitive after the "truth that is in Jesus," Eph 4:21 and are fellow helpers to it. 3Jn... [ Continue Reading ]
My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. Ver. 2. _My beloved is gone down into his garden._] Now she can tell where Christ is, and inform others who before was to seek of him, and sought infor mation from others. _Post tenebras lu... [ Continue Reading ]
I [am] my beloved's, and my beloved [is] mine: he feedeth among the lilies. Ver. 3. I am my beloved's, &c.] Or, I am for my beloved, and he is for me; _i.e., _ for me only. He resteth in his love, and I in mine. We will seek no further. And here her faith reviveth who in her late temptation and des... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou [art] beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as [an army] with banners._ Ver. 4. _Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah._] A most neat and elegant city, where the kings of Israel kept their courts. A place of pleasure it was, as the very name imports; hence the Gree... [ Continue Reading ]
Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair [is] as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. Ver. 5. _Turn away thine eyes from me._] Or, Turn thine eyes right upon me; so Son 6:13 he calls, "Return, return, O Shulamite"; and then the sense is, Look up unto me by faith. "Look... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy teeth [are] as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and [there is] not one barren among them. Ver. 6. _Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep, &c._] See Song of Solomon 6:4,5; Song of Solomon 4:2. _See Trapp on "_ Son 6:4 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Son 6:5 _"_ _S... [ Continue Reading ]
As a piece of a pomegranate [are] thy temples within thy locks. Ver. 7. _As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks._] See Song of Solomon 6:4,5; Song of Solomon 4:2. _See Trapp on "_ Son 6:4 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Son 6:5 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Son 4:2 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. Ver. 8. _There are threescore queens, and fourscore, &c._] Or as some read it, hypothetically, Be there sixty queens, and eighty concubines, which were secondary wives - _usurary,_ the lawyers call them, that had rig... [ Continue Reading ]
My dove, my undefiled is [but] one; she [is] the [only] one of her mother, she [is] the choice [one] of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; [yea], the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. Ver. 9. _My dove, mine undefiled is but one._] For though all the afore name... [ Continue Reading ]
Who [is] she [that] looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, [and] terrible as [an army] with banners? Ver. 10. _Who is she that looketh forth as the morning._] This is the commendation that the queens and concubines give her, and it is expressed by way of question, not bec... [ Continue Reading ]
_I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, [and] to see whether the vine flourished, [and] the pomegranates budded._ Ver. 11. _I went down into the garden of nuts._] Or, Nutmegs. Tremellius and those that follow him render it the _well dressed,_ or _pruned gardens._ These... [ Continue Reading ]
Or ever I was aware, my soul made me [like] the chariots of Amminadib. Ver. 12. _Or ever I was aware, my soul, &c._] Heb., I knew not. So Christ speaketh after the manner of men. And it is as if he should say, I could not conceive that my people were in so good a forwardness, as indeed I found them... [ Continue Reading ]
Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies. Ver. 13. _Return, return, O Shulamite._] The Church is so called from her peace and perfection with God in Christ. Brightman gathers from this word, that... [ Continue Reading ]