VIII. (1) O THAT THOU WERT AS MY BROTHER. — The poet makes his beloved recall the feelings she had for him before the obstacles to their union were removed. She dared not then avow her affection for him as a lover, and wished that their relationship had been such as to allow of their meeting and em... [ Continue Reading ]
JUICE OF MY POMEGRANATE. — “The Orientals,” says Dr. Kitto, “indulge largely in beverages made of fresh juice of various kinds of fruits. Among these, sherbet made of pomegranate juice is particularly esteemed; and from its agreeable and cooling acidity, the present writer was himself accustomed to... [ Continue Reading ]
I CHARGE YOU. — See Note, Song of Solomon 2:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO IS THIS THAT COMETH. — This begins a new section, which contains the most magnificent description of true love ever written by poet. The dramatic theory encounters insuperable difficulties with this strophe. Again we presume that the theatre and the spectators are imaginary. It is another sweet... [ Continue Reading ]
SEAL. — See Jeremiah 22:24; Haggai 2:23, &c. A symbol of something especially dear and precious. JEALOUSY. — _Strong passion,_ from a word meaning _to be red with flame;_ not in a bad sense, as the parallelism shows: — “Strong as death is love, Inexorable as Sheol is ardent passion.” GRAVE. — Heb... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WOULD UTTERLY BE CONTEMNED. — Better, _he would be, &c_, and literally, _to despise, they would despise him;_ infinitive absolute before finite verb expressing intensity. (Comp. 1 Samuel 20:6; Amos 9:8, &c) This fine passage, with its reference to the invincible might and untempted constancy of... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE A LITTLE SISTER. — Commentators are almost all at one in the feeling that the poem properly ends with Song of Solomon 8:7. Those who construct the poem on the plan of a drama can find no proper place for what follows (unless as a meaningless epilogue), and the want of cohesion with the main... [ Continue Reading ]
IF SHE BE A WALL. — The _wall_ and _door_ are emblems of chastity and its opposite. The _palace of silver_ some commentators explain by reference to the custom (among the Druses) of wearing an ornament like a horn on the head. But this is unlikely. The metaphors of the _wall_ and _door_ are naturall... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM A WALL... — The heroine interrupts with a protestation of her purity, and of her right to marry, being of age, and conscious of being beloved.... [ Continue Reading ]
SOLOMON HAD A VINEYARD... — Here the poet repeats the sentiment of Song of Solomon 6:8 — the contrast of his love for one chosen bride with the state of feeling and morality fostered by polygamy. But while in the former passage the contrast lay in number only, here it lies also in the _value_ which... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU, O SOLOMON..._ — i.e.,_ “Let Solomon keep and enjoy his possessions (his harem of mercenary beauties), which cost so much to obtain and keep; I am happier in the secure love of my one true wife.” The mention of “two hundred to the keepers of the fruit” seems added to show the cost of a polygamo... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU THAT DWELLEST. — In Song of Solomon 8:13 we have another brief reminiscence of the early days of courtship, when the lover envied every one near the maiden, the companions who could see and hear her, and sighed for tokens of affection which she lavished on them.... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKE HASTE, MY BELOVED. — Song of Solomon 8:14 recalls the answer made at last to the sighs. It repeats the metaphor of Song of Solomon 2:17, where we see that the Authorised Version, _make haste,_ is more correct than the margin. Thus the poem ends with two short verses that compress into them all... [ Continue Reading ]