Song of Solomon 5:12

His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. AS THE EYES OF DOVES - rather, as doves (). BY THE RIVERS OF WATERS, WASHED WITH MILK - bathing in "the rivers;" combining in their "silver" feathers the whiteness of milk with the sparkling brightness of the water trickling over them. So "the Spirit of God descended like a dove" () upon Jesus, as "He went up straightway out of the water. The "milk" may allude to the white around the pupil of the eye. The "waters" refer to His eye as the fountain of tears of sympathy (Ezekiel 16:5). Vivacity, purity, and love are the three features typified. FITLY SET - as a...

9-16 Even those who have little acquaintance with Christ, cannot but see amiable beauty in others who bear his image. There are hopes of those who begin to inquire concerning Christ and his perfections. Christians, who are well acquainted with Christ themselves, should do all they can to make others know something of him. Divine glory makes him truly lovely in the eyes of all who are enlightened to discern spiritual things. He is white in the spotless innocence of his life, ruddy in the bleeding sufferings he went through at his death. This description of the person of the Beloved, would form, in the figurative language of those times, a portrait of beauty of person and of grace of manners; but the aptness of some of the allusions may not appear to us. He shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all that believe. May his love constrain us to live to his glory....

Verse 12. _HIS EYES_ ARE _AS_ THE EYES _OF DOVES_] See on Song of Solomon 4:1. _WASHED WITH MILK_] The _white_ of the eye, _exceedingly white_. By the use of _stibium_, in the East, the eye is rendered very _beautiful_; and receives such a _lustre_ from the use of this article, that, to borrow the expression of a late traveller, "their eyes appear to be swimming in bliss." I believe this expression to be the meaning of the text. _FITLY SET._] Or, as the _margin_, very properly, _sitting in_ _fullness_; not sunk, not contracted....

Or, His eyes are doves. The comparison is to doves seen by streams of water washing in milk (i. e., milk-white), and sitting on fulness (i. e., on the full or abundant water-flood). FITLY SET - This rendering supposes that the eyes within their sockets are compared to precious stones set in the foil of a ring (see the margin); but the other rendering is preferable. The milk-white doves themselves, sitting by full streams of water, or reflected in their flittings athwart the glassy surface, present images of the calm repose and vivid glances of the full pure lustrous eyes of the beloved....

EXPOSITION SONG OF SOLOMON 5:1 I AM COME INTO MY GARDEN, MY SISTER, MY BRIDE; I HAVE GATHERED MY MYRRH WITH MY SPICE; I HAVE EATEN MY HONEYCOMB WITH MY HONEY; I HAVE DRUNK MY WINE WITH MY MILK. EAT, O FRIENDS; DRINK, YEA, DRINK ABUNDANTLY, O BELOVED. _My myrrh with my balsam _(see 1 Kings 10:10). There were celebrated plantations at Jericho. The Queen of Sheba brought "of spices very great store;" "There came no more such abundance of spices as these which the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon." Is there a reference to the conversion of the heathen nations in this? The wine and milk are what God offers to his people (see Isaiah 55:1) without money

HIS EYES [ARE] AS [THE EYES] OF DOVES,.... the church's eyes are said to be, Song of Solomon 1:15; which are her ministers, endowed with dove like gifts in measure, as Christ is without measure, in fulness; but these are Christ's eyes, which may signify his omniscience, who has seven eyes, Zechariah 3:9; especially as that has respect unto and is concerned with his people in a way of grace and mercy, and so must look very beautiful in their view: his eyes are like "doves' eyes"; not fierce and furious, but loving and lovely; looking upon his people, under all their trials and afflictions, with sympathy and concern, to deliver them out of them: and like the eyes of doves BY RIVERS OF WATERS: Sanctius thinks the allusion is to the humours in which the eye is enclosed, and, a

FITLY SET Hebrew, "sitting in fulness;" that is, fitly placed, and set as a precious stone in the foil of a ring....

CHAPTER 5 The Bridegroom answers the invitation extended to Him when the bride had said, “Let my Beloved come into His (not her) garden.” He says, “I am come into My garden, My sister, My spouse.” She is both “sister and spouse.” When He speaks of her as sister, He owns the national relationship. In Matthew 12:46 He disowned that relationship because they rejected the offer of the kingdom, but now it is reestablished and the godly portion of Israel becomes the spouse. In His garden, the product of His love and His death, He finds now His enjoyment, His joy and His satisfaction. He invites others to come and partake. “Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, beloved ones.” But there is no response here from the side of the bride. She exhibits slothfulness. He is seen now standing outside; His head is filled with the night dew and standing at the door He knocks (See...

SONG OF SOLOMON 5:8 TO SONG OF SOLOMON 6:3. DESCRIPTIVE POEM (_Wasf) :_ THE STRENGTH AND BEAUTY OF THE BRIDEGROOM. On this view, Song of Solomon 5:8 f. is taken as an introduction to the praises of the beloved, and whether there is any real connexion with the dream poem is uncertain. Song of Solomon 5:8. sick: from the disappointment and delays of love. Song of Solomon 5:9. Or, _What kind of a beloved is thy beloved?_...

RIVERS. channels, or gorges. Hebrew. _'aphikim._ See note on 2 Samuel 22:16. WASHED. bathed: i.e. the doves. FITLY SET. set as gems in. ring....