Song of Solomon 6

Song of Solomon 6:1

Whither] The effect of the Churches speech being so ful of affection and admiration, what it wrought upon the daughters of Jerusalem. And here they double their demand; as they did, chap. V. 9.

thou fairest] Though she acknowledged her self black, chap. I. 6. And was now in a distresse and a desertion.

that we may] They cannot help her, to satisfie her desire; but they will joyne to seek him with her. So much good they received by her holy conference with them. And so God blesseth the holy conferences of his people; and the communion of Saints, Zech. VIII. 21. And surely best it is to seek Christ with the Church, in her companie; she being the pillar and ground of truth, and as that pillar of fire in the Wildernesse, to guide and go before us.

Song of Solomon 6:2

is gone downe] See before chap. V. 6. But now she can tell it her self; and tell it to others. And she is ready so to do, apt to communicate all she knows, all she can tell them, 1 Cor. XII. 7. Not the powring out, but the want of powring out, dries up the streaming of that oile of Grace, 2 Kings IV. 6.

into his garden] Chap. IV. 16.

Song of Solomon 6:3

I am my beloveds] Chap. II. 16. and chap. VII. 10. Here her faith reviveth. And come what will come, she rests upon this resolution.

Song of Solomon 6:4

Thou art beautiful, &c.] The Church having confessed her fault; and seeking so earnestly to repair the breach, and renew her love and interest in him; Christ hereupon is so ready to receive her, and afresh so highly to praise and commend her; as formerly he had done, ch. IV. which shewes that he is no changeling; and makes to her singular comfort, Jer. III. 22.

as Tirza] Josh. XII. 24. 1 Kings XIV. 17. and chap. XV. 33. so beautiful a Citie.

as Jerusalem] Lam. I. 1. and chap. II. 15, 16. Psal. CXXII. 3. and XLVIII. 2. and LXXXVII. 3. and CXXXII.

terrible] To daunt enemies, and draw hearts unto her, she is admirable, inexpugnable.

Song of Solomon 6:5

Turne away thine eyes] Chap. IV. 9. If she be sick of his love, he is overcome by hers: no love lost between them.

Song of Solomon 6:8

threescore Queenes] This verse is put hypotheticaly, by way of supposition: Be it so.

Song of Solomon 6:9

my Dove] The rendition of the case, and comparison; Yet allt hose would not equal thee; yea, even they themselvs would yeeld the praise and blessing to thee, Deut. XXXIII. 29. 2 Sam. VII. 23. Ps. CXLIV. 15.

Song of Solomon 6:10

Who is she, &c.] Many make this the praise which the Queenes and Concubines give the Church; not hereby doubting, but admiring her. and her excellencie. Yet I see not but they may well be a continuation of Christs speech in praising her; not unlike to that in the fourth verse aforegoing.

Song of Solomon 6:11

I went downe] Christs inspection and care of his Church, and Congregations, and how they fructifie, and flourish, Esay V. 2. Matth. XXI. 34. 1 Cor. IX. 7. This phrase speaks not a present ignorance in him; no more then that phrase, Gen. XVIII. 21.

Song of Solomon 6:12

Or ever I was aware] i. e. not ignorantly; but suddenly. As Esay XLVII. 11.

my soul, &c.] This seemes to denote the affectionate haste and desire, wherewith Christ was carried on, in a kind of insensible manner, to revisit his Church, and restore comforts to her, to present his ardent and longing affection to behold the flourishings and propagations of his Church.

Amminadab] Likely some swift Charet-driver, some translate it appellatively, my willing people. Some make the whole verse to be the speech of the Church, confessing her ignorance that Christ was gone downe to that end, as is expressed in the former verse; But that he was gone away from her in angry displeasure, for her unworthy and sluggish neglect of him, chap. III. 3. And therefore she drove on so furiously to finde him out againe; yea, so furiously, that she over past him. So obscure is this text, and the meaning so dark and difficult to determine.

Returne, &c.] Various likewise are the Opinions of Interpreters here: I conceive, The word fairly come of, as the words of Christ to his Church; mainly and earnestly recalling her to return to him.

O Shulamite] Not Shunamite. Some make it the feminine of Solomon; and so to denote his wife; the women being usualy called after their husbands names, Esay IV. 1. And so his Spouse is the figure of the Church of Christ throughout this Song.

that we may look upon thee] view and contemplate thee; and thy beauty with complacency and delight.

What will ye see] Seemes best to be Christs words still; in answer of his own question.

as it were the company of two armies] As in that joyful day at Mahanaim, and the Vision there of Jacob, Gen. XXXII. 2. The Spouse here likened to these two armies. Or, that she is so guarded and safe-guarded, with such armies, as Jacob there was. Yet some apply this to that intestine warre within her, of the flesh and spirit, fighting as two armies within her, as the twins did in Rebecca’s womb.

Christ here to the tenth verse, continueth his Praising of her again, running over every grace and ornament in her, from the lowest to the highest; together with his joy and pleasure that he takes in her; And all under new and fresh Similies and exemplifications. And thereupon, in the tenth verse, and to the end of this chapter, the Church renewes the joyful profession of her love to him, and of his desire towards her; inviting him to her Assemblies to see them how they prosper, and she promiseth to give and devote all her best fruits wholly to him, for whom alone she had brought them forth, and by whose blessing she flourished with all manner & sorts of them, both new and old.