Song of Solomon 6
PATIn the foregoing description, the spouse^ expressed such an unfeigned affection to him, (which she again confidently asserts in this sixth part of the Song, ver. 3.) that it not only mightily moved her companions to join with her in the search of him, butinvited the return of the bridegroom again. Who graciously declares the like affection unto her (from ver. 4. to 11.) in such words as shewed that his kindness remained unalterable; and that he delighted in none but her: as incomparably more amiable, even by their own confession, than all those beauties whom the world most admires. With which kindness she is so ravished, that it snatches her away from the. dearest friends she had, though very desirous of her company, (ver. 12, 13.) Companions (or Daughters) of Jerusalem. come back, that wo may behold thy wortdrouS perfections. And if any ask, What is that you would sec? What would you enjoy in her happy society? Our answer is, Sach a Divine presence as appeared to Jacob, when he saw the angelical choirs; which made him cry out, This is God’s host, and call the name of that place Mahanaim. See Annot. [h] ANNOTATIONS. [a] descend to a particular description of the several parts of her beauty: as he had done before, (iv. 1, 2, &c.) And he doth it in the very same words, for the most part, to assure her, that he had still the same esteem of her, and kindness for her; and that, notwithstanding what had happened, it had not altered her so much as to abate any thing of his affection; or to make her appear otherwise in his eyes than she had done. This seems to me to be the true reason of this repetition: others are given by Theodoret and other authors. And first he begins with the commendation of her eyes, as he had done iv. 1. (though in other words.) For so the first clause of this verse may be translated, turn thine eyes towards me: the Hebrew phrase signifying, not only to turn one’s self from another, but sometimes to turn towards them; as 1 Chron. xii. 23. And then we are to conceive that he speaks to her, as one ashamed to look.upon him; whom she had so much disobliged: and bade her take more confidence, for he was still in love with her. If we follow T the common translation, I take the sense still to be the same: that she need not trouble herself any farther; for she had prevailed in her suit to be restored to his favour. The looting of the eyes towards one, is as much as entreating and petitioning: which he tells her she might cease, by bidding her turn her eyes away from him. It is most.ordinarily taken for an amorous expression: as if he had said, her eyes were so bright and dazzling, he could not bear the passion they excited. Of thelatter part of the verse see an account upon chap. iv. 1. [/]
Song of Solomon 6:1
rr HITHER is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee?. These are high commendations in-, deed, which thou givest to thy beloved, which make us in love with him, as before we were, (iv. 9.) and still are, with thee, O thou most lovely of all other women: whither dost thou think he hath betaken himself? He is not quite gone away, sure, but only diverted into some retirement; which way did he go? And where dost thou guess he hath hidden himself, that we may go along, and inquire him out, with thee? See Annot. [a] Spouse.. The daughters of Jerusalem (mentioned v. 8.) here justify what the spouse had said in the conclusion of the former chapter: and declaring themselves in love with him whom she had described, are desirous to join themselves to her company, and go in quest of him. In order to which, they would know whither she thought he was gone when he wei\t from her.’ [6]
Song of Solomon 6:2
My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I heard my beloved say, that he was gone down into that garden, which he himself hath planted; (v. 1.) there he delights to be, among those pious persons, whose virtues make them like to the garden-beds, that are full of spices: he is always present in every part q( this happy company; and hath fellowship with them; and is daily adding more and more pure and sincere souls, who are without all guile, unto their society. See Annot. [6] Unto which she replies in this verse, and seems to tell them, in his own words, what she had heard him say about that matter, (v.l.) And it signifies that he was still in his church, and in every part of it; though sometimes they were not sensible of it. For so Theodoret well observes, here is a distinct mention made of a garden, and of gardens, L e. of the catholic church, which is but one, and of the several parts thereof. For sometimes St. Paul mentions only the church in the singular number, and sometimes the several churches even in the same nation, (as in the* Epistle to the Galatians, i. 1.) and in the same province, or city, (1 Cor. xiv. 34.) He is said here to go down into his garden, with respect to the mountains, mentioned iv. 8. And to feed, in the Hebrew, is either to do the office of a shepherd to his flock; or relates to his communion with his people, mentioned iv. 16. v.l. Which may be the meaning also of gather* ing lilies: or, as Theodoret will have it, by this Last clause is to be understood, his gathering holy and pure souls that are like to him, and joining them unto his church. And so the Arabic translation is, to gather together the lilies; following the Septuagint, who translate it,
Song of Solomon 6:3
I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he, feedeth among the lilies. Of which I, being a member, hope I may still say, that he hath not cast me out of his favour; but still retains a kindness for me: because I am steadfast and faithful in my love to him; who* takes a constant care of such as study to resemble him. See Annot. [c] Bridegroom. Now she seems to have so perfectly recovered herself out of the slumber wherein she had been, as to have regained her former sense of him, and of her interest in him: repeating those words which we met withal before, (ii. 1G.) Of the latter part of which [he feedeth among the lilies’] I think fit here farther to note, that to feed may relate cither unto himself, or unto others; for there arc examples of both. Of the former, Gen. xli. 2. Job i. 14. Of the latter, Gen. xxix.7. 9. xxxvii. 12. I take it here ratherin this latter sense, and suppose it signifies his doing the office of a shepherd: and that he is said to feed among the lilies, as in the Revelation, to walk in the midst of the seven candlesticks; i. e. there to have his conversation, to tako up his abode with them, &c. “as he often says in the gospel of St. John, (xiv. 23.) that he would with those who love him and keep his commandments. And such persons are here compared to HUes; which being a name given by Christ to himself, Greg. Nysscrt and Theodoret hereby, not unfitly, understand, such as are conformed to Christ their head, and have his image wrought in their souls, in righteousness and true holiness. For, saith the former of them, o<ra aAn^ &c. whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, &c. (Philip, iv. 8.) ravra £<m ra Kptva, these are the lilies in which Christ delights. [d]
Song of Solomon 6:4
Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah; comely as Jerusalem; terrible as an army ivith banners. It is true, my beloved friend, who art still dear unto me, and most, amiable in my eyes: I have not lost my esteem of thee; for 1 see thou hast not lost thy affection to me: nor that lovely, that decent, and comely order, which makes thee not only beautiful, but venerable; nay, amazes all beholders, or, at least, strikes them with great admiration of thee. See Annot. [cTJ And now we must conceive, either that they went to the garden together, and there found him; or that he hearing this hearty profession of unmoveable love to him; meets them: and, to revive her drooping spirits, falls again into a new commendation of the spouse; in the very same terms as before, and in some higher. And, first, he compares her to Tirzah > which was a beautiful situation in the country of Ephraim; and therefore made choice of after this time, by Jeroboam, for the seat of his kingdom: and so continued till the building of Samaria, as we read 1 Kings xiv. 17. xV. 21. 23. and several other places: to which add, Josh. xii. 24. The very original of the word signifies as much as urbs amabilis, or a city that pleaseth one: and therefore chosen by one of the ancient kings of Canaan for the place of his residence. And lest this should not be high enough, he next compares, her to Jerusalem, which was the most lovely place in the territories of Judah, and indeed of the whole country. For which cause, as it had been the seat of one of the kings of Canaan, so the royal palace of David, nay the house of God himself, was afterward there built: and is called by Jeremiah in his Lamentations, the perfect ionof beauty, the joy of the whole earth, (ii. 15.) It is mentioned by Pliny, likewise, (lib. v. cap. 14.) as the most famous city in the east. And as she had commended him before, not only for his beauty, but majesty; so he doth here, in the last place, call her terrible as an army standing in battalias; striking an awe, that is, into beholders. So I think it is to be expounded, as referring still to the goodliness of her aspect, and not to her being invincible, inexpugnable, and striking terror into her enemies; as some interpret the whole verse. Every part of which seems to me to be a new proof, that Solomon speaks not in this book of one single person (whom some fancy the Shulamite, others Pharaoh’s daughter; whom others take for one and the same) under the name of the spouse; but of a body or society of men: for none else can be fitly compared to cities, nay, to great armies drawn np under their banners. Which last part of this verse may be applied to the comely order which Christ appointed in his church; which, whilo it was preserved, made the church very venerable in the world. So Theodoret, ItcrrXyTTovTai yap, &c. For they are astonished who behold thy order, there being nothing disorderly, nothing uncertain or undetermined, nothing confused and indistinct: but all Ttrayniva koI tctKpifilva, orderly appointed, and judiciously determined. Some refer this terribleness, as we translate it, to the gravity, or rather severity, of her countenance, which forbade all w r anton approaches to so great a beauty. [c]
Song of Solomon 6:5
Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me; thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. Thou necdestnot look so earnestly, and with such care and solicitude, upon me, as if I had forgotten thee: for I see the same sparkling beauty in thy eyes, which I did before, (iv. 1.) and it no less affects my heart; (iv. 9.) thou wantest none of those ornaments which I formerly commended, but rctainest them all, notwithstanding the discomposure in which thou hast been. See Annot. \e] In this and the following verses he seems to
Song of Solomon 6:6
Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and tliere is not one barren among them. The same I say also of thy teeth, which are still white and clean; even set both vol. in. above and below; firm and sound also; without any breach, or want of so much as one of them. See Annot. [/] There is no difference between this verse and that in iv. 2. but only in one word; which alters notthe sense. And as harechelim, sheep, was to be fetched from hence to supply the sense there; so another word, hakJcetzuboth, even shorn, is to be fetched from thence to supply it here. [g]
Song of Solomon 6:7
As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples ivithin thy locks. And, to be short (and not to repeat every thing again), I see the same fresh colour in thy cheeks; which makes thee look as lovely now thy veil is off, (v. 7.) as thou didst in the first blooming of thy beauty. See Annot. [g] This is also exactly the same with the latter end of the third verse of the fourth chapter. The LXX. have also the first part: but they might as well have added all that there follows: which is here omitted. \1i\
Song of Solomon 6:8
There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins ivithout number. Wherefore, though other kjngs and princes of these countries have a great many queens, and more.wives, of an inferior rank, and virgins that attend them, without numbers: whose beauty " they highly admire: See Annot. [h];. Here, most think, Solomon alludes to the number of his own wives; who were fewer, they suppose, in the beginning of his reign: (as Bochartus himself gathers from these words, in his epistle to the now Bishop of Winchester, p. 12G.) and that then he composed this Song, before he let the reins of his lust so prodigiously loose, as afterward we read he did, (1 Kings xi. 1, &e.) But it is not at all likely that he had so many as are there mentioned, while his mind was filled with such Divine raptures as these: and therefore I suppose he alludes to the custom* ©f other princes in the east, who, besides their principal wives that were solemnly espoused and endowed, had also another sort who were neither; and yet were wives, called by the Hebrews philagshim, concubines. And such a difference the Romans anciently made between her whom they called matrona, who was only taken in marriage, and her whom they called materfamilias, who was taken also k> order and govern the family, and whose children inherited. As may be seen in Aulus Gellius,lib. xviii.cap.8. wherein Jie confutes JElius Melissus, a conceited grammarian,‘who had. started other ungrounded notions of these words. And then threescore and fourscore are only a certain number for an uncertain; not the precise number of these wives and concubines. Theodoret thinks by these arc mystically intended several ranks of Christians in the church: some more, some less perfect: but they discourse better, in my opinion, who rather’ accommodate those to the several sorts of heretical and sehismatical churches: some of which gloried in the multitude of their followers, and in their wealth and splendour: but Christ hath only one catholic church, more glorious than them all put together; as it follows here in the next verses. And that, in effect, R. Solomon Jarchi, and some other Hebrew expositors, understand these words with application to themselves. Abraham and his posterity, say they, till the descendants from Israel, were threescore in number (compared here to queens). The sons of Noah and their descendants unto Abraham, were fourscore (compared to concubines). The rest who came from Cham, Ishmael, and Esau, could not be comprehended under a certain number. And so the meaning is, whatsoever kindness God had for the rest of Abraham’s posterity, or of Noah’s (not to mention Cham, Ishmael, and Esau), yet I have chosen, saith God, my people Israel, whom I have espoused to myself, by circumcision, and by the law, and by sacrifices, &c. [t]
Song of Solomon 6:9
My dove, my nndefiled, 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*] I have one only, and none other, whom I entirely love; and that is thyself alone: who preservest an inviolable faith and affection to me, andtherefore art dearer to me than an only daughter (and she the most accomplished person and perfect beauty) is to her mother: whom all other persons at last shall admire; the queens themselves beforenamed call thee blessed, and wishing all prosperity to thee; and they of the next degree shall praise thy excellences, and confess their own imperfections. See Annot. [i] This verse’ needs not much explication: wherein the spouse is opposed to all the forenamed beauties: who are constrained to confess her pre-eminence. The Hebrew word for one, signifies also only: and an only child is as much as a beloved child: as appears by this, that fiovoytvriG, only begotten, and aya7r*)roc, well-beloved, are words. of the same import in the New Testament. And if such an only daughter be also barah (choice we translate it, or) pure, as the word originally imports; free from all blemish (that is, a perfect beauty), it makes her still more dearly beloved. It is in vain to inquire here, who is the mother intended in this place: for his love is only compared to the love of a mother towards such an only daughter; who hath engrossed, as we speak, all the excellent qualities that are in any other person..Which forced the daughters to admire her (so saiu her signifies, they looked upon her Avith admiration), and the queens to bless her, and the concubines to proclaim her praises. Thus, it is most likely, the latter part of this verse should be interpreted, The daughters saw her, and the queens blessed her, and the concubine’s they praised her. For though the Jews now have otherwise distinguished the words by their accents, yet Maimonides,! observe, distinguishes them, as I have done, in his preface to Seder /Zeraim. St. Cyprian, from this and such-like places of this book, (iv. 8. 12. v. 1.) proves there is but one:OnIy holy catholic church; making this observation, (Epist. 73. edit. Oxon.) We see one person every where mentioned, and no more; *&ecause thespouse also is one, &c. [k]
Song of Solomon 6:10
Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?. Saying, What an astonishing beauty is this, that appears like a clear morning after a dark night, and. increaseth in lustre more and more; looking as bright as the moon when it is at full; nay, as splendid as the sun when it shineth in. its strength: and no less dazzles our eyes, and.amazes our thoughts, than a glorious host of heaven; or an army here on earth, when it stands in battalias, with all their colours displayed! See Annot. [k] This some take to be the beginning of a new part of this Song: and Theodoret; in particular, here begins his fourth book of commentaries upon it: but I look upon these words as ihc praises and commendations which the queens and concubines, beforementioned, bestow upon the spouse, with admiration and astonishment at her transcendent beauty. 3M2
Song of Solomon 6:11
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. Only this I expect from thee, that thou bring forth fruit proportionable to my care of thee, and kindness to thee: for to that end I went down, before, (v. 1. vi. 2.) and now go again into my garden (which! have not neglected to dress, and prune, and water), to take a view in what condition it is; and in what forwardness the several sorts of fruit are, which I justly, look to receive in their due soasons. See Annot. [I] Spouse.
Song of Solomon 6:12
Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Ammi-nadib. Alas! what am I, that I should receive such praises, who am not worthy of thy care! T3ut have put such motions into my soul, as to make me aim at the highest perfections; and make all the haste I can likewise to attain them: and therefore I must, for the present, take leave of you, O my friends, who have kindly assisted, me iri the search of my beloved. See Annot. [m] Companions.
Song of Solomon 6:13
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. Let us have thy, companyagain, O thou fairest and most accomplished of all the daughters of Jerusalem. Come back again,, 3M