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Song of
Solomon Chapter Six
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SONG OF SOLOMON 6
The
discourse between the church and the daughters of Jerusalem is continued in
this chapter: they inquire whither her beloved was gone, in order to seek him
with her, Song of Solomon 6:1;
she tells them where he was gone, and for what purpose he went thither, and
what he was doing there; and claims and asserts her interest in him, Song of Solomon 6:2;
Then follows a commendation of the church by Christ, who admires her beauty,
and describes her by her eyes, hair, &c. Song of Solomon 6:4;
and prefers her to all others; being a singular and choice one to him, and the
praise of others, Song of Solomon 6:8;
and next he gives an account of his going into his garden, and his design in
it, and of what happened to him there, Song of Solomon 6:11.
And the chapter is concluded with a charge to the Shulamite, to turn herself,
that she might be looked upon; which occasions a question, to which an answer
is returned, Song of Solomon 6:13.
Song of Solomon
6:1 The Daughters
of Jerusalem 6 Where
has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned
aside, That we may seek him with you?
YLT 1Whither hath thy beloved
gone, O fair among women? Whither hath thy beloved turned, And we seek him with
thee?
Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women?.... The title
is the same used by them, and by Christ before them, Song of Solomon 1:8;
and here repeated, to assure her that they were serious in asking this
question, and that it was in great respect to her they put it; and which, to
the same sense, in other words, is expressed,
whither is thy beloved turned aside? which way did he take?
on what hand did he turn, to the right or left, when he went from thy door?
They ask no longer who or what he was, being satisfied with the church's
description of him; by which they had gained some knowledge of him, and had
their affections drawn out unto him; and were desirous of knowing more of him
and of being better acquainted with him, and to enjoy his company and presence;
though as yet they had but little faith in him, and therefore could not call
him "their" beloved, only "her" beloved: and this question
is put and repeated in this manner, to show that they were serious and in
earnest; yea, were in haste, and impatient to know which way he went; say they,
that we may seek him with thee; it was not mere
speculation or curiosity that led them to put the above questions; they were
desirous to go into practice, to join with the church in the search of Christ,
to seek him with her in the word and ordinances; upon which they were
determined, could they get any hint from her whither he was gone, and where it
was most likely to find him: for so the words may be rendered, "and we
will seek him with thee"F16נבקשנו ζητησομεν, Sept.
"quaeremus", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Marckius, &c. ; this they
had resolved on among themselves, and only wanted directions which way to steer
their course, or a grant to go along with the church in quest of her beloved.
Song of Solomon
6:2 The Shulamite 2 My beloved has gone to his
garden, To the beds of spices, To feed his flock in the gardens, And to
gather lilies.
YLT 2My beloved went down to his
garden, To the beds of the spice, To delight himself in the gardens, and to gather
lilies.
My beloved is gone down into his garden,.... Which may
be said by Solomon, in allusion to what he himself was wont to do, as JosephusF17Antiqu.
l. 8. c. 7. s. 3. relates; who used to go very early in a morning in great pomp
to Etham, about two miles from Jerusalem, a pleasant place, abounding with
gardens and flows of water: or respect may be had to the king's gardens nearer
Jerusalem, which were at the descent of Mount Zion, and reached to the lower
poolF18See Lightfoot's Chorograph. Inquiry on John, c. 5. s. 4. p.
509. ; see Nehemiah 3:15; and
which lying lower than the king's palace, he might be said to go down to it.
And this may point at the low estate of the people of God on earth, depressed
with sorrows, afflictions, and persecutions; and the condescension of Christ,
in visiting them in their low estate, and granting them his gracious presence:
of the garden of Christ, and of his coming into it; see Gill on Song of Solomon 4:12;
See Gill on Song of Solomon 4:16;
See Gill on Song of Solomon 5:1;
and the church might remember what he said, "I am come into my
garden", Song of Solomon 5:1;
though she soon fell asleep and forgot it, and now calls it to mind, and so
could direct the daughters where he was. She adds,
to the beds of spices; of odoriferous plants;
to which particular believers, planted regularly in the churches of Christ, may
be compared, for the excellency and fragrancy of their graces; and among whom
Christ delights to be; see Song of Solomon 4:13.
GussetiusF19Ebr. Comment. p. 642. thinks the words, both here and in
Song of Solomon 5:13,
should be rendered "rivers of spices"; an hyperbolical expression,
showing that a man walking by rivers of waters, where aromatic plants and
fragrant flowers grow, perceives such a sweet odour, that, while he is
refreshed with the moisture of the waters, he seems to be walking by rivers of
spices. The end of her beloved's going thither is,
to feed in the gardens; to feed his flocks
there: not on commons and in fields, but in gardens, which is unusual: and by
which are meant particular churches, where Christ feeds his people, by his
Spirit and by his ministers, word and ordinances, with himself, the bread of
life; with the discoveries of his love, better than wine; and with the
doctrines and promises of the Gospel: or to feed himself, or that "he himself
might be fed"F20לרעות "ut ubi
pascatur", V. L. Munster, Mercerus. there; by beholding with pleasure how
the plants grow, and the spices flow out; by tasting the pleasant fruits of the
garden; and by observing with delight the graces of the Spirit in his people in
lively exercise;
and to gather lilies; to crop them with the
handF21 ευπνοα λειρια
κερσοι, Theocrit. Idyll. 19. v. 32. ; lilies are liable to be
cropped, hence HoraceF23Carmin. l. 1. Ode 36, v. 16. calls the lily
"breve lilium", the short lived lily: to these saints may be
compared, for the glory, splendour, and beauty, they receive from Christ; see Song of Solomon 2:2;
there was a gathering of these at the death of Christ, Ephesians 2:10; and
there is a gathering of them in effectual calling, and into a church state, and
into nearer communion with Christ; but here it seems to signify a gathering
them by death, when fully ripe, to enjoy everlasting fellowship with him.
Song of Solomon
6:3 3 I
am my beloved’s, And my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock
among the lilies.
YLT 3I [am] my beloved's, and my
beloved [is] mine, Who is delighting himself among the lilies.
I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine,....
Expressive of interest in Christ, and union to him, and of her faith therein;
which still continued, notwithstanding her unbecoming behavior toward Christ, and
her many infirmities, Song of Solomon 5:2.
Aben Ezra connects the words with the preceding, "my beloved is
gone", &c. but though he is, and I am left alone, I know I am his, and
he is mine; which throws a beauty upon the words, and declares the excellency
and strength of her faith; for herein lies the glory and excellency of faith,
to believe in an unseen Christ: though it may be the Shechinah was with her, as
the Targum has it; or Christ had now appeared to her, and was found by her, and
therefore, like Thomas, says, "my Lord and my God";
he feedeth among the lilies; See Gill on Song of Solomon 2:16.
Song of Solomon
6:4 The Beloved 4 O my love, you are as
beautiful as Tirzah, Lovely as Jerusalem, Awesome as an army with
banners!
YLT 4Fair [art] thou, my friend,
as Tirzah, Comely as Jerusalem, Awe-inspiring as bannered hosts.
Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah,.... These are
the words of Christ, who had been absent for some time, and till now silent;
but, like another Joseph, could not refrain any longer, but makes himself known
to his church, and bursts out in strong expressions of love to her, and in high
commendations of her; for, notwithstanding her behavior toward him, she was his
love still, and as "beautiful" and as comely in his sight as ever:
and for which he compares her here to Tirzah; which is either the name of some
beautiful woman, well known in those times; so one of the daughters of
Zelophehad is called by this name, Numbers 27:1; but
whether from her beauty is nowhere said: or rather a city of this name is here
meant, since, in the next clause, the church is compared to the city of
Jerusalem for the same reason. There was a city in the land of Canaan, called
Tirzah, formerly the seat of one of the ancient kings of Canaan, and, in later
times, of Jeroboam and some of his successors; and which, no doubt, was a very
pleasant and delightful place, as its name imports, either from its situation
or buildings, Joshua 12:24.
AdrichomiusF24Theatrum Terrae Sanctae, p. 74. says, it was an heroic
city, situated on a high mountain. In some of the Greek versions, it is read as
an appellative, and tendered, as "good will" or "good
pleasure"F25כתרצה ως
ευδοκια, Sept. ευδοκητη,
Symmachus. , and so may respect the sweetness of her temper and disposition;
which is heightened by using the abstract, she was all good nature and good
will; not only sweet, as the Vulgate Latin version, but "sweetness"
itself, as she says of him, Song of Solomon 5:16;
and this may be said of her, as she was the object of God's good will and
pleasure in election, of Christ's in redemption, and of the Spirit's in
effectual calling; and as she was the subject of good will, bearing one to God,
to Christ, to his people, word, worship, ways, and ordinances. The word comes
from a root which signifies to be "grateful and accepted": and
so Jarchi interprets the word here "acceptable": and so some ancient
writings of the JewsF26Siphri in Jarchi, & Shir Hashirim Rabba
in loc. : and may denote the acceptableness of the church in Christ, with whom
God is well pleased in him for his righteousness's sake, in which she appears
exceeding fair and lovely. And for the same reason is said to be
comely as Jerusalem; the metropolis of Judea,
and seat of the kings of it; and, as PlinyF1Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 14.
says, was far the most famous of any of the cities of the east; it was a city
well built and compact together, beautiful for situation, very rich in
Solomon's time, the place of divine worship, and was strongly fortified by
nature and art: and hence the church of God often bears this name, both in the
Old and New Testament, Isaiah 40:2, being
the city of the great King, built on Christ, the Rock; consisting of saints,
fitly and closely united together; rich with the unsearchable riches of Christ;
where the several parts of spiritual and evangelic worship are performed;
possessed of many privileges, and well secured by the power and salvation of
God. Yet
terrible as an army with banners; to her
enemies, though so lovely to Christ. This shows that not a single person is
meant all along, who could not with propriety be compared to an army; but a
collective body, as the church is: and that the church on earth is militant,
and, like a well disciplined army, in good order, and provided with proper
officers and suitable armour, and in a posture of defence, and ready to fight
when attacked; and so "terrible" to her enemies, Satan and his
principalities, wicked men and false teachers; who are terrified by their
having such a General at the head of them as Christ, and being under such
banners as his, and provided with such good weapons of warfare, as are mighty
through God; by their close union to one another; and by the constancy,
undauntedness, and invincibleness of their faith; and are awed by their pious
conversation and good examples. Perhaps some respect may be had by Christ to
the church's courage and constancy in seeking after him; the force of whose
faith and love he felt, which he could not withstand, and therefore says as
follows:
Song of Solomon
6:5 5 Turn
your eyes away from me, For they have overcome me. Your hair is like a
flock of goats Going down from Gilead.
YLT 5Turn round thine eyes from
before me, Because they have made me proud. Thy hair [is] as a row of the
goats, That have shone from Gilead,
Turn away thine eyes from me,.... Her eyes of faith
and love; not through dislike of them, but as ravished with them; his passions
were so struck by them, and his heart pierced with them, that he could stand it
out no longer against her; see Song of Solomon 4:9.
Some render the words, "turn about thine eyes over against me"F2מנגדי απεναντιον
μου, Sept. "ex adverso mei"; Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator, Marckius; so Montanus and Ainsworth. ; this being the first time of
meeting, after her ungrateful treatment of him, she might be filled with shame
and confusion for it, and therefore hung down her head, or looked on one side;
wherefore he encourages her to look him full in the face, with a holy
confidence; for such looks of faith are very agreeable to Christ; see Song of Solomon 2:14;
for they have overcome me; that is, her eyes, they
had made a conquest of his heart; which does not imply weakness in Christ, but
condescending grace, that he should suffer himself, as it were, to be
overpowered by the faith and love of his people, who has conquered them and all
their enemies. This clause is very differently rendered: by some, "they
have strengthened me"F3הרהיבני
"corroborant me", Marckius; so Kimchi, and Ben Melech. ; his desire
towards his church, and the enjoyment of her company: by others, the reverse,
"are stronger than me", or "have taken away my strength"F4"Fortiores
fuerunt me", Pagninus; so Aben Ezra. ; so that he was spiritless, and as
one dead, or in an ecstasy: by others, "they have made me fly away"F5So
the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions. ; that is, out of himself; so that
he was not master of himself, could not bear the force and brightness of her
eyes: by others, "they have lifted me up"F6Mercerus,
Ainsworth. ; revived, cheered, and comforted him, through sympathy with her, in
virtue of their near union: by others, "they have made me proud", or
"prouder"F7Tigurine version, Piscator; so Jarchi. ; see Isaiah 3:5. Christ
has a kind of pride as well as pleasure in his church; he is proud of the
beauty he has put upon her, of the graces he has wrought in her; and especially
of her faith, when in exercise; see Matthew 8:10; and
by others, "they have made me fiercer"F8Montanus,
Cocceius. ; not with anger and indignation, but with love; there is a force, a
fierceness in love, as well as in wrath: "love is strong as death, and
jealousy is cruel as the grave", Song of Solomon 8:6;
it is so in the church, much more in Christ. All which shows the power of
faith, to which mighty things are ascribed, Hebrews 11:1; and
here the conquest of Christ himself;
thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead; from Mount
Gilead; see Gill on Song of Solomon 4:1.
Song of Solomon
6:6 6 Your
teeth are like a flock of sheep Which have come up from the washing; Every
one bears twins, And none is barren among them.
YLT 6Thy teeth as a row of the
lambs, That have come up from the washing, Because all of them are forming
twins, And a bereaved one is not among them.
Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the
washing, whereof everyone beareth twins, and there is not one barren
among them. See Gill on Song of Solomon 4:2.
Song of Solomon
6:7 7 Like
a piece of pomegranate Are your temples behind your veil.
YLT 7As the work of the
pomegranate [is] thy temple behind thy veil.
As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy
locks. The same descriptions are given in Song of Solomon 4:3;
See Gill on Song of Solomon 4:3;
and these are repeated, to show the reality of the church's beauty, and for the
sake of confirmation; and that it still continued the same, notwithstanding her
failings and infirmities; and that Christ had the same esteem of her, and love
to her, he ever had. That part of the description, respecting the church's lips
and speech, in Song of Solomon 4:3;
is here omitted, though added at the end of Song of Solomon 6:6;
by the Septuagint; but is not in the Hebrew copies, nor taken notice of in the
Targum; yea, the Masorah, on Song of Solomon 4:2,
remarks some words as only used in that place, and therefore could not be
repeated here in the copies then in use.
Song of Solomon
6:8 8 There
are sixty queens And eighty concubines, And virgins without number.
YLT 8Sixty are queens, and
eighty concubines, And virgins without number.
There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins
without number. In this verse and Song of Solomon 6:9
the church is commended as she stood related to others; and is compared with
them, and preferred to them. The words may be considered either as an
assertion, "there are", &c. or as a supposition, "though
there be", &c. yet Christ's church is but one, and excels them all.
"Queens" are principal and lawful wives of kings;
"concubines", secondary or half wives, as the wordF9פילגשים "secundariae uxores", Michaelis.
signifies; who were admitted to the bed, but their children did not inherit:
"virgins", unmarried persons, maids of honour, who waited on the
queen. The allusion is to the custom of kings and great personages, who had many
wives, and more concubines, and a large number of virgins to wait on them; see 1 Kings 11:3; or to
a nuptial solemnity, and the ceremony of introducing the bride to the bridegroom,
attended with a large number of persons of distinction; and so TheocritusF11Idyll.
18. v. 24. speaks of four times sixty virgins attending the nuptials of
Menelaus and Helena; see Psalm 45:9. By all
which may be meant either the kingdoms and nations of the world; by
"queens", the more large, rich and flourishing kingdoms; by
"concubines", inferior states; and by "virgins without
number", the vast multitudes of inhabitants that fill them; but all, put
together, are not equal to the church; see Song of Solomon 2:2;
or else false churches; by "queens", such who boast of their riches
and number, as the church of Rome, Revelation 18:7; by
"concubines", such as are inferior in those things, but equally
corrupt, as Arians, Socinians, &c. and by "virgins without
number", the multitudes of poor, weak, ignorant people, seduced by them;
and what figure soever these make, or pretensions to be the true churches of
Christ, they are none of his, his spouse is preferred to them all. Or rather
true believers in Christ, of different degrees, are here meant; queens, those
that have the greatest share of gifts grace, most nearness to Christ, and
communion with him; by "concubines", believers of a lower class, and
of a more servile spirit, and yet sometimes are favoured with, fellowship with
Christ; and by "virgins", young converts, who have not so large an
experience as the former; and this distribution agrees with 1 John 2:13; and
the rather this may be the sense, since each of these are said to praise the
church in Song of Solomon 6:9,
who is preferable to them, and includes them all.
Song of Solomon
6:9 9 My
dove, my perfect one, Is the only one, The only one of her mother, The favorite
of the one who bore her. The daughters saw her And called her blessed, The
queens and the concubines, And they praised her.
YLT 9One is my dove, my perfect
one, One she [is] of her mother, The choice one she [is] of her that bare her,
Daughters saw, and pronounce her happy, Queens and concubines, and they praise
her.
My dove, my undefiled, is but one,.... Of these
titles, see Song of Solomon 2:14.
Christ's church is called one, in distinction from the many before mentioned;
and either designs her small number, in comparison of the nations of the world,
and of false churches, like one to sixty or eighty, and even to an innumerable
company; see Ecclesiastes 9:14, Luke 12:32; or else
her unity in herself, being but one general assembly and church of the
firstborn, made up of various particular congregated churches; and "one
body", consisting of various members, united together in affection, and
partakers of the same grace, blessings, and privileges; actuated by "one
Spirit", the Spirit of God, Ephesians 4:4; and
having but "one Head", Christ Jesus, Ephesians 4:15, and
it may signify that the church is the spouse of Christ; that though other
princes may have sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and virgins without
number, to wait on them, Song of Solomon 6:8;
Christ had but one, and was well pleased with her, and desired no other;
she is the only one of her mother; the Jerusalem
above, the mother of us all: or the sense is, she was to Christ as a mother's
only child, most tenderly beloved by him;
she is the choice one of her that bare her; esteemed and
loved best of all her mother's children. The word may be rendered, "the
pure" or "clean one"F12ברה
"munda", Montanus, Mercerus; "pura", Vatablus, Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Marckius, Michaelis. ; so the church is, as
clothed in "clean" linen, the righteousness of Christ; cleansed from
sin in his blood; sprinkled with the clean water of the covenant, and of an
unspotted conversation.
The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and
the concubines, and they praised her: it may seem strange that
concubines should praise a queen; but it was not unusual in the eastern
countries; with the Persians, as the queen admitted of many concubines by the
order of her lord the king, so the queen was had in great veneration, and even
adored by the concubinesF13Dinon in Persicis apud Athenaei
Deipnosoph. l. 13. c. 1. p. 556. : which may respect either the great esteem
the church had, or should have, in the world, even from the great men of it, as
she will have in the latter day, Isaiah 49:23; or
which young converts have for her; who may more especially be meant by the
"daughters" and "virgins", who, in Song of Solomon 6:1,
call the church the "fairest among women": these blessed her, and
pronounced her happy, and wished all happiness to her; they "praised
her", spoke well of her, and commended her for her beauty; which was
pleasing to Christ, and therefore observed by him.
Song of Solomon
6:10 10 Who
is she who looks forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Awesome
as an army with banners?
YLT 10`Who [is] this that is
looking forth as morning, Fair as the moon -- clear as the sun, Awe-inspiring
as bannered hosts?'
Who is she that looketh forth as the morning?.... These
words may be connected with the preceding, by a supplement of the word
"saying"; and so may express what the daughters said, when they
blessed and praised the church, wondering at her beauty, it being like the rising
morning; so Helena is said to show her beautiful face, αως
αντελλοισα, as the
morning, when it springs forthF14Theocrit. Idyll. 18. v. 26. : there
was a city in the tribe of Reuben, called Zarethshahar, the beauty or splendour
of the morning, Joshua 13:19. Homer
often describes the morning by her rosy fingersF15 ροδοδακτυλος ηως, Iliad. 1. v.
477. & passim. , and as clothed with a saffron garmentF16 ηως κροκοπεπλος, Iliad. 8, v.
1. & 19. v. 1. , and as beautiful and divineF17Iliad. 18. v.
255. , and fair hairedF18Odyss. 5. v. 390. ; and as on a golden
throne and beautifulF19Odyss. 15. v. 56, 250. . And as these words
describe the progressive gradations of light, so they may set forth the state
and condition of the church in the several ages of the world; its first state
in this clause, which may reach from the first dawn of light to Adam, Genesis 3:15;
increasing in the times of the patriarchs, Noah, Abraham, and Jacob, and in
which and to whom were various displays of Gospel light and grace; to the time
of the giving of the law by Moses, when the church might be said to be
fair as the moon; which, though it receives its light from
the sun, yet splendour and brightness are ascribed to it, Job 31:26; and, by
other writersF20"Tanto formosis, formosior omnibus illa
est", Ovid. Leander Heroni, v. 73. "Pulchrior tanto tua forma
lucet", Senecae Hippolylus, Act. 2. chorus, v. 740. , is represented as
fair and beautiful; and the beautiful form of persons is expressed by itF21Vid.
Barthii Animadv. ad Claudian. de Nupt. Honor. v. 243. : and very fitly is the
state of the church under the law signified by the moon, by which the
ceremonial law seems intended, in Revelation 12:1;
that lying much in the observation of new moons, by the which the several
festivals under the law were regulated; and which law gave light in the night
of Jewish darkness, into the person, offices, and grace of Christ; and though
it was imperfect, variable, waxed old, and at length vanished away, yet the
church under it was "fair"; there being a beauty and amiableness in
the worship of that dispensation, Psalm 27:4. The
next clause, "clear as the sun", may describe the church under the
Gospel dispensation; when the "sun of righteousness" arose, and made
the famous Gospel day; when the shadows of the old law fled away, Christ, the
substance, being come; when there were more light and knowledge, and a clear
discerning of spiritual and evangelic things: and, in all those periods, the
church was "terrible as an army with banners"; to her enemies,
being in a militant state; See Gill on Song of Solomon 6:4.
The whole of this may be applied to particular believers; who, at first
conversion, "look forth as the morning", their light being small, but
increasing; and, as to their sanctification, are "fair as the moon",
having their spots and imperfections, and deriving all their light, grace, and
holiness, from Christ; and, as to their justification,
clear as the sun, being clothed with Christ, the sun of
righteousness, Revelation 12:1;
and so all fair and without spot;
and terrible as an army
with banners, fighting the good fight of faith, under the banners of Christ,
against all spiritual enemies.
Song of Solomon
6:11 The Shulamite 11 I went down to the garden
of nuts To see the verdure of the valley, To see whether the vine had budded And
the pomegranates had bloomed.
YLT 11Unto a garden of nuts I
went down, To look on the buds of the valley, To see whither the vine had
flourished, The pomegranates had blossomed –
I went down into the garden of nuts,.... This is very
properly taken notice of in this song of love; it being usual for newly married
persons to get nuts, and throw them among children, to make pastime; to
signify, among other things, that they now renounced childish thingsF21Vid.
Chartarium de Imag. Deorum, p. 89. & Kipping. Antiqu. Rom. l. 4. c. 2. p.
697. "Sparge marite nuces", &c. Virgil. Bucolic. Eclog. 8. v. 30.
"Da nuces pueris", Catuili Juliae Epithal. Ep. 59, v. 131. . These
are the words of Christ, declaring to the church where he went, and what he
employed himself about, when he departed from her; see Song of Solomon 6:2.
Of the garden, as it intends the church; see Gill on Song of Solomon 5:12;
into which he was invited to come, and did, as here; see Song of Solomon 4:16;
here it is called a "garden of nuts", which may design a spot in it
destined for this fruit; by which some understand "nutmegs", which is
not very likely, since such grew not in those parts: rather
"walnuts", which the Arabs call "gauz" or "geuz",
which is the same word that is here used; Pistacia nuts were well known in
SyriaF23Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 5. Athenaei Deipnosophist. l. 14.
c. 17. p. 649. , which joined to Judea. And by "nuts", which grew in
the garden, the church, true believers, may be designed; who, like them, have a
mean outward appearance, but are valuable within, having the true grace of God
in them; and because of their divers coverings, their outward conversation
garments, the robe of Christ's righteousness, and the internal sanctification
of the Spirit, which answer to the husk and shell, and the thin inward skin
over the nut; and because of their hardiness in enduring afflictions and
troubles, the shell may represent; and because of their best and most excellent
parts being hidden, even grace, the hidden man of the heart, signified by the
kernel, and which will not fully appear until the shell or tabernacle of the
body is broken down; and because of their safety from harm and pollution,
amidst the storms of afflictions, persecutions, and temptations, and pollutions
of the world, the principle of grace, like the kernel, remains unhurt and
undefiled; and because of the multitude of believers, united and cleaving
together, which is delightful to behold, like clusters of nuts in a nut garden.
Some render it, "the pruned garden", or "garden of pruning"F24גנת אגוז "hortos
putatos", Junius & Tremellius; Heb. "tonsionis", Piscator;
"hortum putationis", Marckius. ; whose plants, trees, and vines, are
pruned and kept in good order, by Christ's father, the husbandman and
vinedresser; see Song of Solomon 2:12.
The ends of Christ in going into it were,
to see the fruits of the valley; to observe the graces of
his Spirit; the actings, exercise, and growth of them in humble souls, among
whom he delights to be, Isaiah 57:15; the
Septuagint version is, "the shoots of the brook" or
"river": and may denote the fertile soil in which believers are
planted, even by the river of divine love; with which being watered, they
flourish, Psalm 1:3;
and to see whether the vine
flourished; particular churches, or believers, compared to vines; who may be
said to flourish, when they increase in numbers, and are fruitful in grace and
good works; see Song of Solomon 2:13;
and the pomegranates budded; of which, see
Song of Solomon 4:13;
the budding, of them may design the beginnings, or first putting, forth, of
grace in the saints; which Christ takes much notice of, and is highly pleased
with.
Song of Solomon
6:12 12 Before
I was even aware, My soul had made me As the chariots of my noble
people.[a]
YLT 12I knew not my soul, It made
me -- chariots of my people Nadib.
Or ever one was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of
Amminadib. These are either the words of the church or of Christ, saying,
"I know not"F25לא ידעתי ουκ εγνω,
Sept. "nescivi", V. L. "non novi", Montanus. as the first
clause may be rendered: if the words of the church, the sense may be, that
though she knew not where her beloved was gone, when he went from her, yet she
ran about in search of him as swiftly as the chariots of Amminadib; and when
she did know that he was gone down into the garden, immediately, on a sudden,
at an unawares, such was the strength of her love and affection to him, the she
moved as swiftly after him as if she had been in one of those chariots; and
this may signify also her courage and resolution, that, notwithstanding all
difficulties and discouragements she met with, she drove on as briskly and as
courageously after him as ever Amminadib did, in one of his chariots, in the
field of battle: or, "I know not"; whether in the body or out of the
body; such was the rapture and ecstasy she was in, when she heard her beloved
say, "I went down into the garden of nuts", &c. or, when she
heard the daughters' commendations of her, she did not think that such belonged
to her, and therefore said, "I know not"; however, this caused her to
make the greater haste to answer such characters, and to enjoy the company of
her beloved. But rather they are the words of Christ, who was now in his
garden, observing the condition it was in, and says, "I know not", or
do not perceiveF26"Nondum percipientem haec", Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator. , that it was in a fruitful and flourishing case, and
therefore took all the speedy methods he could to bring it into a better; or
being in a transport of love to his church, it caused him speedily to return
unto her, and grant her his presence; offer all necessary assistance, and be as
chariots to her, to carry her through difficulties, and to protect and defend
her from all enemies: and this his soul caused him to do, not her worth and
worthiness, love and loveliness, but his own good will and pleasure, and
cordial affection for her. Many take Amminadib to be the proper name of a person,
who was one of Solomon's chariot drivers, that understood his business well,
and drove swiftly, and with success, to whom Christ compares himself, when
returning to his church with haste: but I rather think, with Jarchi, Aben Ezra,
and others, that it is an appellative, consisting of two words,
"ammi", my people, and "nadib", willing or princely, and
may be rendered, "the chariots of my willing" or "princely
people"F1עמי נדיב
"populi mei spontanei", Pagninus; "voluntari", Piscator,
Cocceius, Marchius, Michaelis. ; meaning, not angels, nor ministers, but the
people of Christ themselves, to whom he is as chariots; for so I should choose
to translate the words, "my soul made me as chariots to my willing"
or "princely people"; and so describes the persons who share in this
instance of his grace; they are such who are made willing by Christ, in the day
of his power on them, to be saved by him, and serve him, Psalm 110:3; and
who are of a free, princely, and munificent spirit, Psalm 2:12; being
princes, and the sons and daughters of a prince, Song of Solomon 7:1;
to these Christ makes himself as chariots, as he now was to the church, and
took her up along with him to enjoy his presence, she had sought for and
desired. Wherefore the daughters of Jerusalem, who had accompanied her hitherto
in search of him, perceiving she was going from then, say what follows.
Song of Solomon
6:13 The Beloved and
His Friends 13 Return,
return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon you! The
Shulamite What would you see in the Shulamite— As it were, the dance of
the two camps?[b]
YLT 13Return, return, O
Shulammith! Return, return, and we look upon thee. What do ye see in
Shulammith?
Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return,.... By whom
the church is meant, so called from her being the spouse of Christ, the true
Solomon; it being common for the wife to have the same name with her husband;
thus, with the Romans, if the man's name was Caius, the woman's name was Caia:
is the name of Christ Solomon? the church's name is Shulamite; see Jeremiah 23:6. The
word from which this is derived signifies both perfection and peace; and the
church may be called the Shulamite from her perfection, not in herself, but in
Christ, in whom she is complete, and perfectly comely through his
righteousness; and is also denominated from the peace which she has from
Christ, and he has made for her through his blood, and he gives unto her by his
Spirit; and from what she does or should enjoy in her members, and from what she
will be possessed of to all eternity. Now the church, the Shulamite, is very
importunately desired by the daughters of Jerusalem to return; which is said no
less than four times, which shows how vehemently desirous they were of her
company: and perceiving she was about to go from them, most earnestly press her
to return, or to "turn"F2שובי επιστρεφε, Sept.
"convertere", Sanctius, Marckius. ; to turn herself, that her beauty
and comeliness might be more plainly seen; for this is the end proposed by
them,
that we may look upon thee; that they might still
have more opportunity of viewing her, and more narrowly to examine her beauty,
for which she was so much commended; and that they might enjoy more of her
company and conversation, which had been, and they might hope would be, more
useful and instructive to them. A question upon this follows,
What will ye see in the Shulamite? which question is put,
either by the daughters among themselves; some wishing for her return, and
others asking what they expected to see in her, should she return: or rather it
is put by the church herself; who asks the daughters, what they expected to see
in her, a poor, mean, unworthy creature, not fit to be looked on, having
nothing extraordinary, nor indeed valuable or of worth, in seeing of her? Which
question is thus answered,
As it were the company of two armies: either by the
daughters, declaring what they expected to see in the church; either such a
glorious and joyful meeting between Christ and her, as is often between great
persons, attended with singing and dancing; so the word for company is rendered
by the SeptuagintF3כמחלת ως χοροι, Sept. "sicut
chorus", Vatablus, Marckius, Michaelis, & alii. "choroi", a
"company" of those that dance and sing; see Psalm 68:24; or
such an appearance as an army makes at the reception of their prince, when it
is divided into two bands, for the sake of greater honour and majesty. Or
rather this answer is returned by the church herself; signifying that nothing
was to be seen in her but two armies, flesh and Spirit, sin and grace,
continually warring against each other; which surely, she thought, could be no
desirable and pleasing sight to them; see Romans 7:23.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)