_thy feet with shoes_ Lit. THY STEPS IN SANDALS. Budde emphasises the fact that the feet are not spoken of here, but the steps, i.e. in his view the dancing movements of the feet in the sword dance. Oettli on the other hand emphasises the shoes, pointing out that the country maiden had probably not... [ Continue Reading ]
Song of Solomon 7:1-6. The Praises of the Ladies of the Hareem This song or section contains the praises of the Shulammite by the ladies of the hareem; but the circumstances under which the words are spoken are in no way indicated. Some, as Oettli, would make it part of the previous scene. But we c... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thy navel_ Better, THY BODY. which _wanteth not_ This should be _let not liquor be wanting_. _liquor_ Heb. _mezegh_is wine mixed with snow or water. _thy belly_is like _a heap of wheat_ The point of the comparison is the yellowish-white colour of wheat threshed and winnowed, which is considered... [ Continue Reading ]
This is a repetition of Song of Solomon 4:5, with the exception that the lilies of that passage are omitted here, as they have been mentioned in the preceding verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a tower of ivory_ Not a tower entirely built of ivory, but some well-known tower, or kind of tower, adorned with enriching panels or medallions of ivory. Cp. "the ivory palaces," Psalms 45:8, and "the divans of ivory," Amos 6:4, and Driver's note there. A tower-like neck has always been regarded as... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thine head upon thee_is _like Carmel_ Mount Carmel, looked at from the North especially, is the crown of the country, towering over sea and land in solitary majesty; hence the comparison to a head proudly held. The A.V. margin, following some Jewish authorities, renders -crimson," regarding _karmel... [ Continue Reading ]
_for delights_ Better, AMONG DELIGHTS, i.e. how surpassingly delightful is love above all other pleasures of life. The word translated _delights_does not necessarily, or even generally, mean sensuous delights, as some say. Cp. Proverbs 19:10; Micah 1:16; Micah 2:9. This sudden turn to the praise of... [ Continue Reading ]
_This thy stature_ or as we should say, _this form of thine_. _is like to a palm tree_ This is a very favourite figure with Oriental poets, graceful slenderness and tall stature being specially admired. Hence _Tamar_= -palm" was a frequent woman's name. _clusters_of grapes] Heb. _ashkôlôth_, not n... [ Continue Reading ]
Song of Solomon 7:7 Chap. Song of Solomon 8:4. The King and the Shepherdess the last Assault We may suppose that after her attendants have completed the Shulammite's adornment, and have finished their fulsome praises of her beauty, she receives a new visit from the king. In Song of Solomon 7:7-9 he... [ Continue Reading ]
_I said I have said_or _thought_= I am minded to climb up the palm tree to take hold of its branches. _now also thy breasts shall be_, &c. Better, as R.V., LET THY BREASTS BE AS CLUSTERS OF THE VINE. _the smell of thy nose_ i.e. as R.V. paraphrases, giving the meaning correctly, THE SMELL OF THY B... [ Continue Reading ]
_and the roof of thy mouth_ Better, as R.V., AND THY MOUTH. _Chçkh_is the palate, but it is used for the mouth. Cp. ch. Song of Solomon 5:16; Hosea 8:1. The reference here as in Song of Solomon 5:16 is to the sweet words of love which she whispers, they intoxicate like wine. _for my beloved, that go... [ Continue Reading ]
In this verse the bride openly rejects the king whom she had already tacitly rejected, saying, -I belong to my beloved alone, and he on his part longs after me only." As Oettli says, the words should be conceived as uttered with an almost triumphant gesture of rejection towards Solomon. Budde suppos... [ Continue Reading ]
_let us lodge in the villages_ The verb _lûn_= -to pass the night," does not always mean a passing sojourn. Consequently there is no hint here that the home of the Shulammite and her lover was distant several days" journey. The verb is often used where simply -dwelling," -remaining," is meant; but i... [ Continue Reading ]
_if the vine flourish_ WHETHER THE VINE HATH BUDDED, R.V. Cp. Song of Solomon 6:11. whether _the tender grape appear_ Rather, AND ITS BLOSSOM BE OPEN, R.V. For the word _semâdhar_= -blossom," cp. ch. Song of Solomon 2:13; Song of Solomon 2:15. It is found nowhere else in the O.T. _there will I giv... [ Continue Reading ]
_The mandrakes give a smell_ Heb. _had-dûdhâ îm_(LXX, οἱ μανδραγόραι), lit. -love plants." The mandrake is fully described in Tristram, _Nat. Hist_. pp. 466 ff. It belongs to the family of plants to which the potato belongs. The flowers are cup-shaped, of a rich purple colour. The fruit has a peculi... [ Continue Reading ]