_In this chapter,_ (1.) _Christ speaks both concerning himself, and concerning his church,_ Song of Solomon 1:1. (2.) _The church speaks,_ [1.] _Remembering the pleasure and satisfaction she had in communion with Christ,_ Song of Solomon 1:3. [2.] _Entertaining herself with the present tokens of his... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM THE ROSE OF SHARON— _I am a rose of the field._ We have here followed all the ancient versions, in preference to those of the moderns, who generally, interpret שׁרון _Sharon_ as a proper name; yet a little attention to the context will convince us, that the bride does not here mean to extol the... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE APPLE-TREE, &C.— _As the citron-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the youths;_ New Translation; in this rendering following the Chaldee paraphrase, which observes, with what superior beauty that rich fruitful plant must appear among the barren trees of the wood. The wor... [ Continue Reading ]
HE BROUGHT ME TO THE BANQUETING-HOUSE— _O bring me into the banqueting-house: spread the banner of love over me._ I rather choose, with the LXX, to translate the word in the imperative mood, because by this means the passage is rendered much more spirited, and corresponds more exactly with the follo... [ Continue Reading ]
STAY ME WITH FLAGONS— Instead of _stay,_ we might render the word _support;_ and as _flagons_ would be a very improper support on this occasion, and likewise seem to carry with them a very low idea, we should, agreeably to the meaning of the word, as derived from the Arabic, read _verdant herbs._ Th... [ Continue Reading ]
I CHARGE YOU, &C.— This is a rural form of adjuring: the bride intreats her virgin companions by those creatures in which they may be supposed to have taken frequent pleasure; but we must never forget that Christ, the heavenly bridegroom, is the supreme, yea, in a true sense, the sole object of her... [ Continue Reading ]
_SONG OF SOLOMON 2:8_. The second day's eclogue begins here, belongs wholly to the spouse, and is addressed by her in a continued narration to the chorus of virgins.... [ Continue Reading ]
MY BELOVED IS LIKE A ROE, &C.— This should be connected more properly with the preceding verse. _My beloved resembles a roe,_ &c. _leaping and skipping upon the hills._ The following part of this verse would be better rendered thus: _Behold, he stood behind our wall; he looked in through the windows... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WINTER IS PAST— One part of the winter is distinguished from the rest of it by the people of the East, in the latitude in which Solomon lived, on account of the severity of the cold. At Aleppo it lasts about forty days, and is called by the natives _maurbanie._ I would propose it to the consider... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIG-TREE PUTTETH FORTH, &C.— _The fig-tree giveth sweetness to her green figs._ The fig-trees in Judaea bear double crops, the first of which is ripe in spring. פגיה _paggeiha,_ signifies _the unripe fig._ The word חנט _chanat,_ which we render _putteth forth,_ properly signifies to preserve wit... [ Continue Reading ]
O MY DOVE, &C.— _O my dove, through the clefts of the rocks, through the secret places of the stairs let me see thee,_ &c. New Translation.... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE US THE FOXES—THAT SPOIL THE VINES— More literally, _spoil the vineyards;—for our vineyards,_ &c. Foxes abound in Judaea, and are observed by a multitude of authors to love grapes, and to make great havoc in vineyards. Galen in his book _Of Aliments,_ tells us, that the hunters in his country di... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTIL THE DAY BREAK, &C.— _Until the day breathe,_ or, _till the day blow fresh,_ for this is the literal meaning of the original. This is a local beauty; for in those hot countries the dawn of the day is attended with a fine refreshing breeze, which is exceedingly grateful. See Vatablus, and the Ne... [ Continue Reading ]