Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
The Church's Faith and Desire. SOLOMON'S SONG VIII. The Love of the Church to Christ,
CHAPTER VIII.
alty (Revelation 1. 6). As applied to hair, it expresses the glosKy splendour of blacl hair (lit., pendulous hair) so much admired in tiie East (ch. 4. 1). Whilst the King compares her hair to the flowing hair of goats (the token of her subjection), the dangliters of Jerusalem compare it to royal purple, galleries—(so ch. 1. 17. Margin ; Revelation 21.8.) But MAtJKEK translates here, "flowing ring-
Ver. 1-14. 1. He had been a brother already. Why, then, this prayer here? It refers to the time after His resurrection, when the previous outward intimacy with Him was no longer allowed, but it was implied it should be renewed at the second coming (John 20. 17) ; for tliis the Ciiurch here prays; meanwhile she enjoys inward .spiritual communion with Him. The last whoever "kissed" Jesus Christ on earth was the traitor Judas. The bride's return with the King to her mother's house answers to Acts 8. 25, after the mission to Samaria. The rest spoken of (i>. 4) answers to Acts 9. 31. tliat sucked . . . mother a brother born of the same mother; the closest tie. %. Her desire to bring Him into her home circle (John 1. 41). who would Instruct mc—rather, " thou wouldest instruct me," viz., how I might best please thee (Isaiali 11. 2.
lets ;" with tliese, as witli thongs (so Lee, from the Arabic, translates it) " tlie King is held" bound (ch. 6. 5; Proverbs
6. 25). Her purple crown of martyrdom especially captivated tlie King, appearing from His galleries (Acts 7.55.
56). As Samson's strength was in his locks (Judges 16. 17). Here lirst the daughters see the King themselves. 6. Nearer advance of the daughters to the Church (Acts 2.
47; 5. 13, end). Love to her is the first token of love to Him (1 John 5. 1, end), delights—fascinating charms to them and to the King (v. 5; Isaiah 62. 4, Hephzi-bah). Hereafter, too (Zephaniah 3. 17; Malachi 3. 12; Revelation
3; 50.4; Luke 12.12; John 14.26; 16.13). spiced wineseasoned with aromatic perfumes. Jesus Christ ought to have our choicest gifts. Spices are never introduced in the song in His absence; therefore the time of His return from " tlie mountain of spices" [v. 14) is contemplated. The cup of betrothal was given by Him at the last supper; the cup of marriage shall be presented by her at His return (Matthew 26. 29). Till then the believer often cannot feel towards, or speak of. Him, as he would wish. 3, 4. The "left and right hand," &c., occurred only once actually (ch. 2. 6), and here optatively. Only at His first manifestation did the Church palpably embrace Him; at His second coming there shall be again sensible communion with Him. The rest in v. 4, which is a S2jiritual realization of the wish in v. 3 (1 Peter 1. 8), and the charge not to disturb it, close the 1st, 2d, and 4th canticles; not the 3d, as the bridegroom there takes charge Himself; nor the
21.9). 7. palm tree—(Psalm 92. 12.) The sure sign of wa<cr near (Exodus 15. 27 ; John 7. 38). clusters—not of dates, as Woody Stuakt thinks. The parallelism (u. 8), " clusters of the vine," sliows it is here clusters of grapes. Vines were often trained (termed "wedded") on other trees. 8. The daughters are no longer content to admire, but resolve to lay hold of her fruits, high though these be. The palm stem is bare for a great height, and has its crown of fruit-laden boughs at the summit. It is the symbol of triumpliant joy (John 12. 13); so hereafter (Revelation 7. 9). breasts—(Isaiah 66. 11.) tlie vine—Jesus Christ (Hosea 14. 7, end; John 15. 1). nose—i.e., breath; the Holy Gliost breathed into her nostrils by Him, whose " mouth is most sweet" (ch. 5. 16). apples—citrons, ofl" the tree to wliich He is likened (ch. 2. 3). 9. roof of tliy moutli—thy voice (Proverbs 15. 23). best wine—tlie new wine of the gospel kingdom (Mark 14. 25), poured out at Pentecost (Acts 2. 4, 13, 17). for my beloved—(Ch. 4. 10.) Here fii'st tiie daugliters call Him theirs, and become one with tlie bride. Tlie steps successively are.(ch. 1. 5) where they misjudge her (ch. 3. 11); ch. 5. 8, where the possibility of their finding Him, before she regained Him, is expressed; ch. 5. 9 (ch. 6. 1 ; 7. 6, 9), (Jolin 4. 42.) causing . . . asleep to speak—( Isaiali 35.6; Mark 5.19,20; Acts 2.47; Ephesians 5. 14.) Jesus Christ's first miracle turned water into "good wine kept until now" (John 2.); just as the gospel revives those asleep and dying under the law (Proverbs 31. 6; Romans 7. 9, 10, 24, 25; 8. 1). 10. Words of the daughters o; Jerusalem and the bride, now united Into one (Acts 4. 32). They are mentioned again distinctly
5tli, as. If repose formed its close, we might mistake the present state for our rest. The broken, longing close, like that of the whole Bible (Revelation 22. 20), reminds us we are to be waiting for a Saviour to come. On "daughters of Jerusalem," see note, ch. 7. 10.
Canticle V.—Ch. 8. 5-14.—From the Call of the GenTiLr;s TO THE Close of Revelation. 5. Wiio is this— Words of tlie daughters of Jerusalem, i. e., the churches of Judea; referring to Paul, on his return from Arabia (" the wilderness"), whither he had gone after conversion (Galatians 1. 15-24). I raised thee . . . she . . . bare tliee (Acts 26. 14-16.) The first words of Jesus Christ to the bride since her going to the garden of nuts (ch. 0.9, 10); so His appearance to Paul is tlie only one since His ascension ; V. 13 is not an address of Him as visible: lier reply implies He is not visible (1 Corinthians 15. 8). Spiritually, she was found in the moral wilderness (Ezekiel 16. 5, Hosea 13. 5); but now she Is "coming up from" it (Jeremiah 2. 2; Hosea 2. 14), especially in the last stage of her journey, her conscious weakness casting Itself the more wholly on .lesus Christ (2 Corinthians 12.9). "Raised" (Iphesians 2. 1-7). Found ruined under the forbidden tree (Genesis 3.); restored under the shadow of Jesus Christ crucified, "the green tree" (Luke 23.31), fruit-" bearing" by the cross (Isaiah 53. 11 ; John 12. 24). Born again by the Holy Ghost" "there" (Ezekiel 16. 3-6). In this verse, her dependence, in the similar verse, ch. 3. 6, &c., His omnipotence to supj>ort her, are brought out (Deuteronomy 33. 26). 6. Implying approaching absence of the Bridegroom, seal —having her name and likeness engraven on it. His Holy Priesthood also in heaven (Exodus 28.6-12, 15-30; Hebrews 4. 14); "his heart" tliere answering to "thine heart" here, and "two shoulders" to "arm." (Cf. Jeremiah 22. 24, with Haggal 2. 23.) By the Holy Ghost (Ephesians 1. 13, 14). As in V. 5, slie was " leaning" on Him, i. e., her arm on His arm, her head on His bosom; so she prays now that before they part, her impression may be engraven both on Plis lieart and His ann, answering to His
(ch. 8. 4), as fresh converts were being added from among inquirers, and these needed to be charged not to grieve the Spirit, bis desire Is toward mc—strong assurance. He so desires us, as to give us sense of His desire toward us (Psalm 139. 17, 18 ; Luke 22. 15; Galatians 2. 20; 1 John 4.
16). H. lielrt—the country. " The tender grape (Maureb translates, flowers) and vines" occurred before (ch. 2. 13). But here she prepares for Him all kinds of fruit old and new; also, she anticipates, in going forth to seek them, communion witli Him in " loves." " Early" Implies immediate earnestness. " Tlie villages," imply distance from Jerusalem. At Stephen's death the disciples were scattered from it Ihrougli Judea and Samaria, preaching the word (Acts 8). Jesus Christ was witli them, confirming the word with miracles. They gathered the old fruits, of which Jesus CIn ist had sown the seed (John 4,), as well as new fruits, lodge—forsaking \ome for Jesus Christ's sake (Matthew 19.29). 13. (Mark 1.35; John 9. 4; Galatians 6. 10.) Assurance fosters diligence, not indolence. 13. mandrakes Hebrew, dudaim, from a root meaning to love ; love-apples, supposed to exhilarate the spirits and excite love. Only here and Genesis 30. 14-16. Atropa mandragora at Linnoeus; its leaves like lettuce, but dark green, flowers purple, root forked, fruit of the size of an apple, ruddy and sweet-smelling, gathered in wheatharvest, /. e., in May. (Mariti, ii. 195.) gates—the entrance to the kioslc or summer-house. Love "lays up" the best of everything for the person beloved (1 Corinthians 10. 31 love and His poivcr (Psalm 77. 15 ; see Genesis Si. 18 ; Isaiah
62.3). love is strong as death—(Acts 21. 13; Romans 8.
35-39; Revelation 12. 11.) This tlieir love unto death flows from His (John 10. 15; 15.13). Jealousy . . . tl»e grave— Zealous love. Jealous of all that would come between the soul and Jesus Christ (1 Kings 19.10; Psalm 100.30, 31.
Philipplans 3. 8; 1 Peter 4. 11), thereby really, though unconsciously, laying up for itself (1 Timothy 6. 18, 19).