Song of Solomon 4:2
Song of Solomon 4:2
Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing: whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.
These words contain the third particular instance of the church's beauty, viz. her teeth. Which were like the teeth of sheep, as her eyes were like the eyes of doves, and her hair like the hair of goats: and Galen long ago observed[3735] that human teeth are much like the teeth of sheep, in figure, order and structure, as well as are small and white, neatly set, innocent and harmless; not ravenous and voracious, cropping only herbs and grass: the whiteness of the teeth is chiefly intended, in which the beauty of them lies;[3736] and for which they are sometimes compared to Parian marble or whiteness.[3737] These are compared,
II. To a flock of sheep, "even shorn."
III. To a flock of sheep that are just "come up from the washing."
IV. To a flock of sheep that are fruitful, "whereof every one bear twins," etc.
By her teeth we may understand,
1st, The ministers of the gospel;[3738] the Targum interprets it of the priests and Levites; and other Jewish writers[3739] of the disciples of the wise men. Ministers may be called the church's teeth, 1. For strength: teeth are strong, being of a bony nature; and indeed the work that is allotted to them requires strength: the ministers of the gospel are Christ's strong men; who are, or at least need to be, "strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus;" they have need to be "strong in the Lord, and in the power of his mighty;" for their work is great, and requires it, which is to labor in the word and doctrine; a work so great, arduous and difficult, that the great apostle Paul, notwithstanding all his gifts and grace, said, "Who is sufficient for these things?" they have need of strength to quit themselves like men in the defense of the gospel, for which they are set, against all opposers and gainsayers; they have need of strength to withstand Satan's. temptations; for he generally bends his bow, shoots his arrows, and casts his fiery darts most at them; they have need of strength to bear the world's reproaches and persecutions, of which they generally have the greatest share, and to sustain the infirmities of weaker saints, which are not few. 2. For their sharpness: teeth are sharp, and they ought to be so upon many accounts: the ministers of the gospel, though they are not to be like that generation, "whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw-teeth as knives;" to devour the flock; nor like ravenous wolves, who will not spare it, but prey upon it, for they are to use meekness and tenderness; yet in some cases, they are to use sharpness also, according to a power that Christ has given them, and lodged in them; as when persons are unsound in the faith, and corrupt in their morals: also as sharpness is necessary to teeth, that they may penetrate into, chew and prepare the food for the stomach; so is it necessary to ministers of the gospel, that they have abilities to penetrate into gospel-truths, in order to feed souls with the bread of life. 3. In nothing can they more fitly be compared to teeth, than in their preparing food for souls: as the teeth break the food, chew it, and prepare it for the stomach; so ministers of the gospel break the bread of life, make hard things plain, easy and intelligible; for not only in Paul's epistles, but in many other places of scripture, there are some δυσνόητα, "things hard to be understood." Now it is the work of the gospel to open and explain those difficult passages, remove the hard shell that is over them, that souls may eat the kernel; nay, they not only break the bread of life, but chew it, i.e. meditate upon the word, and digest the doctrines of grace themselves, that so they may not propose unto, or set before persons, crude, raw, and undigested food; but having chewed, digested, and well prepared it, they then present it to them; for these are the church's teeth, which cut[3740] and rightly divide the word of truth," and give to every one their "portion of meat in due season." Now these teeth of the church, the ministers of the gospel, may be compared,