I. He declares her to be as "beautiful as Tirzah"
I. He declares her to be as "beautiful as Tirzah"
The Septuagint do not take it to be the proper name of a place, as we, with R. Aben Ezra, do, and therefore translate the word, and render it thus, ὼς ευδοκια, as good-will or good-pleasure; which may be expressive of the sweetness of her temper and disposition, which is heightened by using the abstract; she was all over good-will and good-nature, not only sweet, but sweetness itself, as she says of him, in chapter 5:16. Moreover, this may be spoken of her, as she is the object of God's good-will and pleasure; and so she appears to be, as chosen in Christ by him, to be a partaker of grace and glory with him; which was not done upon the foot of works, but by an act of his sovereign good-will and pleasure, who "will have mercy on whom he will have mercy:" also, as she is redeemed by Christ: in which there was such a discovery of "the exceeding riches of God's grace," such an appearance of his "goodwill to men," that the angels could not but take notice of it, when they celebrated with a song the birth of an incarnate Savior (Luke 2:14). likewise, as called and sanctified by the blessed Spirit of grace, who "worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure." And now if we thus consider the church as the object of God's good-will and pleasure, in those several instances of it, she will appear beautiful and lovely. Or else, this may be said of her, as she is filled with good-will to God, to Christ, his people, gospel, worship, ways and ordinances: the church and all true believers in Christ bear a good-will to God; they "love him, because he first loved them;" they love him, not only for what he is unto them, and what he has done for them, but also for what he is in himself: for he is in his own nature, in his own perfections, amiable and lovely: they bear a good-will to Christ, he is altogether lovely to them; they have none in heaven but him, nor as there any on earth they desire besides him; every thing that belongs to him is exceeding precious to them: "his name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love him;" they bear a good-will to his people, who have his image enstamped upon them, and to his gospel, which they prefer to their necessary food; and to his worship, ways and ordinances; they love the habitation of his house; his tabernacles are amiable; his ways are ways of pleasantness; his commands are not grievous, but exceeding delightful to them. Now if we consider the church: as being of this sweet and loving disposition, which is wrought, influenced and maintained by divine grace, how beautiful does she appear!
Again, the word Tirzah comes from a root, which signifies to be grateful, or to be accepted; and so R. Solomon Jarchi paraphrases the words, "Thou art beautiful, O my love, seeing that thou art acceptable to me;" and so he says it is explained in an ancient book of theirs, called Siphre:[4041] and if we take the words in this sense, they set forth the beauty and glory of the church, as she stands before God, " accepted in Christ the beloved." God is well pleased with Christ, and with the church in him; he is well pleased for his righteousness sake, and with her as she appears in that; for so considered, she is a complete beauty, fair and without spot, lovely to look upon, delightful to Christ, and acceptable to God.
The Targum paraphrases the words thus, "How beautiful art thou, O my love, in the time it is thy will to do my pleasure. Our righteousnesses are indeed as filthy rags, and we ourselves as an unclean thing;" yet when we are made "willing in the day of God's power," to act according to his will, and that in faith, from a principle of love, and with an eye to his glory; it is accepted by him, the same way as our persons are. But I see no reason why we should not take the word as the proper name of a place; seeing it is certain that there was such a city as Tirzah, in the land of Judea, which was a very pleasant and delightful place, as its name manifestly shows; for which reason, no doubt, it was made choice of by one of the ancient kings of Canaan, to be the place of his residence (see Joshua 12:24), as it was afterwards by Jeroboam and his successors, until Zimri's time: who, when the city was taken, burnt the king's house with fire. Now either for its pleasant buildings, or beautiful situation, or some such tiring, the church is here compared unto it, being arrayed with Christ's righteousness, and adorned with the graces of his Spirit. But,