Section 696
I. The persons with whom she stands compared, and appears preferable to, are
"The threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number," mentioned in verse 8, which words may be considered, either as an assertion that there are so many, a certain number being put for an uncertain one; or else, as a supposition, though there may be so many, yet "my undefiled is but one," etc. Queens are those who were the principal wives of kings, who brought portions with them; whose children inherited, and they themselves, with their royal husbands, had the management of affairs: Concubines are secondary wives, or half wives, as the word[4052] may be rendered; they were such who brought no portions with them;[4053] and though they were admitted to the fellowship of the bed, yet their children did not inherit, but had only some gifts given to them; nor had they themselves any share in the government of the house, but rather acted like servants under the other; such were Hagar, Zilpah, Bilhah, etc. "The virgins without number," are unmarried persons; these were the maids of honor, who waited and attended upon the queens. Now there are in the words an allusion either to the custom and practice of kings and great persons, who had more wives than one, had many concubines, and a large number of virgins to attend upon them; and this was not only the practice of heathen, but also of Jewish princes, as David and Solomon; which latter, more especially, had a large number: and it is thought that a regard is had more particularly to his queens and concubines in this text; for which reason some have thought that this back was written before he gave so great a loose to his lusts, as we find he did; for we are told (1 Kings 11:3), that he had 'seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. Or else, the allusion is to a nuptial solemnity, and the ceremony of introducing the bride into the bridegroom's house, who used to be attended with a large number of persons of distinction; so four times sixty virgins are said to attend the nuptials of Menelaus and Helena[4054] (see 17), between which and this song there is a very great resemblance; and perhaps that was the plan of this: there the queen is represented as standing in "gold of Ophir," which answers to Christ's church and bride here, and means the same there: also "kings daughters," which answer to the queens here, are said to be among her "honorable women" who were attendants on her; and the "virgins, her companions," are said to "follow her," when she was introduced into the king's presence.
Now by these "threescore queens, fourscore concubines, and virgins without number," may be meant, either,
1st, The several kingdoms and nations of the world: and by queens may be meant those kingdoms and countries, which are more large, rich, and flourishing; by concubines, those which are inferior to them, either in largeness, riches, or numbers; and by virgins, the vast multitude of inhabitants which fall them; and then the sense is this: though there are many large, rich and populous nations in the world; yet my church is preferable to them all: these all put together, cannot equal her; for "as the lily is among thorns," and is preferable to them; 'so my love is among the daughters," the nations of the world, and is preferable to them all. Or,
2dly, By them may be meant false churches, who pretend to be the true spouse of Christ, but are not so: by queens may be meant, those who boast themselves of their riches and numbers, and would be esteemed on that account the true bride of Christ; as the church of Rome, who 'saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow;" and yet is an harlot, nay, "the mother of harlots." By concubines, such who are inferior in wealth and numbers, but equally corrupt in principles, and which make the same pretensions the others do; such are the Arian, Socinian, etc., churches: and by "virgins without number," the large multitude of poor, weak and ignorant people, who are seduced and carried aside by them. But now Christ's church, though it does not make so great a figure in the world; nor does it appear in so much external pomp and splendor; nor has it the riches and numbers that these may have; yet in Christ's esteem is preferable to them all. Though,
3dly, Others[4055] think, that the several sorts of preachers in the church are here intended: and that by queens, are meant ministers of the first rank; who are faithful to Christ and his gospel, and are instrumental in bringing forth many souls unto him: and by concubines, such who "corrupt the word of God, and handle it deceitfully:" who are "false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ;" who seek not Christ but themselves; not his honor, but their own applause: and by virgins, such who, though regenerated, vet at present are not fit for the ministry, but are training up for it in the several churches or schools of learning; and may be such, whom the apostle calls novices; not a novice, νεφυτον, a young tender plant; one that is newly planted in Christianity, and has arrived to some knowledge of the gospel, but as yet not fit for the office of a bishop. But,
4thly, The words seem rather to be understood of the several degrees of believers.[4056] By queens, may be meant believers of the highest form; such whom Christ has honored with greater gifts and larger measures of grace; in whose hearts and lives grace reigns more gloriously than in others; and who have a greater nearness to Christ, and more communion with him than others have: and by concubines, believers of an inferior sort, who are of a more servile and legal spirit, have more of "a spirit of bondage than the spirit of adoption," but yet these have fellowship and communion with Christ at times: and by virgins, young converts, newborn babes, that have not so much experience as either of the former: so that this distribution of believers into "queens, concubines, and virgins," seems to suit with the division of them into "fathers, young men, and children," which is made (1 John 2:13, 14), and what seems to strengthen this sense of the words, is their blessing and praising the bride in the following verse. In an ancient tract of the Jews, called Midrash Hanneelam,[4057] the queens, in the next verse, are said to be the fathers or patriarchs; the concubines, the proselytes of righteousness; and the daughters, the daughters of Jerusalem. Now Christ's church, considered as a collective body, is preferable to single believers, even to the greatest of them: and it is also well observed by one,[4058] that there are more concubines than queens, and more virgins than either of them; for there are more weak believers and babes in Christ, than there are strong ones; those of the highest rank and form are very rare; there are but few to be found in comparison of the other; but Christ's bride comprehends them all, and is preferable to them; which is the next thing to be considered.