III. She promises him a noble entertainment
III. She promises him a noble entertainment
I "would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate:" some think, here is an allusion to a custom at marriage; when a cup of wine, after a benediction of it, was given to the new-married couple, who both drank of it;[4248] and in some places, the custom was[4249] for a young woman to bring in a cup of wine, all her lovers being present, and deliver it into the hand of him she fixed on to be her bridegroom; and by this action declared him to be so: and so here the church, by proposing to give to Christ a cup of her spiced wine, as the Vulgate Latin version renders it, declared him, and acknowledged him to be her husband. This is a different kind of entertainment, than what the old synagogue gave Christ; who, when she found him in the street, did not kiss him, showed no respect to him, made no profession of him, nor did she exercise any faith upon him, nay, despised those who dig so; she was so far from leading and. bringing him into the temple, which the Jews[4250] here understand by her mother's house, that she thrust him out of it, and gave him gall for his meat, and in his thirst gave him vinegar to drink; or, as one of the evangelists says (Mark 15:23), "wine mingled with myrrh;" which, though it is of a sweet smell, yet is of a bitter taste: but the church here promises him spiced wine, such as was accounted the most pleasant and agreeable; and "the juice of her pomegranate," for her plants were an orchard of pomegranates; from the fruit of which a delightful juice is squeezed, of which is made a pleasant wine; and the word which is here translated juice, signifies must,[4251] sweet or new wine; and so it is rendered in Isaiah 49:26; Joel 1:5; Amos 9:13; and Pliny[4252] speaks of a wine made of pomegranates, which he calls rhoites; mention is also made of it in the Talmud[4253] and by Maimonides:[4254] there was a city in the tribe of Dan, called Gathrimmon, Joshua 21:24, "the winepress of the pomegranate," or where they made pomegranate-wine; and the word here used comes from one which signifies to force, squeeze, or trade under (see Malachi 4:3), spiced wine was much used by the ancients; it was thought less inebriating;[4255] and therefore they sometimes put into their wine myrrh and calamus, and other spices;[4256] sometimes it was a mixture of old wine, water and balsam, and of wine, honey and pepper;[4257] sometimes wine and honey.[4258] These sorts of wine were no doubt accounted the best, and therefore she resolves to treat Christ with them: by which may be intended, 1. The richness and plenty of this entertainment; a banquet of wine being accounted the richest banquet: hence the provisions of grace under the gospel, are represented by it (Isaiah 25:6), as are also the joys of heaven (Matthew 26:29). But here these metaphorical phrases intend the graces of God's people; which, when in exercise, are preferred by Christ to the richest wine. 2. The variety of it; here are spiced wine, and wine of pomegranates, different sorts of wine; which are expressive of the various graces of the Spirit, which are implanted in the hearts of Christ's people. 3. The delight and pleasure which Christ takes therein: for even one single grace, even that of love, is said to be "better than wine, and the smell" of such ointments than all spices; which delight and pleasure is expressed by his drinking of it; see chapter 4:10 and 5:1. With the Hebrew writers,[4259] pomegranates are said to be a symbol of concord: the tree was sacred to love.[4260]