THE
SONG OF SOLOMON

1 The bride of Christ is called fair, not only with respect that she is considered in Christ, but also as she is transformed into the image of Christ, from clarity to clarity or from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3:18. See Cant. 1 on verse 15.

2 See Cant. 1:15.

3 See the annotation at Cant. 1:15.

4 Or, between thy hairdressing, as verse 3. Other, thine hair bindings.

a Cant. 4:3; 6:7.

b Cant. 6:5.

5 That is, it is fair, smooth and tender, and like unto the hair of the goats, which feed upon mount Gilead, or go somewhere in a goodly fat meadow, and thereby grow fat and get thin soft hair, that is, adorned with good works.

6 The Hebrew word is only found here and Cant. 6:5. It signifies to shear off, or to make bald, that is, to eat off. Other, that shine from mount Gilead.

7 This region was very commodious to feed cattle there, by reason of its fatness, as appears by Gen. 31:21; Num. 32:1; Jer. 22:6.

8 Namely, thy spiritual teeth, whereby thou art to chew the cud or to ruminate the spiritual food of the soul, have all the beauty and ornament that may be required in teeth, and consequently are suitable and apt to chew and ruminate the spiritual food.

9 Or, are cut off, or which are made alike or equal to one another, so that the one is not greater than the other, otherwise it would be unseemly and be an impediment in the chewing of the spiritual food.

10 Or, which come up from the washing-place, and consequently are clean and white.

11 Or, without young.

12 The lips are the instruments of uttering or producing words; and here they signify the ministers of the Word, and their sweet and pleasant doctrines, which is further intimated by the words following (and thy speech is comely).

13 That is, red, which is a commendable thing in the lips. It signifies that their doctrine is pleasant and delightful to the members of the congregation.

c Psalm 147:1; Col. 4:6.

14 Wherein little red kernels or grains are seen and discerned. Under the temples may be likewise understood and comprehended the red blushing cheeks, being a part of the beauty of the face. But here it signifies bashfulness and modesty in the members of the church, having a close heed of doing or speaking anything whereat they may have cause to blush.

15 As verse 1.

16 That is, thy neck is erect, high and strong, and hung about with ornaments, as that fair tower which David built. See Neh. 3:19, 25; Micah 4:8. Yet others understand this of David’s stronghold, 2 Sam. 5:7, 9. This signifies the courage, boldness and sure hope or confidence of the church of Christ, who, being united unto Christ her Head, bows her neck no more to serve the devil or sin, Rom. 6:17, 18, or the people, 1 Cor. 7:23. But by the weapons of her warfare, (which are not carnal, but mighty through God to cast down strongholds, 2 Cor. 10:4), she stands fast in the evil day, being armed as it is written Eph. 6:11, etc.

d Cant. 7:4.

17 Or, for an armors, or, magazine for all manner of arms. The Hebrew word is only found at this place. And it seems that here such weapons are meant to be understood which serve therewith to hurt or wound the enemy, as by the bucklers and shield are meant such kind of weapons or arms, whereby one defends his body and keeps off the blows.

18 The number thousand is used here and elsewhere for a great number.

19 Of David’s mighty men and their valiant acts, see 2 Sam. 23:8; 1 Chron. 11:10-47, whose shields, being hung up in the tower of David for perpetual memory, signify here all those who by the shield of faith have done many great and valiant acts, whereof the apostle relates some in Hebrews 11.

e Cant. 7:3.

20 Understand here by the two breasts the doctrines and comforts which are to be found in the Old and New Testaments, wherewith the faithful are fed and nourished. See Isa. 66:11; 1 Peter 2:2. Others understand by the two breasts of the bride the administration of the Word of God and of the Holy Sacraments, wherewith the sheep and lambs of Christ are fed and nourished as upon a good and fat pasture.

21 That is, both of them are fair, full, firm and uniform. As such are the Old and New Testaments every way like to each other, the one according and agreeing with the other in all things.

22 Namely, in fat and wholesome pastures, signifying the good and wholesome doctrines of the church. See Cant. 5:13.

23 The Bridegroom answers here the scruple to which His bride might object, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, am I so fair and beautiful in Thine eyes? Why then dost Thou wait so long from solemnizing our marriage? Hereunto the Bridegroom answers: Thou must wait the time which is appointed and decreed from eternity, namely, the time of the restitution of all things, Acts 3:21, that is, until the evening or end of the world has come, then I will take thee up unto Me. In the mean while I will go to the mountain of myrrh, that is, I will ascend into heaven, to which the believers offer and send their prayers (which are like unto sweet smelling myrrh and frankincense, Cant. 5:13); I being and remaining there thine Advocate with My heavenly Father.

24 In verse 1 and Cant. 1:15 the bride is called fair; here she is called all fair, in regard she is all fair and perfect in Christ, Eph. 5:25, 26, 27; Col. 1:22; 2:10; Rev. 14:5.

25 Or, blemish, or blot. See of this word Prov. 9 on verse 7.

26 This Christ speaks unto His bride, of whom He has said before that she was all fair. The meaning is: Come unto Me in heaven, which thou beholdest now by faith, as if thou sawest the land of Canaan from the top of the mountains round about, here mentioned, which are yet under the possession and dominion of tyrants, who are here to be understood by the lions and leopards. See Psalm 57:3. Some understand here by these mountains, situated at different corners of the land of Judea, not only the calling of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles scattered in the four corners of the world.

27 Thus the church is called here and in the sequel, in respect of her spiritual marriage with Christ, her Bridegroom, which shall be consummated and solemnized on the marriage day in heaven. Hebr. o bride. See John 3:29; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25; Rev. 19:7; 21:2, 9.

28Lebanon, or Libanus, was indeed a pleasant place, Deut. 3:25. But, being compared with other fruitful places, it was a wilderness, Isa. 29:17, and like a haunt of wild beasts or hunting place, 2 Kings 14:9, to which it is here referred. Yet in other places of Scripture Libanus signifies excellent and delightful things, in respect of the abundance of the fair trees which grew on it, as Cant. 3:9; 5:15.

29 Or, point. Hebr. the head.

30 This is a mountain in Syria, where there was a valley and a river which bare the same name, otherwise called Abana, 2 Kings 5:12. Strabo says in book 14 that this mountain was possessed by different tyrants.

31 Of the mountains Shenir and Hermon see Deut. 3:9. Shenir is to be taken here for a part of mount Hermon.

32Hermon is a famous mountain, of which we read in Psalm 42:6; 89:12. It is otherwise called Sion, with the Hebrew letter shin, Deut. 4:48.

33 Or, of the lions.

34 Some understand in addition: being delivered and freed, thou shalt see the danger wherein thou hast been. And on the other side thou shalt see the blessed state and condition where into thou art brought; or something similar. See 1 Cor. 6:9, 19, 11.

35 Or, My heart thou hast taken.

36 Or, robbed, or, wounded, namely, by love. See Isa. 62:5. The Hebrew word signifies: Thou hast hearted, or unhearted me. The sense is: Thou hast gained My love and favor, notwithstanding thy manifold infirmities.

37 Thus the church is called, in regard that Christ is the Brother of us all, having taken our flesh and blood, and by faith made us children of God and His brothers and joint-heirs with Him. See Mat. 12:50; John 1:13; Rom. 8:16, 17; Heb. 2:11.

38 And therefore thou mayest rest satisfied and fully assured that I will never leave nor forsake thee.

39 That is, thou gainest the heart from Me, by true faith, whereby thou beholdest and embracest Me, as thy loving Bridegroom. Without faith we cannot in any wise please God, Heb. 11:6.

40 That is, with the ornament of thy works, proceeding from a true faith. See Prov. 1:9. This chain we do not have of ourselves, but by the grace of God, as appears in Cant. 1:11. God crowns in us His own gifts.

41 Namely, hanging.

42 That is, how delightful and acceptable is it unto Me to discern thy love towards Me. See Cant. 1:2. This love consists in the keeping of Christ’s commandments, 1 John 2:3, 4, 5.

43 See the annotations at Cant. 1 on verse 2 and verse 4.

44 Understand by oils or ointments the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, which the church has received. See Philip. 4:18; 1 John 2:20, 27. At Cant. 1:3 the bride commends the scent of the oils or ointments. See the annotations there. The Bridegroom also commends here the oils of the bride. See Isa. 62:4, 5.

45 That is, sweet smelling herbs, as those were, whereof the holy ointment or oil was made, Exod. 30:23. See likewise 2 Chron. 9:1, 9; 16:4; Esther 2:12.

46 Wherewith thou callest upon God, preachest His Word, praisest and glorifiest His Name, and edifiest thy neighbour.

47 That is, thy words and sayings are as pleasant and acceptable to Me, as the honeycomb is unto men. See likewise this similitude Psalm 19:10; 119:103.

48 This signifies the same as was previously said. See 1 Peter 2:2.

49 That is, thy good works.

50 Upon Mount Lebanon grew many sweet smelling trees and herbs, especially frankincense trees, from which Mount Lebanon has its name, for, lebona signifies frankincense. In Hosea 14:5, 6, 7 God promises unto Israel that his smell would be like unto Lebanon, by the dew of His grace. See 2 Cor. 2:14, 15.

51 Or, a garden bolted, shut close, locked with a lock. Hereby is signified the immaculate or undefiled spiritual purity and chastity of the church, who gives no admission or access to strange wooers or seducers. Yet others understand this of the defense and protection of God, Who keeps and preserves His church from wild beasts, that is, from cruel tyrants. In Isaiah 5 God compares His church to a vine fenced in; and Zech. 2:5 He promises that He will be a wall of fire round about Jerusalem.

52 Out of which the clear and pure water of the Holy Gospel springs forth, wherewith the sad hearts and minds of believers are refreshed and comforted, Psalm 23:2, according to the promise which God makes to His church, Isa. 58:11. And therefore this fountain or spring is said to be shut up, because this water of grace pertains only to those who are members of the church. No one cometh unto it, but by Christ.

53 Understand hereby the assurance or confirmation of grace, which Christ affords unto His church. See 2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13. Yea, unto His church only, for, a thing, which is sealed, is not made common or imparted unto others. See Isa. 8:16.

54 Or, Thy shoots, or branches, or sprigs, that is, the faithful and members of the church are abundantly adorned and filled with good works, as a pomegranate is full of kernels: they are like fruitful trees planted by the fresh waters, Psalm 1:3; 92:12.

55 Or, garden of pleasure, fair orchard. It signifies properly a place planted with trees, as appears by Eccl. 2:5. It is likewise sometimes taken for a wood or forest, Neh. 2:8.

56 Or, excellent transcendent fruits. Understand hereby the good works of believers, which are pleasing and acceptable unto God, as pomegranates and other pleasant fruits are unto men.

57 See Cant. 1:14. Hebr. cyprusses with spikenards, or, much cyprus with much spikenard. Therefore the word spikenard is here put in the plural number, and verse 14 in the singular number, because there are different kinds of spikenard; or understand here the leaves of cyprus and spikenard, which likewise have a pleasant smell.

f henna, Egyptian privet

58 Other, sweet reed. Calamus and cinnamon were used in the holy oil, Exod. 30:23, like the myrrh in the anointing oil, Exod. 30:23-34.

59 That is, of such trees as produce incense.

60 Or, lign aloes. See Num. 24:6; Psalm 45:8; Prov. 7:17.

61 Hebr. all head spices, that is, all kinds of the most important spices. See Exod. 30 on verse 23.

62 Understand herewith from verse 13: thy plants or branches. And by these pleasant sweet smelling herbs or spices are signified the manifold gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, wherewith the godly are bestowed. See 1 Cor. 12:5, 6, etc.; Gal. 5:22, 23; 1 Peter 4:10.

63 With these words the bride commends her Bridegroom, Who endows her with abundance of waters, that is, with many excellent spiritual gifts or graces, wherewith all the gardens, that is, all the congregations are watered and moistened to bear and bring forth fruits in abundance. See Isa. 58:11.

64 That is, of perpetual waters, continually running, never drying up or growing filthy, but always refreshing and comforting the people with their pleasantness. See Gen. 26 on verse 19. Such kind of water Christ gives to those who are His (own). See Isa. 12:3; John 4:10, 14; 7:38, 39.

65 It appears that here respect is had to the Jordan river, which has its source at the foot of Lebanon, and runs along throughout the land of promise, watering the same. It is said in Rev. 22:1 that there proceeded out of the throne of God and of the Lamb (which is Christ) a pure stream of living water.

66 Or, arise, rise up. This is also a blessing which God bestows upon His garden, that is, upon His church, namely, that the winds do blow upon it, to refresh and revive it, and to purge and cleanse the air, and so to make the garden thereby the more fruitful. Understand here by the wind, the Holy Spirit, as John 3:8; Acts 2:2. And although the south and north-wind be of divers qualities and operations, the one being cold, the other warm; the one moist, the other dry, yet they are both beneficial and profitable to this garden, or to the church of God, which has sometimes need of sharp reproofs, and sometimes of calmness and sweet comforts and consolations.

67 It is God Who brings forth the winds out of His treasures, Psalm 135:7.

68 Observe that the church calls this garden, her garden; likewise his garden, namely, Christ’s garden, and that in divers respect. Christ is the Owner and Heir of this garden, but the pastors and overseers of the church are God’s husbandmen and co-workers in this garden, that is, the church, wherein also every member has spiritual fellowship and communion, 1 Cor. 3:9.

69 That is, in order that the fragrance may be spread abroad.

70 That is, that He would enjoy the fruits, which by the power and working of His Spirit, we bring forth unto Him, and whereby we are bound to honor Him, Rom. 6:22.

71 See verse 13.