The Pulpit Commentary — Song of Songs — Section 15

eonception in the songs which are brought be interpreted in a figurative sense, or tho toge\.h('I", but it C"annot be of importRnce to sacred character of the whole book must pro,·c tlrnt there is dran1Rtic uuity strictly be remoTed. The words muy be rendered, spenking; there is no dramatic procedure, with one of hu ku,ea; i.e. the sweetness of 11or cRn we suppose that there is any ultimate Lis lips is such tlmt one kiss would be Rim at dramatic representation. But the rapture. Some have thought that Bllusion is Exposition which follows will suffice to show intended to the custom among idolaters 1be.t there are facts of history in the bnok- referred to in Job xxxi. 27, "My mouth bath gTound or the poem; if the suggestions of kissed my hnnd; " but the meaning is simply the language and scenery be followed, tho that of affection. The great majority of Chris- facts are very beautiful and evon romantic- tian commentators h11ve regarded the words the love of the great king for one of his own as expressive of desil"c towards God. Origen 1mbjects, a lovely northern maiden, whose said, the Church of the old dispensation simplicity and purity of character are a great longing-after higher revelations, as through attraction and lend much force to the religious the Inca.rucition, '' How long shall he send sentiment of the song. In 1 Kings v. 12 we we kisses by Moses and the prophets ? read that •· the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, I desire the touch of his owu Ii ps." It is as he promised him." That divinely in- dangerous to attempt specific applications of spired wisdom enabled him, notwithstanding a. metaphor. The general trnth of it is all his own personal errors, to idealize and sanc- that need be admitted. If the relation tify the lovely episode of his life which Ii< s between God and his people is one that can at the foundation of his poem. And the be set forth under the image of human affec- Church of God in every age has appreciated, tion, then there is no iillpropricty in the more or less widely, the inspi1ation, both of language of Solomon's Song. " To kiss matter and of form, which breathed in it. a kiss " (i1R~? Pt?}) is the ord.inary Hebraic We are told that Solomon composed one form (cf. "to counsel a counsel"). Thy thousand and five songs (1 Kings iv. 32); love is better than wine. The plural is need, whether this is a part of that collection or "loves," as in the word "life" (c•:~)-the not we cannot certainly say, but that it is a abstract for the concrete, perhaps in order mere jascwtilus, or collection of separate to indicate the ma.nifestation of love in many songs, strung together by their general caresses. The change from the third person erotic character, is wha.t we cannot believe. to the second is common in poetry. The No doubt. as Dr. Me.son Good ha.s observed, comparison with wine may be taken either the Axabian poets were accustomed to ar- a.s denoting sweetness or exhilarating effects. range their poems in what they compared to The intoxicating power of wine is but rarely a string of pearls, but we can scarcely carry referred to in Scripture, as the ordinary such a fact into the Bible, and deal with wine was distinguished from strong drink. sacred books as mere literary remains. There Some, as Hitzig and Bottcher, would read must be a deep religious meaning in such 'lP..11'~, changing the pointing, e.nd trans- language, and it is in accordance with lating," Let him give me todrink;"butthere Ea.stem usage that amatory songs should be is no necessity for a reading so. forced and so employed. Wha.t the meaning is we must vulgar. The Septuagint, altering the vowels persistently ask, a.nd however much he.s been of the word "love," turn it into "breasts," wrongly said in the past, while we believo in and must therefore he. ve supposed it addressed the Divine authority of the Old Testament to the bride. The word is connected with we must not renounce the endeavour to find the Arabio, and runs throt1gh the languages, the Song of Songs worthy of its title and its dodh (cf. Dada, Dido, De.'vid). Perhaps the place. reference to 'wine, as subsequently to the Ver. 2-ch. ii 7.-Partl. MUTUAL LoVE. ointments, me.y be explained by the fe.ot Song of Shule.mith in the royal chambers. that the song is supposed to be sung while wine is presented in the chamber, and while Chorus of ladies, daughters of Jerusalem. the perfumes are poured out in preparation Ver. 2.-Let him kia1 me with the kiHes for the entrance of the royal bridegroom. of hiamouth: for thy love is better than wine. We can scarcely doubt that the ope11-ing Whether we take these words 8.8 put in the words are intended to Le the utterance of lips of the bride herself, or of the chorus as loving desire on the part of the bride in the identifying themselves with her, is of little presence of the daughters of Jerusalem. conaequence. It is certain that the idea in- Some have suggested· that· vers. 1-8 are tended to be expreBBed is that of delight in from a kind of responsive dialogue, but the the approach of the roya.l bridegroom. The view of the older interpreters and of Ewald, future is used optatively, "Let me be taken Hengstenberg, WeissbtLch, e.nd others of the np into the closest fellowship and embrace." moderns, seems more correct, that all the .All attempts to dispense with the amatory first seven verses are in the mouth of pLra:,-,c,logy a.re vaill. The •• kisses" must Shulamith, and then ver. 8 comes in nature.Uy  on. 1. 1-17.] THE SONG OF SOLOMON. 3 ----------------------------. ------ ne o. chorus in reply to the song of the bride. the same whether we say," The upright love 'rho use of the plure.1, "We will run after thee," or "Thou a.rt rightly loved." The theo," eto., is e11Bily explice.ble. The bride is intention is to set forth the object of love a.e surrounded .by her e.dmiring compe.nions e.nd perfect. The plural, o•:i~•p, is used to signify nUendo.nts. They ore congratulating her the abstract of the word, thought, or act; i.e. on tho king's love. She speaks as from the "righteous," for "rightly" (cf. Ps. lviii, 2; midst of the company of lo.dies. lxxv. 3); but the best critics think it could not Ver. 3.-Thine ointments he.ve a goodly be the abstract for tbe concrete plural, as in fragrance ; thy name is as ointment poured the Vulgate, Recti diligunt te. The same use forth ; therefore do the virgins love thee. of the word is seen in eh. vii. 9, " The beet There is some slight difference e.mong critics wine that goeth down smoothly for my as to the rendering of this verse, but it does beloved " (cf. Prov. xxiii. 31 ). Before going not affect the meaning. Lovely o.nd delight- furtlicr in tlie song, it is well to observe how ful thou art. As thy perfumes are so precious, chaste, pure, and delicate is the language of so is thy name ; the more it is spread, the love; and yet, as Delitzsch has pointed out, more delight is found in it. The idea is there is a mystical, cloudy brightness. We that the person· is the sweetest, and that his seem to be in the region of the ideal. It is communications are elevating and inspiring. not a mere love-song, though it may have The "virgins" may be taken generally, been the commemoration of an actual past. "Those who are full of the~ sensibility of The Ea.stem form of the words may be less youth appreciate thy attractions." The word suited to our taste than it would be to those almah is much disputed about, but the who first embraced Christianity, and to the meaning is simply that of " young woman,'' nineteenth century than to the tirst; but tlie whether virgin or married. "Thou art the loving rapture of the Church in fello""ship delight of all the young." Me.son Good with the Saviour is certainly seeking a more rendera the verse- vivid expression in song, and there a.re many of the most simple-minded and de- " Rich thy perfumes; but richer far the.n voted Christians whose joy in Christ pours they itself out freely in strains not much less The countless charms that round thy fervid and almost as sensuous as anything to person play; be found in Solomon's Song. Some a.re begin- Thy name a.lone, more fragrant the.n the ning to remonstrate against this freedom of rose, devotional language, but the instinct of the Glads every maid, where'er its fra.granoe Church seems to justify it as the demand of flows." the heart under the influence of the Word of Ver. 4.-Draw me, we will run after thee: God itself. Perhaps there is a. state of the king hath brought me into his ohambers: religious feeling coming into the e:!!:perience we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will of Christiane which will remove the veil from make mention of thy love more than of wine: such a book as the Song of Songs, e.nd we rightly do they love thee: This is best taken shall yet find that its Iunguage is needful As all spoken by the bride. It is the language and is not extravagant. of the purest affection and adoring admira- Ver. 5.-I am black, but comely, 0 ye tion. "I drew them," God says (Hos. xi. 4), daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Keda.r, "with cords of o. man, witli b,mds of love." as the out:tains of Solomon. The word "The Lord appeared of old unto me,'' says "block" (;i:i1n\i) does not neceBBarily mean Jeremiah (xxxi. 3), "saying, Yea, I have that the skin is black, but rather eunbnmt, loved thee with an everlasting love: there- dark-brown, o.s in Lam. iv. 8, where the same fore with loving-kindness have I drawn word signifies the livid or swarthy appear• thee." In the same sense the Greek word t.\- ance of one who b11S suffered long from 1tuei11 is used by our Lord himself of the famine and wretchedness. There is certainly Father drawing to the Son, and of the Son, up• no reason to take tlie word as an a.r,;ument lifted on the cross, "drawing" e.ll men unto for the bride being Pha.raoh's daughter: him (of.John vi. 44; xii. 32). If the spiritual but it points to what is confirmed by the meaning of the whole poem is admitted, such rest of the poem-the rustic birth e.nd language is quite nature.I.· 'fhe king's northern blood of the bride. She bas been chambe1·s are the king's own rooms in the living in the fields, and is browned with the palace, i.e. his sleeping-rooms e.nd eittiug- ruddy bee.Ith of a country life. The best roorns-the penetralia regis. We may to.ko explanation of the words is that they are the preterite as equivalent to the present; drawn out by the fact that the bride is i.e. "The king is bringing me into closest surrounded by her le.dies. Some think that fellowship witli himself, not merely us a they look askance at her, or with indigue.- member of hie household, but as his choson tion e.t the boldness of her words; but that is bride." The concluding words have ooused quite unnecessary, and would be inconsistent giuch discussion. The meaning, however, is with the dignity of the bride. The couutr/ 4 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. [on. 1. 1-17,