The Pulpit Commentary — Song of Songs — Section 52

bride is going hack in thought to the scenes the rain ia over and gone ; the flowera of her home-life, and the sweet days of first appear on the earth ; the time of the sing• love. "The house stands alone among the ing of birds ia oome, e.nd the voioe of the rockB and deep in the mountain range: turtle ie heard in our land; the flg tree around are the vineyards which the family ripeneth her green flgs, and the vinea are have planted, and the hill-pastures on which in blossom, they give forth their fragranoe. tliey feed their flocks. She longingly looks Arise, my love, my fair one, and oome away, out for her distant lover." The expression, Winter; i.e. the cloudy stormy time (si!thauv). "'l'be voice of mv beloved I" must not be The Jews in Jerusalem to this dny call rnin taken to mean that she hears the sound of shataa. The rain ; i.e. the showers. The his feet or voice, but simply as an interjec- fl?wers, or. t~e flo:wery time, corresponding tion, like "hark I " (see Giln. iv. 10, where with the s1ngrng-t1me. Severo.I yeraions, ns the voice of the blood crying merely means, the LXX. and other Greek, Jerome in the .. Hark how thy brother's blood cries!" that Latin, e.nd the Targnm and Venetian, render is, "Believe that it does so cry"), So here, " the time of pruning," taking the zii.mi; " I seem to hear the voice of my beloved; !rom e. root 11amar, "to prune the vine." It hark, be is coming I" It is a great delight 1s, however, regnrded by most critics e.s an to the son) to go back in thought over tho onome.topoetic word meaning " song," memories of its first experience of the '' music," like zimrah, "singing." The re- Saviour's presence. The Church is edified ference to the voice of the turtle-dove, the by the records of grace in the histories of cooing note which is so sweet e.nd attractive Divine dealings. among the woods, shows that the time of Ver. 9.-lly beloved is like a roe or a spring is intended. Ginsburg says wherever 7oung ha.rt ; behold, he standeth behind our zii.mir occur.i, either in the singular or plural, wall, he looketh in at the windows, he it mee.ns "singing" (cf. 2 Se.m. xxiii. 1: ehoweth himself through the lattioe. The Ise.. xxiv.16). The form of the w01·d conveys tu1Ji is the 11:azelle, Arabic ghazii.l. Our the idea. of the time of the action, as we see word is derived throngh the Spanish or in the words for "harvest" (asiph) e.nd Moorish ga.zela. The young he.rt, or chamois, "ploughing-time" (chii.rish). The fig tree is probably so called from the covering of and the vine were both employed e.s symbols voung hair (cf. 2 Se.m. ii. 18; Prov. vi. 5; of prosperity and peace, e.s the fig e.nd gre.pe Heh. iii. 19). Shula.mit.h represents herself were so much used e.s food (see 1 Kings v. as within the house, waiting for her friend. 5; 2 Kings xviii. 31). The little fruits of Her beloved is standing behind the we.ll, the fig tree begin, when the spring com- out.side before the house ; he is ple.yfnlly mences, to change colour from green to red looking through the windows, now through (cf. Mark xi. 13, where the Passover-time one e.nd now tbrongh another, seeking her is referred to). The word "to ripen " is with peering eyes of love. Both the words literally, " to gi:ow red or sweet." 'l'he blos- employed convey the meaning of searching soming vines give forth e. very delicate and e.nd moving quickly. Tbe windows; literally, attractive fragrance. The description is t}i,e openings ; i.e. e. window broken through acknowledged by a.II to be very beautiful. a wall, or the meaning me.y be e. lattice The invitation is to fellowship in the midst window, e. pierced wooden strncture. The of the pure loveliness of nature, when a.II word is not the common word for e. window, was adapted to meet and sustain the feelings which is slie1Jii.kii (now 8habbaka), from e. of awakened love. The emotions of the soul root meaning "to twist," "to make a lattice." are blended easily with the sensations de- Spiritually, we may see an allusion to the rived from the outward world. When we glimpses of truth e.nd tastes of the goodness carefully avoid extravagance, e.nd put the of religion, which precede the real fellow- soul first e.nd not Becond, then the delights 11hip of the soul with God. of the senses may help the heart to realize Ver. 10.-My beloved spake, and said the deepest experience of Divine communion. 11nto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and But the bridegroom first solicits the biide, come away. 'l'he word" spake" conveys We reverse the true spiritual order when we the meaning in answer to a person appearing, place too much dependence on the in1luence but not ntcesearily in a.newer to a voice of external objects or sensuous pleasures. heard. We mollt suppose that Shulamith Ait may o.ssiat religion to its expression, but recognized her beloved, and me.de some sigo it must never be me.de so prominent that that she was near, or looked forth from the the artistic pleasure swallows up the religious window. As the sonl responds, it is more emotion. Love of ue.ture is not love of and more invited; the voice of the Bride- Christ. Love of music is not love of Christ. groom is heard calling the object of his love Yet the soul the.t seeks him me.y rejoice in by name," I have called thee by thy name; art e.nd music, because they blend their thou art mine " ( fie.. iliii. I). attractions with its devotion, e.nd help it to Vere. 11-lll.-l'or, lo, the winter is pa.It, be a joy e.nd e. pe.esion. Oil, tt, 1-11,] 'rllE SONG OF SOLOMON. 41