The Pulpit Commentary — Song of Songs — Section 85

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER III. Delitzsch renders, "So I will a.rise, then." The words of the maiden are quite incon- Ver; 1.-By night on my bed I sought sistent with the hypothesis of a shepherd- him whom my soul loveth : I sought him, lover, for in that case she would seek him, but I found him not. The bride is probably not in the streets, but outside the city. relo.ting a dream. The time referred to is Some think the city_refe1Ted to is Jeruso.lem the close of the day on which she had been with its markets 11nd streets-the royal visited by her lover. She is retired to rest, city (cf. Prov. vii. 11). If it is a dream, and dreams that she searches for the beloved it will be unnecessary to decide to what object in the neighbouring city (cf. Job city the words refer. The idea of the :u.xiii. 15). It is another way of telling her speaker would seem to be either that she love. She is always longing for the beloved was at the time within the wo.lls of one. She had been waiting for him, and he the city referred to, or that she was in co.me not, o.nd retired to rest with a heart some dwelling near. But o. dream is not troubled and anxious because her lover did alwo.ys consistent with the real circum- not appear as she expected e.t the eveuing st11nces of the dreamer. Taking it as o. remi- ho1.1r. The meaning may he "night after niscence of first love, it seems better to under- night (n\~•~)" (cf. eh. iii. 8), or the plural stand the city e.s only imaginary, or some may be used poetically for the singular. Gins· neigbbolll'ing town in the north. burg obsel'ves thut "by night on my bed'' Ver. 8.-The watchmen that go a.bout the Is opposed to midday couch (cf. 2 Sam. iv. city found me: (to whom I said) Saw ye 5), merely to express what co.me into her him whom my soul loveth 1 The simplicity thoughts ut night in her dreo.ms or as tho of these words is very striking. They con- result of a dream. It is difficult to avoid firm the view that the bride is recalling what the conclusion that the bride intends to re- occurred in her country life. The watchmen present herself as suffering from self-reproach mo.ke no reply, and do not treat her ill, a.s iu in huving grieved her lover and kept him the dream related in eh. v. 7, whero they o.re away from her. In that case the typical keepers of the walls, and smite her o.nd wound meaning would be simple e.nd direct. The her. In a small country town she might 10ul grieves when it is consoious of estrange- hnve been recognized, or known to be really ment from him whom it loves, and the sense in trouble. But such incidents must not be of sepo.ro.tion becomes intolerable, impelliug pressed too much in a poem. The nllegoricl\l to new efforts to deepen the spiritual life. view finds considerable support in the fo.ct Ver. 2.-(I said) I will rise now, and go that it is difficult on 11ny hypothesis exactly a.bout the city, in the streets and in the to explo.in the language 11s descriptivo of real broad ways ; I will seek him whom my soul ocourrences. Iu such instances as Ps. cxx vii. loveth : I sought him, but I found him not. 1 and IsR. Iii. 8 the reference to watchmen iu 'i4 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. (en. m. 1-11,