The Pulpit Commentary — Song of Songs — Section 105

shields of heroes. We oan sc0,rcely doubt of the bride kindles his love a.fresh. He Urn referonoe in such words to the time of praised the loveliness of her bodily form, Solomon, and therefore to his authorship, as anrl she by her response showed the exceed- tho 0,llusion to heroes, or mighty men of ing loveliness of her soul. It must not bo valour, would bo customary soon after the forgotten that, whether borrowed from this time of D0,viu. book or not, such language is undoubtedly Ver. 5.-Thy two breasts are like two employed in Scripture of the Church, the fawns that a.re twins of a roe, which fead bride, the La.mb's wife, who is described as among tho lilies. This is a beautiful nnd "not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such yet perfectly delicate figure, de8cribing the thing" (Eph. v. 27). It should be noticed lovely equality rrnd perl'ect Hhape and sweet that the king immediately aduresses his freshness of the maiden's bosom. 'fhe love as "bride," and "sister-bride," to show meadow covered with lilies suggest8 beauty that there is more than admiration of her aud fragrance. Thus the loveliness of the person in his thoughts. She is his by bride is set forth in seven comparisons, her assimilation and by eternal union, and he perfections being sevenfold. "A twin pair invites her to enter fully into the new life of the young of the gazelle, lying- in a bed which he has prepared for her, as in Pa. xlv., covered with lilies, representing the fragrant "forgetting her own people, and her father's delicacy aud elega.nce of a. cha.ate virgin house." It is not enough that feeling should bosom, veiled by the folds of a. dress redolent be stirred, or even that it should tah pos- of sweet odour" (of. oh. i. 13). The bride- session of the soul, if it be only feel:ng; it groom, ha.ving thus delighted himself in is required of us that our inner life of pra.ise of his bride's loveliness, then proceeds emotion should become practical devoted- to declare his desire for her sweet society, ness, "counting a.11 things but Ios3" for the but he is interrupted by the bride. sake of him we love. Ver. 6.-Until the day be cool, and the Ver. 8.-Come with me from Lebanon, my shadows :flee away, I will get me to the bride, with me from Lebanon: look from mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of fra.nk- the top of Ama.na., from the top of Senir incense. If this be the language of the and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the bride, which most modern interpreters think, mo=tains of tha leopards. This seems to the meaning is to check the ardour of her be simply the bridegroom rejoicing over the lover, in the modesty of her fresh and bride, the meaning beiug, "Give thyself up maidenly feeling-Let me retire from such to me "-thou art mine; look a.way from pruises. They are too ardent for me. It the pa.et, and delight thyself in the future. is only a moment's interruption, which is Delitzsch, however, thinks that the bride- followed by still more loving words from groom seeks the bride to go with him up the bridegroom. We must naturally connect the steep heights of Lebanon, and to descend the words with eh. ii. 17, where the bride with him from thence; for while ascending certainly speaks. Louis de Leon thinks the mountain one ha.s no view before him, that the meaning is general, "sha.dy and but when descending he has the whole fragl'a.nt places." Anton (1773) suggests panorama. of the surrounding region lying that she is desiring to esoa.pe and be free. o.t his feet. It is stretching poetical It oa.nnot be included as a description of the languo.ge too far to take it so litera.lly a.nd neighbourhood of the royal pa.lace. She topically; there is no necessity to think of might, however, mean merely-Let me walk either the lover or his beloved a.s a.ctually alone in the lovely gardens of the pa.lo.ea on the mounto.ins, the i<lea. is simply that of .until the shades of night shall hide my the mountainous region-Turn thy back blushes. It is unlikely that the words a.re upon it, look away from it. This is clearly in the mouth of Solomon, for then it would seen from the fact that the names connected be impossible to explain their use by Shula.- with Leba.non-Ama.na., Senir, Hermon- mith previously. She is not referring to could have no reference to the bride's being Lebanon and its neighbourhood, and there in them, a.s they represent Anti-Liba.nus, can be no idea of looking baok to a. lover separated from Lebanon by the Ccale-Syrian from whom she is torn. The interpretation valley, stretching from the Bllnius north- which oouneols it with mo.idenly fooling is wards to the plain of Ha.ma.th (see 2 Kings eerie.inly the most in harmony with what v. 12, where Ama.na is Aba.na., overlooking has preoeded. Perhaps the typical mea.ning De.ma.sous, now the Ba.ea.die.). Shenir, or is underlying the words-Let me find a Senir, and Hermon a.re neighbouring peaks place of devout meditation to feed my or mountains, or possibly different na.mes thoughts on the sweetness of this Divine for the so.me (see Deut. iii. 9). In 1 Chron. luve into which I have entered. v. 23 they a.re mentioned as districts. Ver. 7.-Thou art all fair, my love; and Hermon is the chief mountain of the range thero is no spot in thee. The bridegroom of Anti-Libanus on the north-e11st border of 6pea.ka. 'fAe sweet bu1nility o.nq TQodesty fC1lestiue (Ps. b;xxi~. 12). 'l'ho wild bellStd  THE SONG OF SOLOMON. [en. 1v. 1-10,