Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Song · Version 6 – Annotations 6
CHAPTER VI.
VVHither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among Women: whither is thy beloved turned-aside, that wee may seeke him with thee.
My beloved, is gone-downe to his garden to the beds of spice: to feed in the gardens, and to gather Lilies. I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the Lilies.
Thou art faire ô my Love, as Tirzah, comely, as Ierusalem: terrible, as armies with banners. Turne-about thine eyes, over-against me: for they, have lifted mee up: thy haire is as a flocke of Goats, that appeare from Gilead. Thy teeth, are as a flocke of sheepe, which come-up from the washing: which all of them beare-twinnes, and none among them is bereaved-ofthe-yong. As a piece of a pomegranate, are thy temples, within thy locks. There are threescore Queenes, and fourescore Concubines: and Virgins, without number. My Dove my perfect-one, she is one, she is the onelyonly one of her mother; she is the choice-one of her that bare her: The daughters saw her, and they blessed her, the Queenes and the Concubines, and praised her. Who is she that lookethforth as the morning: faire as the moone, cleare as the Sunne; terrible, as armies with banners.
I went-downe to the nut garden, to see the fruits of the valley: to see whether the vine flourished, whether the Pomegranates blossomed. I knew not; my soule put me, the chariots of my willing people.
Returne returne, ô Shulammitesse, returne returne, that we may looke upon thee: what shall we see in the Shulammitesse? as the company of two-armies.
CHAPTER VI.
O Whither is thy welbeloved gone,
Thou that of women art the fairest one:
O whither may thy Loved turned be
Aside, that we may seeke for him with thee.
My Welbeloved, he, descended is
VntoUnto his garden, to the beds of spice:
Within the gardens that he food may get,
That also he may gather Lilies sweet.
I my Beloveds am, and my Loved
Is mine, he doth among the Lilies feed.
My Love, thou art as Tirzah beautifull,
Comely, as is Ierusalem: dreadfull,
As are the warlike-bannered armies.
Over against me, turne about thine eyes:
For they have lift me up: so is thine haire,
As flocke of goats, from Gilead that appeare.
Thy teeth as flocke of sheepe are, which be gone
Vp from the washing: of which every one
Doe bring-forth equall-twinnes, and them among
Is none that is bereaved-of the-yong.
The temples-of-thine-head, thy lockes within,
Like to a piece of a pomegranate beene.
Queenes threescore are, and Concubines fourescore:
Of Virgins eke innumerable store.
My Dove my undefiled, she is one:
She of her mother is the one-alone,
Of her that bare her she the choice-one is:
The daughters they her saw, and did her blisse,
The Queenes and Concubines, and did her praise.
Who is she that as morne her selfe displayes?
Faire as the Moone is, as the Sun so cleare,
Dreadfull, as armies that doe banners beare.
To the Nutgarden I went-downe, to see
The valley fruits: to see if the vine-tree
Flourisht, if blossome did the Pomgranets.
I knew not, my soule put me, the charrets
Of my free people. Turne ô turne (I say)
Shulammitesse; turne turne, we view thee may:
What shall you see in the Shulammitesse▪
As company that of two-armies is.
Annotations.
TVrned aside] or, hath he turned his face, to wit, from thee to others; or, to another place. that we may seeke] or, and we will seeke him. The daughters of Ierusalem (Gods elect) having heard from his Spouse, the praises of Christ; are moved earnestly to inquire after him, and promise (if they know where) to seeke him with her, that they might bee made partakers of his grace and blessings. Such is the effect of the preaching of the Gospell, in the hearts of the chosen, Acts 2. 37. and 4. 4. and 11. 20. 21. But the watchmen fore-mentioned (Song. 3. 3. and 5. 7.) had no such affection: that in them the saying was fulfilled: The Pastors are become bruitish, and have not sought the Lord; therefore they shall not prosper; Ier. 10. 21.
Vers. 2. is gone-downe to his garden] The garden of Christ is his Church, as in chap. 4. 16. and 5. 1. The Spouse which before missed and sought him, hath now intelligence, and informeth others where he is: so that this respecteth another time and state, and the promise is fulfilled, Seeke, and ye shall find, Mat. 7. 7. If from thence thou shalt seeke the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him; if thou seeke him with all thine heart, and with all thy soule, Deut. 4. 29. bed of spice] rankes, rewes, or beds wherein spices were sowne: which seemeth to meane companies of beleevers, in whose hearts (as in good earth) the sweet and precious word of the Gospell was sowne, Mat. 13. 8. 23. For these beds are by Aquila a Greeke interpreter translated Prasiai, which word is used in Marke 6. 40. for rankes of people sitting downe to bee fed of Christ. to feed] to associate himselfe and communicate with the graces of his people, eating his pleasant fruits, as in Song. 4. 16. as also to feed his friends and impart unto them the graces of his Spirit, in the gardens (his particular Churches) as in Song. 5. 1. to gather Lilies] to accept the sweet-smelling fruits of his owne graces growing in his Churches: or to gather unto him his faithfull people, which are as Lilies among thornes, Song. 2. 2. The Hebrewes in their Chaldee paraphrase, apply this to Gods returning of his people from the captivity of Babylon by Cyrus, Ezra, Nehemiah, Zorobabel, &c. and the restoring of his worship in the Temple, reedified, and accepting their service, and nourishing them with dainties; and as a man that gathereth lilies out of the vallies, so gathereth he them out of Babylon.
Vers. 3. I am my Beloveds] The Spouse here glorieth in the peace renewed betweene Christ and her, and their mutuall communion by his Spirit and her faith; notwithstanding her former infirmities and afflictions. The same words (but in other order) she used before, in Song. 2. 16. see the annotations there.
V. 4. Thou art faire] The Spouse having found, & being reconciled to Christ, is here cōmended by him for her manifold graces wherewith shee was beautified. Compare these her graces with the former, in Son. 4. 1. &c. as Tirzah] This was a city in Canaan, not far from Samaria, wherin one of the 31 Kings whom Iosua conquered, did dwell; Ios. 12: 24. Afterward the Kings of Israel kept their Courts in it, 1 King. 14. 17. and 15. 21. 33: and 16. 6. 8. 23. By interpretation Tirzah signifieth gratefull, well pleasing, or acceptable, and so the Greek here translateth it Good pleasure, or favourable acceptation: which sheweth it to be a goodly pleasant place, such as Kings delight to dwell in. A like beauty is here ascribed to the Spouse, being made faire and acceptable by Christ her Beloved, as Ephes. 1. 6, and 5. 27. Ierusalem] a city renowned for glory, especially because God himselfe chose to dwell in it, having his Temple built there on mount Sion. It was faire in situation, the joy of all the earth, the City of the great King, Psal. 48. 2. 3. &c. Hereupon the Church under the Gospell, the Spouse and Wife of the Lambe Christ, is called Ierusalem, holy, and heavenly: whose glory from God, and excellent ornaments, are described at large, in Rev. 21. 2. 9. 10. 11. &c. Ierusalem by interpretation is the Sight of peace. as armies with banners] or, as bannered hosts; as armies ordered under their banners and ensignes, which are terrible to their enemies: So againe in vers. 10. This sheweth the peace of the Spouse to be in Christ, but from the world she is to looke for affliction, and is to fight the good fight of faith, in the order appointed her of God. Thus when Israel abode in his tents, according to their tribes, encamping in the wildernesse, his tents were goodly, his strength was as an Vnicornes, hee couched as a couragious Lion, whom none durst stir up, Num. 24. 2. 5. 8. 9.
Ver. 5. Turne about thine eyes] This word is used sometime for turning towards, as in 1 Chro. 12. 23. sometime for turning-away, as in Ezek. 7. 22. Here it seemeth to bee meant in the first sense that the eyes of the Spouse (which were like doves, Song. 4. 1.) should now in her Beloveds absence, be turned to him, by faith; that he thereby might be encouraged & cheared in her love. over against me] towards me, though a far off: so the word is used sundry times, as is noted on Num. 2. 2. It may also be Englished from me, or, from before mee▪ for they have lifted me up] or, that they may lift me up, to weet, with courage, strength, comfort, &c. as in Ps. 138. 3. thou hast incouraged, (or lifted-up, strengthned) me. In this sense the Greeke here translareth figuratively, for they have lifted me up on wing, (or, have made me flye) that is, encouraged, cheared me. The Hebrewes also in their Chaldee paraphrase apply this, to the restoring of the high Councel or Senate in Ierusalem, after their return from Babylon. thy haire] thy thoughts, counsels, purposes, &c. are orderly composed, like the haire of fa goats: see the notes on Song. 4. 1.
Vers. 6. teeth] wherewith she eateth the spirituall food of the Word, &c. or, devoureth her enemies. See Song. 4. 2. from the washing] and so are white and cleane.
Ver. 7. temples] signifying her modesty, shamefastnesse, &c. See Song. 4. 3.
Vers. 8. There are threescore Queenes] Hebrew Sixtie, they Queenes, and eighty Concubines: which may be understood either affirmatively; There are sixtie, (as the Greeke also translateth) or by supposition, be there sixtie Queenes; that is, though there were sixtie, &c. yet one is my dove. And for the numbers threescore and fourescore, it is uncertaine whether the allusion bee to Solomons wives and concubines which hee tooke at first, before he increased them to seven hundred wives, and three hundred concubines, 1 King. 11. 3▪ (as before wee heard of threescore valiant men, about Solomons bed, Son. 3. 7.) or, as the Hebrewes conjecture, to the sons of Noe, Abraham, Esau, &c. or rather whether a certaine number be not put for an uncertaine; meaning many Queenes, moe concubines, … innumerable damsels: as seven shepheards and eight Princes, in Mic. 5. 5. signifie many, and no definite number. So six troubles and seven, in Iob 5. 19. and Other the like. Concubines] these were secondary wives, taken for propagation of children, but they bare no rule in the familie as wives, neither had their children such right to inherit as had the others, but were sent away with gifts, as Abrahams practice sheweth, Gen. 25. 1. 5. 6. See the annotations on Gen. 22. 24. Uirgines] or, maydens, damosels; Such as are not married at all, but accompanie and attend upon Queenes, and other great women, as in Psal. 45. 15. Est. 2. 9.
V. 9. she is one] or, There is (but) one my do ve, &c. so this one onelyonly, is opposed to the many Queenes, Concubines, &c. formentioned. Here the Spouse of Christ wch is but one, (as there is one bodie, & one Spirit, one Hope, one Lord, one Faith, &c. Eph. 4. 45.) is preferred before the multitude of other, which in their owne & the worlds esteeme, are Queenes, Ladies, &c. Rev. 18. 7. Esay 47. 7. Thus was it said of Israel, And who is like thy people, like Israel: one nation in the earth; whom God went to redeeme for a people to himselfe, &c. 2 Sam. 7. 23. And when God entred into covenant with them, he said, If yee will obey my voice in deed, and keepe my covenant; then yee shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all peoples: for all the earth is mine, Exod. 19. 5. the onelyonly one of her mother] or, one she is to her mother, meaning by mother, Ierusalem which is above, which is the mother of us all, Gal. 4. 26. which was prefigured by Sarah the freewoman, the onelyonly wife of Abraham, of whom he had his only son Isaak, the child of promise: though he had (by Agar and Keturah his Concubines) other children also, to whom hee gave gifts, and sent them away; but gave all that he had into Isaak, Gen. 25. 5. 6. And Sarah was a type of the New Testament, and Isaak (in whom Abrahams seed was called) of the children of promise, which by faith in Christ are made heyres of salvation, Rom. 9. 7. 8. 9. Gal. 4. 22.—31. But here; the holy seed is likened to a daughter, espoused unto Christ, belonging to the heavenly Ierusalem, the mother of the faithfull onelyonly the choice one] or, the cleare (the pure) one, as after in v. 10. cleare as the Sun. The Hebrew barah signifieth pure and cleane from filthinesse, purged, polished, severed and select from others; and so the Greeke here expoundeth it elect or chosen; and the word is used for choice, in 1 Chron. 7. 40. Neh. 5. 18. & otherwhere, as also for purged by tryals and afflictions, Dan. 11. 35. and 12. 10. which signification hath use in this place. the daughter] the virgins or damosels forementioned in v. 8. and such as were spoken of in Song. 2. 2. they blessed her] or, they called her blessed, they counted her happy, as in Iam. 5. 11. Wee count them happy which endure. praised her] The Spouse here, as Israel of old, is praised & counted happy, for the great blessings of God upon her; whom he hath made high above all nations which he hath made, in praise and in name and in honour: Deut. 26. 19. So Moses said, This is your wisedome & your understanding, in the eyes of the peoples; which shall heare all these statutes and say, surely this great nation, is a wise and understanding people; Deut. 4. 6. So the people magnified Christians, Act. 5. 13.
V. 10 Who is she] or, who is this; that is, what manner of one is this: as Tis, Who, in Mar. 4. 41. is Potapos, what manner of man, in Mat. 8. 27. So, whose son: that is, what manner of mans son is this youth? 1 Sam. 17. 55. Here the praises forespoken of, are set forth most gloriously: or a new state of the Church is described. as the morning] that is, lightsome, bright, chearfull; as the morning after the darke nigh, so the spouse after the darknesse of affliction, errour, ignorance, ariseth to her owne and others cōfort. Thus it is said to the Church, Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glorie of the Lord is risen upon thee: and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, & Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising, Esay 60. 1. 3. And to such as amend their wayes, he promiseth, Then shal thy light breake forth as the morning, &c. Esay 58. 8. faire as the Moone] which is called in Hebrew Lebanah of her whitenes and bright shining. When glory and prosperity is promised, God saith, Thy Sun shall no more goe downe, neither shall thy Moone withdraw it selfe, Esay 60. 20. The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun; and the light of the Sun shall be seven fold, Esay 30. 26. but when affliction is threatned, he saith, The Sun and the Moone shall be darkned, &c. Ioel. 3. 15. Ezek 32. 7. 8. Here therfore the glorious state of the Spouse is signified, to the admiration of others; as it is said, Thy renowne went forth among the heathen, for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comlinesse which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God: Ezek. 16. 14. cleare as the Sun] or pure, (in Greeke choice as the Sun, as v. 9.) Christ himselfe is the Sun of righteousnesse, Mal. 4. 2. the Woman (his Spouse) is clothed with the Sun, Rev. 12. 1. because by faith she hath put on Christ, Gal. 3. 27. by whose righteousnes impured, she is purged from all sin, and so is made glorious. Here also we may observe in her the degrees of grace, her first light being like the morning or day dawning; her second beauty like the Moone; her third degree, like the Sun it selfe in brightnesse. And so it is said The path of the just is as the shining light; that shineth more and more, unto the perfect day, Prov. 4. 18. terrible] to the enemies, with whom she is to fight under the banner of Christs Gospell & love, Song. 2. 4. having the weapons of her warfare, not carnall but mighty through God, to the pulling downe of strong holds, &c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. So Israel, was a people saved by the Lord the shield of their helpe, and who was the sword of their excellency, Deut. 33. 29. God did put the dread of them, and the feare of them upon the nations, under the whole heaven: who heard the report of them, and trembled, Deut. 2. 25. The peoples heard, and were afraid; sorrow tooke hold on the inhabitants of Palestina; the Dukes of Edom were amazed; the mighty men of Moab trembling took hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away; feare and dread fell upon them, &c. Exod. 15. 14. 15. 16. Psal. 48. 5. 6 See before on v. 4.
V. 11. I went down] The words of Christ, shewing how hee went to visit the garden of his Church. Nut garden] The originall word Egoz is not sound but in this one place: the Gr. translateth it the Nut, and most interpreters: the Arabike also agreeth, in which tongue Nuts are called Geuz. It meaneth aromaticall trees & fruits (such as Christs gardens are planted with, Song. 4. 12. 13. 14.) and so is to be understood of that fruit which wee call Nutmegs, and the like. The Chaldee paraphrast applyeth this Nutgarden to the second Temple, builded by Cyrus commandement, and the state of the Church then: but these Prophesies seeme rather to meane the time, under the Gospell, as before is shewed. the fruits of the valley] fruits here properly meane the new, greene or first ripe fruits, such as are tidie and forward in the beginning of the yeare. So, after the winter of tribulation and wrath, commeth the chearfull Spring of grace in the garden of the Church, situate low and base as in a valley or bourne, where it is watered with Gods Word and Spirit, and made fruitfull. The Greeke translateth it, fruits of the bourne (or streame.) In hot Countries, gardens and orchards were wont to be planted neere bournes, streames and pooles of water, to make them fruitfull. Eccles. 2. 6. Ezek. 31. 4. 5. 7. the pomegranates] or, pomegranate trees: by these and the former vines, are meant the people called of God, and planted in the garden of his Church, which when they flourish in a good profession, doe after bring forth the fruits of good workes, to the glory of Christ. The Chaldee expoundeth these of the wise men of Israel, likened to a vine, and their plenty of good workes, as the Pomegranate is full of juice and kernels. So in Song. 7. 12.
Vers. 12. I knew not] These words seeme to be the continued speech of Christ, (though some thinke them spoken by his Spouse,) and by saying I knew not, he meaneth experimentall knowledge or perceiving: for things are spoken of God after the manner of men, as in Gen. 18. …1. I will goe downe now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me: and if not, (that) I may know. See also Exod. 33. 5. Gen. 22 12. Now that which Christ here knew not, may be understood of the former things, that he perceived not the Vines to flourish, or the Pomegranate to blossome, and therefore calleth upon the Shulammitesse, (in vers. 13.) to Returne: or, that hee knew not, neither was aware of the frowardnesse of his people (which was beyond mans expectation,) and therefore hee furthered them as with Chariots, to helpe and hasten them forward: For, Whosever hath, to him shall be given: and he shall have more abundance, Matthew 13. 12. my soule-put me] that is, I put my selfe; but the manner of speech noteth an earnest desire and hearty affection; as, my soule seeketh, Eccles. 7. 28. my soule loveth, Song. 1. 7. my soule is troubled, Psalme 6. 4. my soule hateth, Esay 1. 14. my soule is joyfull, Esay 61. 10. and many the like. the charets of my willing people,] or, of my princely (or noble) people; in Hebrew ammi nadib: that is, my voluntary, free, bounteous or noble people. The Greeke putting both words in one, make it a proper name, the charrets of A…adab: it rather denoteth the people of Christ, which are voluntaries in the day of his power, Psalme 110. 3. sustained with a free (or princely spirit, Psalme 51. 14. and receiving the word with all readinesse (or willingnesse) of minde: as Acts 17. 11. and 2. 41. To such Christ is as Charrets, by the ministery of the Word, to helpe and hasten them forward in grace: and to defend them from their enemies. For Charrets were used in warres, Iosua 11. 4. 1 Samuel 13. 5. and when God threatneth vengeance unto the wicked, he saith, hee will come with his charrets like a whirlewinde, to render his anger, &c. Esay 66. 15. And as the Prophets of old, were the charret and horsemen of Israel, 2 King. 2. 12. and 13. 14. and peoples conversion unto Christ, is called a bringing of them upon horses and in charrets, for an offring to the Lord, Esay 66. 20. so the Ministers of the new Testament, did so minister the Gospell of God, that the offring up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, Romanes 15. 16. in which sense Christ here, is by his servants, as charrets for his voluntary & free people to be brought as an oblation to the Lord. The Chaldee paraph…eth on these words thus, I consulted with my soule to doe them good, and to put them high in the charrets of Kings, &c.
Verse 13. O Shulammitesse] As Solomon (named in Hebrew Shelomoh) had his name of peace, 1 Chron. 22. 9. and Ierusalem was also called Shalem (or Salem) Psalme 76. 3. which signifieth Peace, Hebrewes 7. 2. so here the Church or people called upon to returne, is named Shulammitess (in Hebrew Shulamith) of her peace and perfection with God in Christ; and so in one Greeke version, it is interpreted Eirenevousa, as being at peace. It may also have reference to Ierusalem, as being a daughter to that mother of us all. And this name hath occasioned some probably to apply this unto the recalling of the Iewes, as was fore-told, Romanes 11. 25. &c. which is yet to be fulfilled. returne, returne] this doubling of the word and that twise, sheweth the earnest desire of her conversion, with the certainty thereof. that we may looke upon thee] or, and let us see (or view) thee, and properly it meaneth a looking upon with delight. This seemeth to bee spoken by her friends, desirous to see the graces in this Shulammitesse returned. For even the Angels desire to looke into the things that are imparted to the Church by the Gospell, 1 Peter 1. 12. and it was Davids one request, that hee might view the pleasantnesse of the Lord, in his House or Temple, Psal. 27. 4. And the Prophet foretold how the watch-men should sing with a high voice, for that they should see eye to eye when the Lord returned Sion, Esa. 52. 8. The Chald. paraphrast explaineth the words thus, Returne unto m…e O congregation of Israel; returne unto Ierusalem; returne unto the house of the doctrine of my law; returne to receive Prophesie, from my Prophets, which prophesie in the name of the Word of the Lord. What shall ye see, in the Sulammitesse] or, Why looke ye (or would ye looke) upon the Sulammitesse? The question (which seemeth to be demanded by Christ) is to stir up attention and affection in the hearers. as the company] or, as the dance; that is, a company of dauncers, that rejoyce together, as they were wont after victories, Exod. 15. 20. And prophesiyng of the spirituall joy at the restoring of his people, God saith. O Virgin of Israel, &c. th… shalt goe forth in the dances of them that make merry: and, Then shall the Virgin rejoyce in the dance: Ierem. 31. 4. 13. And at the returne of the prodigall son, there were musicke and daunces in his fathers house, Luk. 15. 25. This answer seemeth to bee made by Christ himselfe that asked them: or it may be the question continued, thus: what looke ye upon the Shulammitesse; which is, like the company (or daunce) of two armies? of two armies] or, of two camps (two hosts) in Hebrew Machanaim: by which name the place was called, where an host (or troop) of Angels met Iakob with his troope, at his returne out of servitude, Gen. 32. 1. 2. Hereby is signified both the deliverance of this Shulammitesse out of her miseries, and the joy of men and Angels for her victorie. For there is joy also in the presence of the Angels of God, over one sinner that repenteth, Luke. 15. 10. and they pitch their campes about them that feare the Lord, for to deliver them, Psal. 34. 8.