Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 5 · Verse 13
VERS. 13.
His Hands are as Gold Rings ſet with the Berrill, his Belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires.
AS the Lips are the inſtruments of ſpeech, ſo are the hands for action. Chriſt was not onelyonly mighty in words, but alſo in deeds before God and all the people, Luke 24. 19. Therefore it is that Chriſts hands are likened to Gold rings, or, that his hands were adorned with Gold rings. Now Rings were counted pretious in thoſe dayes, they were great Ornaments and deckings, Iſa. 3. 21. Luke 15. 22. Neither doth ſhe ſay ſimple rings, but rings of Gold: that is, glorious and precious, ſhining like gold. And to expreſſe the glory of it more, ſhe addeth.
Set with the Berrill.
The Hebrew word Tharſhiſh, is a pretious ſtone, ſpoken of, Exod. 28. 20. It is ſomething uncertaine what ſtone it was, and therefore ſome render it by the word Chriſolite, others turne it Berrill, of the Sea The Chriſolite is reported of ſome to be a very rich, precious ſtone, that comes out of Ethiopia, gliſtering as gold, and that 'tis of Sea-green colour. The Berrill is reported to be another ſtone that groweth in India, it ſelfe being, as they ſuppoſe, an Indian word, and given by the people as a name to that ſtone.
Some write, that this ſtone in former times was uſually ſet in ſuch Rings as Lovers did uſe to give one to another; or in Marriage Rings: becauſe of the power that was thought to be in it, to procure and continue love one towards another. But to come to the word it ſelfe, ſometimes it is uſed for the name of a man, as Geneſ. 10. 4. ſometimes for the name of a City or place, as in Cilicia, Jonah 1. 3. ſometimes it is uſed for the name of a precious ſtone, as here. However we take it, thus much it ſignifies, that all the works of Chriſts hands are moſt rare, precious, and glorious: for we muſt underſtand by his Hands, not onelyonly his ſtrength and power, but alſo all his works, becauſe Chriſts power is in the performance of them. Thus his hands are ſet forth, with all Ornaments and precious ſtones, and ſhining Rings of gold.
Hence Obſerve,
That all Chriſts actions are exceeding glorious. Hands are inſtruments of actions, all Chriſts actions are precious. It was ſaid in the dayes of his fleſh he did all things well, for by laying hands upon them that were diſeaſed, he healed them. He laid his hand upon the Leeper, and healed him, ſaying, I will be thou cleane, Mark 1. 41. So here, his works are as glorious ſtill, yea, and more glorious now, though we cannot ſee the excellency of them in the new Creature, and in raigning in our hearts, he works gloriouſly, he hath a hand, there, a golden, and a pretious hand. The works of God are pure and beautifull, yea, moſt precious, and that beyond Gold and precious ſtones, yea, more glorious then numbers of Rings, filled with all manner of precious ſtones. Hence it is, that when David would expreſſe the wonderfull works of God, he ſaith, If I would declare and ſpeake of them, they are more in number then I can expreſſe, Pſal. 40. 5. And the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh by way of admiration, ſaying, When I conſider the Heavens, the works of thy hands, the Moone, and the Stars, which thou haſt ordained, what is man? &c. Pſal. 8. And then concludeth, O Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the Earth! Theſe words are meant of the new creation of the ſoule, as we may ſee in Heb. 2. though the forme of words are borrowed from the firſt creation. And truely the works of Chriſt are admirable and full of majeſty, if we doe but conſider them in the courſe of the Creatures, in the Sunne, Moone, Starres, in the growth of Herbs, and Plants; ſo in all the Creation, in Gubernation, and Governement, in ordering the event of all things, and the like. Now as all the Governement of Aegypt went through the hands of Joſeph; ſo all the works of God, goe through the hands of Chriſt. The Father hath committed all judgement to the hands of his Sonne, glorious therefore are the works which he doth performe in Heaven and Earth. It followeth.
His Belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires.
His belly) or Breaſt: ſhe putteth a part for the whole body, and by this ſhe meaneth his bowells, or his inward parts. In Hebrew it is uſed for inward affections, ſo the heart is ſaid to be among the Bowells, in Pſal. 22. 15. The Liver is joyned with the bowells, in Lam. 2. 11. by theſe are meant the inward affections of the ſoul. To explaine this more, ſhe ſaith, that his belly is overlaid with bright Ivory, or with the brightneſſe of Ivory, ſhe meaneth, that he was as comely and cleare as the Ivory, which is a thing very white and bright: made (as ſome ſay) of an Elephants tuſke, which kind of Beaſts are onelyonly in Africa, naturally as ſome hold: neither doth ſhe ſimply compare it to Ivory, but addeth, overlaid, or covered with Saphires, that is, that which hath moſt rich and ſumptuous coſt beſtowed upon it. Ivory of it ſelfe, becauſe it is a thing rare, and far brought, muſt needs be very coſtly, how much more then when it is beſet with precious ſtones, yea, with moſt coſtly and precious ſtones, ſuch as Saphires are. Some of the Jewiſh writers take theſe Saphires to be ſuch precious ſtones as are of the colour of the aire: ſome take it to be a white ſtone, ſome a red ſtone, ſome take it to be an Adamant, ſome thinke it to be of a blewiſh colour, intermixed with purple, having certaine ſparks, as it were like Gold. The beſt ſort of theſe ſtones are among the Medes in Media: whatever the ſtone be, the meaning of the Spouſe is to ſhew, that Chriſt her head, was not onelyonly moſt comely adorned, but alſo moſt ſumptuouſly and coſtly, even as Ivory beſet with Pearls and moſt precious ſtones. The bowells of Chriſt, like burniſht Ivory, decked with Saphires, ſignifie his inward bowells of affection, that tender mercy, and pitifull commiſeration of his, toward his Saints and Children.
Hence Obſerve,
That Chriſt is full of tender, ſweet, inward, and heavenly affections towards his people.
Chriſts affections towards his Saints, are pure affections, like Saphires, or precious ſtones: they are pure like the pure water in a Cryſtall glaſſe, that may be ſtirred but without any filth appearing in the bottome, it is pure without any dregs at all mixt with it. Such are Chriſts affections, ſuch are his bowells. The Apoſtles great longing after the Saints is ſaid to be in the bowells of Jeſus Chriſt, Phillip. 1. 8. Chriſt is the moſt mercifull, the moſt pittifull, and the moſt compaſſionate High-Prieſt that ever was: and therefore it was that he was made like unto us, bone of our bone, and fleſh of our fleſh, ſubject to hunger, thirſt, cold, wearineſſe, tentation, and the like, as we. The Apoſtle ſaith in Heb. 2. 17. that this was behovefull, That he ought in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a mercifull High-Prieſt in things pertaining God, &c. And againe ſaith the Apoſtle, Wee have not a High-Prieſt which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without ſin, Heb. 4. 15. So that there was never any Prieſt ſo mild, ſo gentle, ſo gracious, ſo loviug, ſo tenderly affectionate, and ſo regardfull of our condition, as Chriſt was. Chriſt is one that can beare with our weakneſſe, overcome our corruption, and give ſentence of victory over ſin and Satan, as we may ſee in Iſa. 63. 9. & 40. 11.
In the Law we read, that the High-Prieſt was to beare the names of the Children of Iſrael in his Pectorall, or Breſt-plate, upon his heart: …now this did figure and ſhaddow out unto us, the tender love and pitty Chriſt beares to his people, guiding the blind, feeding the hungry, comforting the comfortleſſe, reſtoring ſuch as are out of joynt: all is mercy and love, and ſweetneſſe, and more then motherly affection that comes from him. Hence Chriſt hath this title foreign. one of many commiſerations, Jam. 5. 11. It followeth.