Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 1 · Verse 10
Verſ. 10.
Thy cheeks are comely with rows of Jewells, thy neck with chains of gold.
Chriſt having ſet forth the Churches ſtrength and valour, now continueth his Speech, ſhewing alſo, how his Church is decked with his Ordinances and graces. The beauty of the Church is ſet forth,
Firſt, in reſpect of her Cheeks.
Secondly, of her Neck.
Firſt, her Cheeks were adorned with rows of Jewells and precious ſtones, as the manner of the Aegyptians and other Countries was.
Secondly, her neck is aſſimilated to Chains of gold, which was a goodly and glorious ſight.
Chriſt in commending the particular parts and members of his Church, ſpeaketh of thoſe that are moſt in ſight, becauſe if they be beautifull and faire, there is not much inquiry made of the beauty and fairneſſe of the reſt.
Thy Cheeks are comely, &c.
The Hebrew Lechajaik, ſignifies thy cheeks, Or, thy jawes: it is ſometimes uſed for the cheeks or jawes of foreign Ʋnde. foreign Gena, maxilla.Beaſts, and of Horſes, as in Iſa. 30. 28. There ſhall be a Bridle in the jawes of the people.
Are comely.
Comely) or deſireable, gracious, beautifull; the word denoteth foreign Pulchrum, decorum, amoenum eſſe, convenire decens eſſe.a faire and comely grace, for which a thing is to be much deſired, as in Pſal. 33. 1. Praiſe is comely for the upright. That is, it is very deſirable. And in Pſal. 93. 5. Holineſſe becometh thy houſe. It is a gracious and decent ſight to come before thee with holineſſe and reverence.
With rows of Jewells.
The Hebrew word Torim, rows, comming from the foreign, Jecit projecit, ejaculatus, eſt, Ʋnde. foreign Doctrina, inſtitutio.Singular Tor, it ſignifies an ordinary diſtribution or diſpoſition of things, and hath affinity with Thorah, a Law, which commeth of the root Jarah, which ſignifies to dart, or to caſt forth, and it implieth an orderly diſpoſing of doctrine; and in Scripture an orderly diſpoſition is put for an explaination of the word Law; David ſaid, Is this the Law of man, &c. 2 Sam. 7. 19. which another Prophet ſpeaketh in this wiſe, Thou haſt regarded me according to the order (or diſpoſition) of a man of high degree, O Lord, 1 Chron. 17. 17. So the Law of God is an orderly diſpoſition of his precepts, proposing of them to us as a rule of life. The ſame word …or is alſo uſed foreign Terminus, ordo, conditio, Ratio: Item Turtur avis, voce quam edit, ſte dictafor a Turtle-Dove, which ſome therefore take here to be Jewells or Ornaments that had the figures of Turtle Doves.
Thy Neck with chains of gold.
It was an Ornament of honour and dignity, eſpecially in thoſe Eaſterne Countries, to weare Chaines of gold, or of pearle or of pretious ſtones. This word Charuzim is not found in any other place of Scripture beſides this, and is Tranſlated collars or chains, and it ſignifies a Chaine of pearle or pretious ſtone; when many pearles are drawne together upon one thred, and made into one chaine and ſo put about the neck.
Now it is queſtionable whither this ſimilitude of rows and chains is to be referred to the Church, as ſhee was compared to the Horſes in Pharaoh's Chariot, Ver. 9. or to a woman as ſhee was a Shepheardeſſe in Verſ. 8. The compariſon will agree to both.
Firſt, we may refer theſe rows and chains unto the Church, as ſhee was compared to the Horſes of Pharaoh, taking it thus: Chriſt had decked and trimmed her, even as great Princes doe adorne their horſe bridles, he alludeth, no doubt, to the manner of thoſe Eaſterne Princes, who uſed to trim their bridles, & other kinds of furniture for the forepart of their Horſes, with ſundry kinds of Ornaments, as gold, pearle, pretious ſtones, &c. As we may ſee in Judg. 8. 21. 26. The King of Midian had Ornaments of Chains of gold, and pearle, &c. about his Camel's neck. Now by this compariſon he meaneth, that there was no greater glory nor comelineſſe in theſe things, then was in the outward parts and members of the Church.
Or if we retaine the ſimilitude of a woman, it is meant of eare-rings and Jewells which adorne the face; as we have it in the Prophet, I have decked thee with Ornaments, I put Bracelets upon thine hands, and a chaine on thy neck, and I put a Jewell on thy forehead, and ear-rings in thy eares, and a beautifull crowne upon thine head, thus waſt thou decked with Gold and ſilver, and thou waſt exceeding beautifull, &c. Ezek. 16. 12, 13. 14.
Now the ſpirituall ſignification is one and the ſame, according to either ſimilitude. And to the ſame end muſt that be referred, when he ſaith, Thy neck with chains of gold, as may appeare in the places of the Judges before alledged. We muſt know alſo, that by the recitall of the particular parts, doth recommend unto us the whole.
Theſe rows and chains ſignifie the Ordinances & wholſom Laws of God, which were binding like chains, & directive to guide the Church, as his goodly horſe in the battaile, Zech. 10. 3. and being managed and guided by Chriſt ſhee might overcome all her enemies. And all the Ordinances of Chriſt were as ſo many Ornaments of Jewells, and chains of gold, to adorne the face and neck of the Church; and alſo by her conformity and obedience to them, ſhee becomes beautifull in the eyes of Chriſt, and in the eyes of all his people.
Hence Obſerve,
That the obſervance of the Laws and holy rules of Christ, doe adorne the Saints as pearles and chains of gold doe the outward man.
The doctrines, inſtructions, and councells of Chriſt, received by his Church, are as ſo many Ornaments unto her, even as Pearles and Jewells are Ornaments in the Bridles of Horſes. This is that we have in Prov. 20. 15. There is gold and a multitude of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a pretious Jewell. And againe, My Son, heare the inſtruction of thy Father, and forſake not the Law of thy Mother, for they ſhall be an Ornament of grace unto thine head, and chains about thy neck, Prov. 1. 8, 9. The obſervance of the rules of Chriſt, makes men orderly, gracious, holy, and upright, all which are comely Ornaments unto Beleivers: patience, humility, love, ſelf-deniall, theſe and ſuch like graces are the pearles and Jewells of the Saints.
Secondly Obſerve,
That by the obſervance of Chriſts Laws, the Saints are guided, protected, and made victorious. Hence the Church is ſaid to have her Cheeks comely with rows of Jewells, or Ornaments upon her Bridle, wherewith Chriſt guideth and directeth her. Thus the Lord ſaith, that he made Judah as goodly Horſes for the Battaile, Zech. 10. 3. That is, he hath endowed his people with valour and ſtrength, ſo that they are as goodly War-horſes, who being managed and guided by the hand of God, ſhould be able to overcome and trample downe all their enemies.
Thirdly Obſerve,
That Chriſt hath not onelyonly indowed his people with inward ſtrength and valour, but alſo with outWard glory and beauty. In the former Verſe he compared her unto Pharaoh's Charriot Horſes…, in reſpect of her inward ſtrength and vigour, ſo here in this Verſe for her outward deckings and Ornaments, ſuch as is the trimming of the horſes Bridles, and ſuch like furniture of gold, pearle, and p…etious ſtones. This is alſo demonſtrated in Pſal. 45. 13, 14. where it is ſaid, The Kings Daughter is all glorious within. That is, ſhee is honourable inwardly, having the heart and inward man adorned with faith, hope, love, &c. and being inwardly indowed with ſpirituall ſtrength, ſhee is able to withſtand her enemies. And it is added. Her cloathing is of wrought gold, and ſhee ſhall be brought unto the King in raiment of needle-worke, &c. That is, her outward cloathing ſhould be of purled works of gold, ſet with pretious ſtones. This outward adorning of the Saints was figur'd out by Aarons Breſt plate, wherein there was Twelve pretious ſtones, Exod. 28. 11. And the Garments of the Prieſts were holy, made of white linnen; all which did ſhaddow forth the outward beauty, righteouſneſſe, and glory of the Saints.