Song of Solomon 5:13 NIV

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Song of Solomon 5:13

Song of Solomon 5:13. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, &c.— His cheeks are as a bed of spices, sweetly budding forth. Bishop Patrick supposes that the word translated lilies, alludes to a sort of lilies of a deep rich red colour, and particularly to that called by Pliny, rubens lilium, which he tells us was much esteemed in Syria. The expression of lilies dropping sweet-smelling or precious myrrh, denotes the sweetness of his conversation; and it is supposed by Sir Thomas Brown to refer... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Song of Solomon 5:13

13. cheeks—the seat of beauty, according to the Hebrew meaning [GESENIUS]. Yet men smote and spat on them ( :-). bed—full, like the raised surface of the garden bed; fragrant with ointments, as beds with aromatic plants (literally, "balsam"). sweet flowers—rather, "terraces of aromatic herbs"—"high-raised parterres of sweet plants," in parallelism to "bed," which comes from a Hebrew root, meaning "elevation." lips— (Psalms 45:2; John 7:46). lilies—red lilies. Soft and gentle (1 Peter 2:22; 1... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Song of Solomon 5:2-16

A Dream. His Beauty and hers2-7. Another dream of hers, with a painful ending. The accumulation (Son 5:2) of names of endearment reminds us of the frequent repetition, by a Palestinian bridegroom during the wedding dance, of Yâ halâli, Yâ mâli, ' O my property, 'Omy possession!'2. Heavy dew falls, especially during spring and in the second half of the night. The Spanish poet whom Longfellow translated had in his mind our passage and Revelation 3:20 :'Lord, what am I, that, with unceasing... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Song of Solomon 5:13

(13) His cheeks are as a bed of spices—Probably with allusion to the beard perfumed (Marg., towers of perfumes), as in Psalms 133:2.Lilies.—Comp. “He pressed the blossom of his lips to mine “(Tennyson, (Enone). read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Song of Solomon 5:1-16

The Incomparableness of Christ Song of Solomon 5:9 'What is thy Beloved more than another beloved?' Wherein is Christ incomparable? I. Christ is Incomparable in the Inquiries He Excites. There must be something in our Beloved that is more than another beloved when such interrogatories are urged upon us. Commonplaceness does not arrest attention. Mediocrity does not challenge comparison. Ordinary personalities do not normally create extraordinary excitement. But our Beloved is much inquired... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 5:9-16

MYSTICAL INTERPRETATIONSTHUS far we have been considering the bare, literal sense of the text. It cannot be denied that, if only to lead up to the metaphorical significance of the words employed, those words must be approached through their primary physical meanings. This is essential even to the understanding of pure allegory such as that of "The Faerie Queene" and "The Pilgrim’s Progress"; we must understand the adventures of the Red Cross Knight and the course of Christian’s journey before... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Song of Solomon 5:1-16

CHAPTER 5 The Bridegroom answers the invitation extended to Him when the bride had said, “Let my Beloved come into His (not her) garden.” He says, “I am come into My garden, My sister, My spouse.” She is both “sister and spouse.” When He speaks of her as sister, He owns the national relationship. In Matthew 12:46-50 He disowned that relationship because they rejected the offer of the kingdom, but now it is reestablished and the godly portion of Israel becomes the spouse. In His garden, the... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 5:1-16

Acts 2:0 , SCENE 1 This scene embraces the first four verses of chapter 2, and is a soliloquy of the bride in the nature of a troubled dream troubled because of anxiety for her lover’s safety in the chase. It is emblematical of the temporary interruption experienced in the fellowship of Christ’s people with their Lord. Acts 3:0 , SCENE 1 We are here dealing with the events of Song of Solomon 3:5-11 of this same chapter, and which are supposed to have occurred on the third morning. The royal... read more

Joseph Parker

The People's Bible by Joseph Parker - Song of Solomon 5:1-16

Christ and His Church Song of Solomon 5-8 The Song has a double action: sometimes the Church praises Christ, and sometimes Christ praises the Church. The most noticeable feature is that the praise on both sides is equal. Not one word does the Church say of Christ that Christ does not in his turn say of the Church. So there is no idolatry in Christian worship when that worship is directed to God the Son. God the Son does not take from the Church all praise and honour without returning to his... read more

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - Song of Solomon 5:13

His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. Two features of her beloved in description the Church joins together in this verse: the cheeks of Christ and his lips. Perhaps by the former may be meant the beauties of his Person; and by the latter, the blessedness of what he delivered. And to those who have seen the King in his beauty, and heard the gracious, words which proceed out of his mouth, nothing can more strikingly set forth the... read more