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Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Song of Solomon 1:8

( Chorus of ladies. ) If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. That another voice is here introduced there can be no doubt; and as it is not like the voice of the bridegroom himself, which is heard in the next verse, we must suppose it to be the chorus of attendant ladies. Delitzsch suggests very plausibly that they are pleasantly chiding the simplicity of the country maiden, and telling... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Song of Solomon 1:8

How to find God. The daughters of Jerusalem—the inmates of Solomon's harem—who scornfully addressed these words to the faithful girl who was mourning after her beloved, never meant to utter a great spiritual truth when they thus spoke; any more than Caiaphas did when he said, "It is expedient that one man die for the people." The doctrine of the atonement is in that Caiaphas-speech; and so, sacred suggestions for souls that seek their Lord are found in these words of Jerusalem's daughters.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Song of Solomon 1:9

( Entrance of the bridegroom. ) I have compared thee, O my love, to a steed in Pharaoh's chariots. There can be no reasonable doubt that these words are put into the mouth of the king. The "steed" is in the feminine ( סוּסָה ); some would point the word with the plural vowels, that is, "to my horses," or a "body of horses." There is no necessity for that. The reference to a particular very lovely mare is more apt and pointed. In 1 Kings 10:26 we read in the LXX . Version of ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Song of Solomon 1:9-15

Characteristics of those whom Christ loves. We need not mind who said what is written in these verses; or why it was said, according to their literal interpretation. But we may consider what is said, for it is true of all people who are "of the Lord beloved." I. THEY ARE HIS BELOVED . This more than justice; for that would have regarded them as they were in themselves—the reverse of well pleasing to him. It is more than mercy; for that, though it may have spared the wrong doer,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Song of Solomon 1:9-15

Love and admirations. It requires imagination and a knowledge of Oriental habits of thinking fully to appreciate the language of this passage, which otherwise to our colder and less fanciful natures may appear extravagant. But expressions which may be open to the charge of extravagance as applied to ordinary human affection, may well come short of the truth if interpreted as indicating the emotions which distinguish those spiritual relations of absorbed delight subsisting between Christ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Song of Solomon 1:9-17

The communion of the bridegroom and the bride. I. THE APPROACH OF THE BRIDEGROOM . 1 . His address. He compares the bride to a beautiful mare of his own in the chariots of Pharaoh. The words come fitly from the lips of the speaker. He was the first king of Israel who took delight in horses and chariots, and he imported them from Egypt. The words are thought to have suggested a similar comparison in Theocritus ('Idyll,' 18.30); they indicate the stateliness of the bride's... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Song of Solomon 1:10-11

Thy cheeks are comely with plaits of hair, thy neck with strings of jewels. We will make thee plaits of gold with studs of silver. This language may be suggested by the comparison first employed—the trappings of the horse. "The head frame of the horse's bridle and the poitral were then certainly, just as now, adorned with silken tassels, fringes, and other ornaments of silver. Torim, 'round ornaments,' which hang down in front on both sides of the headband or are also inwoven in the braids... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Song of Solomon 1:12

Holy Communion. The form of expression in this verse has suggested thoughts on this theme to so many devout students of this book that, whilst not admitting their interpretation as correct, we may nevertheless avail ourselves of such suggestions in order to set forth some precious and important truths concerning it—the soul's communion with Christ. And we note— I. THE ORDINANCES OF THE GOSPEL ARE CHRIST 'S TABLE . (Cf. Revelation 3:20 , "If any man will open the door,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Song of Solomon 1:12-14

While the king sat (or, sits ) at his table, my spikenard sent ( sends ) forth its fragrance. My beloved is unto me as a bundle of myrrh, that lieth betwixt my breasts. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of Engedi. The preterite is best taken poetically for the present. The words are evidently a response to those of the king. As such they refer to present feeling and not to a past state. The bride expresses her delight in the king. The table... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Song of Solomon 1:12-17

Reciprocal esteem. Love, manifested and known, will always beget love. As every plant has in its womb seed of its own kind, so, too, love has within itself generative power. If any human heart does not love our Immanuel, it is because that heart is ignorant of him, its eyesight is blurred, its vision is obscured. No sooner is Jesus known as a true and substantial Friend, than love in some form springs up. In the form of gratitude it first appears; then in the form of admiration; then in... read more

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