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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Song of Solomon 4:8-14

These are still the words of Christ to his church, expressing his great esteem of her and affection to her, the opinion he had of her beauty and excellency, the desire he had of, and the delight he had in, her converse and society. And so ought men to love their wives as Christ loves the church, and takes pleasure in it as if it were spotless and had no fault, when yet it is compassed with infirmity. Now, observe here, I. The endearing names and titles by which he calls her, to express his... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Song of Solomon 4:15-16

These seem to be the words of the spouse, the church, in answer to the commendations which Christ, the bridegroom, had given of her as a pleasant fruitful garden. Isa. she a garden? I. She owns her dependence upon Christ himself to make this garden fruitful. To him she has an eye (Song 4:15) as the fountain of gardens, not only the founder of them, by whom they are planted and to whom they owe their being, but the fountain of them, by which they are watered and to which they own their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 4:8

Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon ,.... This is a new title given the church, my "spouse"; here first mentioned, because the day of espousals was over, Song of Solomon 3:11 ; and having on the wedding garment, in which she was so fair and spotless, as before described, she looked somewhat like a bride, and the spouse of Christ; and is chiefly used by Christ, to prevail upon her to go with him, which relation, duty, and affection, obliged her to do. The invitation... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 4:9

Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse ,.... Here another new title is given to the church, "my sister", with the repetition of the former, my "spouse": for one and the same person, with the Hebrews, might be sister and spouse; see 1 Corinthians 9:5 . And this may be used in a love strain, and so not improper in a love poem, as this was F7 "Sive tibi conjux, sive futura soror", Tibullus. ; see Song of Solomon 8:8 ; likewise the church may be called Christ's sister,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 4:10

How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse !.... Of these titles; see Gill on Song of Solomon 4:8 ; See Gill on Song of Solomon 4:9 ; and of the love of the church to Christ; see Gill on Song of Solomon 1:3 ; here said to be "fair", lovely and delightful, grateful and acceptable; as it is to Christ, in the several acts and effects of it, and therefore the word is plural, "thy loves" F18 דודיך "amores tui", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.; ; being exceeding beautiful in his eye,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 4:11

Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb ,.... Words, for sweetness, delight, and pleasure, like that; so the speech of persons, flowing from their mouth and tongue, is said to be sweeter than the honeycomb F19 Vid. Theocrit. Idyll. 21. v. 26, 27. Homer. Iliad. 1. v. 249. ; and lovers are said to be sweeter to one another than the sweet honey F20 Plauti Asinaria, Act. 3. Sc. 3. v. 24. : so the lips or words of the church in prayer, as the Targum; or in praise of Christ,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 4:12

A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse ,.... At a little distance from Bethlehem are pools of water, and below these runs a narrow rocky valley, enclosed on both sides with high mountains which the friars, as Mr. Maundrell says F4 Journey from Aleppo, &c.; p. 89. Edit. 7. will have to be the enclosed garden here alluded to; but it is more likely that the allusion is to a garden near Jerusalem, called the king's garden, Adrichomius F5 Theatrum Terrae Sanctae, p. 170. ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 4:13

Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates ,.... These plants are the members of the church, true converts, believers in Christ; pleasant plants, plants of renown, planted in the church by Christ's heavenly Father, and shall never be plucked up; or, thy gardens, as it may be rendered F14 Vid. Guisium in Misn. Sheviith, c. 2. s. 2. ; particular churches, well taken care of and watered; these make an orchard, or are like one, even a paradise, as the word F15 פרדס παραδεισος ,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 4:14

Spikenard and saffron ,.... The former is the best sort of nard, and therefore mentioned and repeated, to which saints may be compared, because of the graces of the Spirit in them; which, when exercised, give a sweet odour, and are exceeding grateful to Christ; see Song of Solomon 1:12 ; and the latter, according to Schindler F19 Lexic. Pentaglott. col. 910. , seems to have been read "carcos", the same with "crocus", and is a plant well known by us for its cheering nature; and has... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 4:15

A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. Some F3 So Cocceius, Schmidt, Heunischius, Marckius, Michaelis. take these words to be the words of Christ continued, speaking still of his church, and explaining and enlarging upon what he had said of her, Song of Solomon 4:12 ; but they are rather the words of the church; who, upon hearing herself commended, and knowing that all her fruitfulness, and the flourishing condition she was in, were owing to the... read more

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