1. He had been a brother already. Why, then, this prayer here? It
refers to the time after His resurrection, when the previous outward
intimacy with Him was no longer allowed, but it was implied it should be renewed
at the second coming (John
20:17). For this the Church here prays; meanwhile she enjoys inward
spiritual communion with Him. The last who ever "kissed" Jesus Christ
on earth was the traitor Judas. The bride's return with the King to her mother's
house answers to Acts
8:25, after the mission to Samaria. The rest spoken of (Solomon
8:4) answers to Acts
9:31.
that sucked . . . mother--a brother born of the same mother;
the closest tie.
2. Her desire to bring Him into her home circle (John
1:41).
who would instruct me--rather, "thou wouldest instruct me,"
namely, how I might best please thee (Isaiah
11:2,3, 50:4,
Luke
12:12, John
14:26, 16:13).
spiced wine--seasoned with aromatic perfumes. Jesus Christ ought to have
our choicest gifts. Spices are never introduced in the song in His absence;
therefore the time of His return from "the mountain of spices" (Solomon
8:14) is contemplated. The cup of betrothal was given by Him at the last
supper; the cup or marriage shall be presented by her at His return (Matthew
26:29). Till then the believer often cannot feel towards, or speak of, Him
as he would wish.
3, 4. The "left and right hand," &c., occurred only once actually (Solomon 2:6), and here optatively. Only at His first manifestation did the Church palpably embrace Him; at His second coming there shall be again sensible communion with Him. The rest in Solomon 8:4, which is a spiritual realization of the wish in Solomon 8:3 (1 Peter 1:8), and the charge not to disturb it, close the first, second, and fourth canticles; not the third, as the bridegroom there takes charge Himself; nor the fifth, as, if repose formed its close, we might mistake the present state for our rest. The broken, longing close, like that of the whole Bible (Revelation 22:20), reminds us we are to be waiting for a Saviour to come. On "daughters of Jerusalem,"
CANTICLE V.--(Solomon 8:5-14)--FROM THE CALL OF THE GENTILES TO THE CLOSE OF REVELATION.
5. Who is this--Words of the daughters of Jerusalem, that is, the
churches of Judea; referring to Paul, on his return from Arabia ("the
wilderness"), whither he had gone after conversion (Galatians
1:15-24).
I raised thee . . . she . . . bare thee--(Acts
26:14-16). The first words of Jesus Christ to the bride since her going to
the garden of nuts (Solomon
6:9,10); so His appearance to Paul is the only one since His ascension, Solomon
8:13 is not an address of Him as visible: her reply implies He is not
visible (1 Corinthians
15:8). Spirit ually, she was found in the moral wilderness (Ezekiel
16:5, Hosea
13:5); but now she is "coming up from" it (Jeremiah
2:2, Hosea
2:14), especially in the last stage of her journey, her conscious weakness
casting itself the more wholly on Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians
12:9). "Raised" (Ephesians
2:1-7). Found ruined under the forbidden tree (Genesis
3:22-24); restored under the shadow of Jesus Christ crucified, "the
green tree" (Luke
23:31), fruit-"bearing" by the cross (Isaiah
53:11, John
12:24). "Born again by the Holy Ghost" "there" (Ezekiel
16:3-6). In this verse, her dependence, in the similar verse, Solomon
3:6, &c., His omnipotence to support her, are brought out (Deuteronomy
33:26).
6. Implying approaching absence of the Bridegroom.
seal--having her name and likeness engraven on it. His Holy Priesthood
also in heaven (Exodus
28:6-12,15-30'Hebrews 4:14'); "his heart" there answering to
"thine heart" here, and "two shoulders" to "arm."
(Compare Jeremiah
22:24, with Haggai
2:23). But the Holy Ghost (Ephesians
1:13,14 ). As in Solomon
8:5, she was "leaning" on Him, that is, her arm on His arm,
her head on His bosom; so she prays now that before they part, her
impression may be engraven both on His heart and His arm,
answering to His love and His power (Psalms
77:15; see Genesis
38:18, Isaiah
62:3).
love is strong as death--(Acts
21:13'Romans 8:35-39'Revelation 12:11'). This their love unto death flows
from His (John
10:15, 15:13).
jealousy . . . the grave--Zealous love, jealous of all
that would come between the soul and Jesus Christ (1 Kings
19:10, Psalms
106:30,31, Luke
9:60, 14:26,
1 Corinthians
16:22).
cruel--rather, "unyielding" hard, as the grave will not let go
those whom it once holds (John
10:28).
a most vehement flame--literally, "the fire-flame of Jehovah" (Psalms
80:16, Isaiah
6:6). Nowhere else is God's name found in the Song. The zeal that
burnt in Jesus Christ (Psalms
69:9, Luke
12:49,50) kindled in His followers (Acts
2:3, Romans
15:30, Philippians
2:17).
7. waters--in contrast with the "coals of fire" (Solomon
8:6'1 Kings 18:33-38'). Persecutions (Acts
8:1) cannot quench love (Hebrews
10:34, Revelation
12:15,16). Our many provocations have not quenched His love (Romans
8:33-39).
if . . . give all the substance . . . contemned--Nothing
short of Jesus Christ Himself, not even heaven without Him, can satisfy the
saint (Philippians
3:8). Satan offers the world, as to Jesus Christ (Matthew
4:8), so to the saint, in vain (1 John
2:15-17, 5:4).
Nothing but our love in turn can satisfy Him (1 Corinthians
13:1-3).
8. The Gentile Church (Ezekiel
16:48). "We," that is, the Hebrew Church, which heretofore
admitted Gentiles to communion, only by becoming Judaic proselytes. Now
first idolatrous Gentiles are admitted directly (Acts
11:17-26). Generally, the saint's anxiety for other souls (
5:19, John
4:28,29).
no breasts--neither faith nor love as yet which "come by
hearing" of Him who first loved us. Not yet fit to be His bride, and mother
of a spiritual offspring.
what shall we do--the chief question in the early Church at the first
council (Acts
15:23-29). How shall "the elder brother" treat the
"younger," already received by the Father (Luke
15:25-32)? Generally (2 Samuel
15:15, John
9:4, Acts
9:6, Galatians
6:10).
In the day . . . spoken for--that is, when she shall be sought
in marriage (Judges
14:7), namely, by Jesus Christ, the heavenly bridegroom.
9. wall . . . door--the very terms employed as to the Gentile question (Acts 14:27, Ephesians 2:14). If she be a wall in Zion, founded on Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11), we will not "withstand God" (Acts 11:17, 15:8-11). But if so, we must not "build" (Acts 15:14-17) on her "wood, hay, stubble" (1 Corinthians 3:12), that is, Jewish rites, &c., but "a palace of silver," that is, all the highest privileges of church communion (Galatians 2:11-18'Ephesians 2:11-22'). Image from the splendid turrets "built" on the "walls" of Jerusalem, and flanking the "door," or gateway. The Gentile Church is the "door," the type of catholic accessibleness (1 Corinthians 16:9); but it must be not a mere thoroughfare but furnished with a wooden framework, so as not merely to admit, but also to safely enclose: cedar is fragrant, beautiful, and enduring.
10. The Gentile Church's joy at its free admission to gospel
privileges (Acts
15:30,31). She is one wall in the spiritual temple of the Holy Ghost, the
Hebrew Church is the other; Jesus Christ, the common foundation, joins them (Ephesians
2:11-22).
breasts . . . towers--alluding to the silver palace, which the
bridal virgins proposed to build on her (Solomon
8:9). "Breasts" of consolation (Isaiah
66:11); faith and love (1 Thessalonians
5:8); opposed to her previous state, "no breasts" (Solomon
8:8, 2 Thessalonians
1:3). Thus Ezekiel
16:46,61 was fulfilled, both Samaria and the Gentiles being joined to the
Jewish gospel Church.
favour--rather, "peace." The Gentile Church too is become the
Shulamite (Solomon
6:13), or peace-enjoying bride of Solomon, that is, Jesus Christ, the
Prince of Peace (Romans
5:1, Ephesians
2:14). Reject not those whom God accepts (Numbers
11:28, Luke
9:49, Acts
15:8,9). Rather, superadd to such every aid and privilege (Solomon
8:9).
11. The joint Church speaks of Jesus Christ's vineyard. Transference
of it from the Jews, who rendered not the fruits, as is implied by the silence
respecting any, to the Gentiles (Matthew
21:33-43).
Baal-hamon--equivalent to the owner of a multitude; so Israel in
Solomon's day (1 Kings
4:20); so Isaiah
5:1, "a very fruitful hill" abounding in privileges,
as in numbers. thousand pieces--namely, silverlings, or shekels. The
vineyard had a thousand vines probably; a vine at a silverling (Isaiah
7:23), referring to this passage.
12. "mine" by grant of the true Solomon. Not merely "let out to keepers," as in the Jewish dispensation of works, but "mine" by grace. This is "before me," that is, in my power [MAURER]. But though no longer under constraint of "keeping" the law as a mere letter and covenant of works, love to Jesus Christ will constrain her the more freely to render all to Solomon (Romans 8:2-4, 1 Corinthians 6:20, Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 2:16), after having paid what justice and His will require should be paid to others (1 Corinthians 7:29-31, 9:14). "Before me" may also mean "I will never lose sight of it" (contrast Solomon 1:6) [MOODY STUART]. She will not keep it for herself, though so freely given to her, but for His use and glory (Luke 19:13, Romans 6:15, 14:7-9, 1 Corinthians 12:7). Or the "two hundred" may mean a double tithe (two-tenths of the whole paid back by Jesus Christ) as the reward of grace for our surrender of all (the thousand) to Him (Galatians 6:7, Hebrews 6:10); then she and "those that keep" are the same [ADELAIDE NEWTON]. But Jesus Christ pays back not merely two tithes, but His all for our all (1 Corinthians 3:21-23).
13. Jesus Christ's address to her; now no longer visibly present. Once she "had not kept" her vineyard (Solomon 1:6); now she "dwells" in it, not as its owner, but its superintendent under Jesus Christ, with vinedressers ("companions"), for example, Paul, &c. (Acts 15:25,26), under her (Solomon 8:11,12); these ought to obey her when she obeys Jesus Christ. Her voice in prayer and praise is to be heard continually by Jesus Christ, if her voice before men is to be effective (Solomon 2:14, end; Acts 6:4, 13:2,3).
As she began with longing for His first coming (Solomon 1:2), so she ends with praying for His second coming (Psalms 130:6, Philippians 3:20,21, Revelation 22:20). MOODY STUART makes the roe upon spices to be the musk deer. As there are four gardens, so four mountains, which form not mere images, as Gilead, Carmel, &c., but part of the structure of the Song: (1) Bether, or division (Solomon 2:17), God's justice dividing us from God. (2) Those "of leopards" (Solomon 4:8), sin, the world, and Satan. (3) That "of myrrh and aloes" (Solomon 4:6,14), the sepulchre of Calvary. (4) Those "of spices," here answering to "the hill of frankincense" (Solomon 4:6), where His soul was for the three days of His death, and heaven, where He is a High Priest now, offering incense for us on the fragrant mountain of His own finished work (Hebrews 4:14, 7:25, Revelation 8:3,4); thus He surmounts the other three mountains, God's justice, our sin, death. The mountain of spices is as much greater than our sins, as heaven is higher than earth (Psalms 103:11). The abrupt, unsatisfied close with the yearning prayer for His visible coming shows that the marriage is future, and that to wait eagerly for it is our true attitude (1 Corinthians 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 3:12).