125 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
[It was] but a little that I passed from them,.... Either a small moment of time, as the Targum and Aben Ezra; or a little distance of place, that is, from the watchmen or ministers, from whom she passed; not through disrespect to them, much less contempt of them; nor because she received no benefit at all from them; but her going on shows she did...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem,.... Which are either the words of Christ, adjuring the young converts not to disturb the church; who had now Christ in her arms, taking repose with him, being wearied with running about in search of him: or they are the words of the church; who having experienced a long absence of Christ, and having been...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Who [is] this that cometh out of the wilderness,.... This is said by the daughters of Jerusalem, adjured in So 3:5; who, upon the happy meeting of Christ and his church, saw a greater glory and beauty in her than they had seen before; and therefore put this question, not as ignorant of her, but as admiring at her. By the wilderness she is said to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Behold his bed which [is] Solomon's,.... Not Solomon the son of David, and penman of this song, but a greater than he, the antitype of him; so it is interpreted of the Messiah by many Jewish writers (q): they were both sons of David and sons of God, and kings and preachers in Jerusalem. Solomon was a type of Christ in his wisdom and wealth, in the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
They all hold swords,.... Or a "sword" (r); the word is singular, which designs the word of God, called the sword of the Spirit, and said to be sharper than a twoedged sword, Ephesians 6:17 Hebrews 4:12; which everyone of the ministers of the Gospel hold in their hands; and which denotes not only their apprehension, but their retention of it, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. The word translated chariot is only used in this place; some render it a bride chamber (u); others a nuptial bed (w), such as is carried from place to place; it is used in the Misnah (x) for the nuptial, bed, or open chariot, in which the bride was carried from her father's house to her...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
He made the pillars thereof [of] silver,.... The truths and doctrines of the Gospel are the "pillars" of it; which, like pillars, are solid and substantial, and continue firm and immovable, and are of great use to support the children of God under the several trials and exercises they are attended with; and, for their utility, value, and duration,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion,.... The same with the daughters of Jerusalem; the reason of the variation is, because Christ, here so gloriously described, is King of Zion, and they his subjects; these the church observing, being intent on looking at the bed and chariot she had described, calls them from those objects to look at a more glorious...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO SONG OF SOLOMON 4 In this chapter is contained a large commendation of the church's beauty by Christ; first, more particularly, by an enumeration of several parts, as her eyes, hair, teeth, lips, temples, neck, and breasts, So 4:1; and more generally, So 4:7; And having observed where he himself was determined to go, he invites her...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Behold, thou [art] fair, my love; behold, thou [art] fair,.... The same as in So 1:15; here repeated by Christ, to introduce the following commendation; to express the greatness of his love to his church; and show that he had the same opinion of her, and esteem for her, notwithstanding what had passed between that time and this; thou [hast] doves'...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thy teeth [are] like a flock [of sheep],.... That is, like the teeth of a flock of sheep; as her eyes were like the eyes of doves, and her hair like the hair of goats: and Galen long ago observed, that human teeth are much like the teeth of sheep, in figure, order, and structure, as well as are small and white; neatly set, innocent and harmless,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thy lips [are] like a thread of scarlet,.... To a "thread" for thinness, to "scarlet" for colour; thin red lips being beautiful, as well as white teeth; so the beautiful Aspasia had red lips (b), and teeth whiter than snow; hence we read of red and purple lips (c). Now as lips are the instruments of speech, the words of the church, and of all true...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thy neck [is] like the tower of David, builded for an armoury,.... This was either the strong hold of Zion; or some tower erected by David for an armoury, wherein his worthies or mighty men bring up their shields; Mr. Sandys (k) says, it stood aloft in the utmost angle of a mountain, whose ruins are yet extant: though the neck is compared to this,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thy two breasts [are] like two young roes that are twins,.... Or, "two fawns, the twins of a doe": Providence, as Plutarch observes (p), has given to women two breasts, that, should they have twins, both might have a fountain of nourishment; and are fitly compared to twins of the doe. The hind, for the most part, brings but one roe at a time; but...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away,.... Until the day of grace breaks on every elect sinner, and the shadows of darkness, ignorance, and unbelief, are in a great measure fled and gone; or until the everlasting day breaks, and there will be no more night, nor any darkness of affliction, nor any more desertion, doubts, and fears; see So...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thou art all fair, my love,.... Being justified by the righteousness of Christ, washed in his blood, and sanctified by his Spirit; of the title, my "love", see So 1:9. The church is often said by Christ to be "fair", his "fair one", and the "fairest among women", So 1:8; but here "all fair", being a perfection of beauty, and perfectly comely...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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, So 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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
How fair is thy love, [my] sister, my spouse!.... Of these titles, [See comments on So 4:8]; [See comments on So 4:9]; and of the love of the church to Christ, [See comments on So 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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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 (s); and lovers are said to be sweeter to one another than the sweet honey (t): so the lips or words of the church in prayer, as the...