Chapter 27

Fecundi calices quem non fecere disertum?“Whom have not soul-inspiring cups made eloquent?”Others, however, with less probability, explain these words to mean wine of so excellent a flavour, as to induce those who have indulged in it to dream of it, and converse about it; or wine so delicious and tempting that it leads to excess, in consequence of which the drinkers fall asleep, and then either disclose the subject of their dream, or mutter unintelligible words.‏דּוֹבֵב‎is notgently flowing,suffusing(Ewald, Döpke, Gesenius, De Wette, Lee, Magnus, Noyes, Meier, Philippson, Hitzig, &c.), butcausing to speak(Vulg., Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Rashbam, Mendelssohn, Kleuker, Hengstenberg, Fürst, Delitzsch, &c.) This is corroborated by the derivative‏דִּבָּה‎, which primarily meanssomething spoken,a report, either good or bad, as is evident from Gen. xxvii. 2; Numb. xiv. 37, where the adjective‏רָעֳה‎,evil, is joined to it; and from Ezek. xxxvi. 3, where it stands in parallelism with‏שְׂפַת לָשׁוֹן‎, and by the frequent usage in the Talmud and other Hebrew writers of the word‏דָּבַב‎, forspeaking.‏דּוֹבֵב‎is the Poel of‏דָּבַב‎, a form frequently used in verbs‏ע״ע‎(comp.‏הֹולֵל‎, Eccl. vii. 7;‏סוֹבֵב‎, Ps. lix. 7; Gesen. § 67, 8), and, like the Piel, is often thecausativeof Kal, Gesen. § 55, 1. The Sept., Vulg., Sym., Syr., read‏שְׂפָתַיִﬦ וְשִׁנַּיִﬦ‎,the lips and the teeth, instead of‏שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִיﬦ‎; but this is neither supported by MSS., nor yields a better sense.10.I belong to my beloved, &c. The Shulamite gently but decidedly refuses the wishes of the king, declaring that her affections are fixed on one whom she ardently loves, and on whom alone it is her sacred duty to look. Even Ibn Ezra and Rashbam, though explaining it differently, admit that the maiden here refuses the petitioner of the last verse on the plea that she belonged to her beloved.‏עָלַי‎, lit.on me, i.e.it is upon me as a duty.‏עַל‎is frequently used to denotedutyorobligation, which rests upon one like a burden, and must be discharged. Thus‏עָלַי לָתֵת‎, “it was my duty to give,” 2 Sam. xviii. 11;‏זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִיﬦ עָלַי‎, “peace-offerings are due from me,” Prov. vii. 14; Gesen. Lexicon,‏עַל‎A. 1,α γ. Ewald, § 217, 4γ. The suffix in‏תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ‎expresses the object, i.e.the desire for him. This is often the case; comp.‏יִרְאָתוֹ‎,his fear, i.e.the fear for him, Exod. xx. 20; Gesen. § 121, 5; Ewald, § 286 b. We thus obtain the same sense of this clause which Hodgson gives it, without changing the words into‏זעליו תשוקתי‎, upon the slender authority of one MS. to support the first, and three MSS. to support the second alteration.11.Come, my beloved, &c. Having distinctly and finally refused the king, who forthwith quitted her, the Shulamite now addresses her beloved shepherd, who approached her, urging their departure from the royal palace for their festive bowers in Nature’s[183]hall. The want of separate names, or initial letters of names, generally used in profane composition to indicate the speaker or the person spoken to, is amply supplied here by the skill of the inspired poet in putting into the mouth of the Shulamite such rural language as shows most plainly that she was a rustic maiden, and that her beloved, whom she here addresses, is a shepherd. Comp. also chap. i. 7; ii. 8; v. 2, 4, &c. To ascribe these words to a princess addressing king Solomon is preposterous. Döderlein, Ewald, Meier, &c., take‏כְּפָרִיﬦ‎as the plural of‏כֹּפֶר‎,cypress,vide supra, i. 14; iv. 13; but 1 Chron. xxvii. 25, where‏כְּפָרִיﬦ‎, like here, coupled with‏שָׂדֶה‎,field, forms a contrast to‏עִיר‎,city, is against it.‏הַשָּדֶה‎is the accusative of place, 1 Sam. xx. 11; Gesen. § 118, 1.12.We will go early, &c. Transported with the thought of her speedy arrival at her mother’s house, the Shulamite vividly depicts to her beloved the scenes of home, where they will again together enjoy rural life. It may be that Milton thought of this passage when he wrote the words:—“To-morrow, ere fresh morning streak the eastWith first approach of light, we must be risen,And at our pleasant labour, to reformYon flowery arbours, yonder alleys green,Our walks at noon with branches overgrown.”Paradise Lost, iv. 623, &c.‏נַשְׁכִּימָה לַכְּרָמִים‎isconstructio praegnans, and is well explained by Rashbam,‏נשכימה לטייל בכרמיﬦ‎, “we will rise early to stroll in the vineyards.” Comp. Gen. xliv. 33; Numb. xiv. 24; Gesen. § 141.There will I give, &c. The shepherd, gladdened with the fact that his loved one is restored to him, is desirous of expressing his joy and affection, but the Shulamite, anxious to get off as quickly as possible, tells him that at home, amidst the charms of nature, they may indulge in sweet effusions of love. The Sept. and Vulg. have here again‏דַּדַּיִם‎,breasts, instead of‏דֹודִים‎,love. But in addition to what has already been remarked, we would state that whenever breasts are mentioned in this Song,‏שָׁדַיִם‎is invariably used.13.The mandrakes diffuse, &c. Another reason for hastening away from the royal prison into the rural home. There nothing will be wanting; they have there the highly prized apples, they have all sorts of precious fruit, which she left on the trees for him. A similar passage occurs in Virgil,Ecl.i. 37, where the loved one kept fruit on the tree for her lover:—Mirabar, quid moesta deos, Amarylli, vocares;Cui pendere suâ patereris in arbore poma:Tityrus hinc aberat.“We stood amazed to see your mistress mourn;Unknowing that she pined for your return:We wonder’d why she kept her fruit so long,For whom so late th’ ungather’d apples hung:But no, the wonder ceases, since I seeShe kept them only, Tityrus, for thee.”‏דּוּדָאִים‎, which occurs only once more, (Gen. xxx. 14), is, according to the testimony of the ancient versions, the mass of commentators and modern travellers,the mandrake-plant, Atropa mandragora, calledyabrochackby the Arabs, the fruit of which is highly valued by the Orientals for its supposed exhilarating, aphrodisiac, and procreative properties. “It grows low, like lettuce, to which its leaves have a strong resemblance, except that they have a dark green colour. The flowers are purple, and the root is for the[184]most part forked. The fruit, when ripe, in the beginning of May, is of the size and colour of a small apple, exceedingly ruddy, and of a most agreeable flavour.” See Kitto, Cyclop. Bib. Lit.;Winer, Bib. Dict. s.v. Here, however, this plant is mentioned merely to fill out the picture of charming and highly prized plants, without reference to any supposed internal properties, and has evidently been suggested by the preceding‏דּוֹדִי‎,beloved.‏דּוּדָאִים‎, lit.love-apples, is the plural of‏דּוּדַי‎, from the root‏דּוּד‎,to love, with the termination‏–ַי‎, like‏לוּלָאוֹת‎, the plural of‏לוּלַי‎, from the root‏לוּל‎. Gesen. § 93, 6, 6; Ewald, § 189 g.‏וְעַל פְּתַחֵינוּ‎is well explained by Rashbam,‏אצל פתח פרדס שלנו‎, “in our garden,closeto our door,” &c.‏עַל‎has not unfrequently the sense ofneighbourhoodandcontiguity. Gesen. Lexicon,‏עַל‎3. Others however render‏עַל‎,over, i.e. “and over our doors grow,” &c.; others again translatein, i.e. “inour house are,” &c., taking‏פֶּתַח‎in the sense ofhouse; comp. Prov. xiv. 19, but with less probability. Houbigant’s transposition of letters, viz.‏על תפחינו‎,in nostris malis aureis, instead of‏על פתחינו‎, is an idle conjecture.1.Oh that thou wert as my brother, &c. The charming description which the Shulamite gave of their happiness when at home, recalled to her mind the obstacles which they met with, even there; and hence she is led to wish that he had sustained to her the relation of a brother, that, whether in the street or the house, none might misinterpret or interrupt the manifestation of their attachment.‏מִי יִתֵּן‎is used to express theoptative. Comp. Deut. v. 29; xxviii. 67; Ps. xiv. 7; Job vi. 8; Gesen. § 136, 1; Ewald, § 329 c.‏כְּאָח‎is theaccusative. The rendering of the Septuag.,Τὶς δῴη σε, ἀδελφιδέ μου, θηλάζοντα μαστοὺς μητρός μου;and Luther, “O dass ich dich, mein Bruder, der du meiner Mutter Brüste saugest, draussen fände,” are wrong.‏יֹונֵק שְׂדֵי אִמִּי‎, does not mean “an infantstillsucking the breasts.” (Grotius, Gill, Good, Williams, &c.), but “one whohadsucked and is now a youth;” it is the second accusative to‏מִי יִתֶּנְךָ‎, and stands in parallelism with‏אָח‎,brother; like the participle‏יֹולֶדֶת‎(which does not mean one who just gave birth), and‏אֵﬦ‎,vide supra, chap. vi. 9.‏אֶמְצָאֲךָ‎isconditional, with the particle‏אִﬦ‎implied, Judg. xi. 36; Prov. xxiv. 10; Ewald, § 367 b.‏גַם‎is used poetically for‏וְ‎,and, Judg. v. 4; Joel i. 12.‏יָבֻזוּ‎: the third person is used to express the indeterminate third person,the passivein English. Gen. xli. 14; Gesen. § 157, 3. For‏לִי‎,me, five MSS. and two editions read‏לָךְ‎,thee, which Ewald adopts. But this is against the majority of MSS. and all the versions, and does not at all improve the sense.2.I would lead thee, &c. As a brother, she could unreservedly bring him from the spot, where she met him in the street, to her mother’s house. We must supply‏מִשָּׁם‎,thence, before‏אֱנְהָגְךָ‎; so Rashbam. Simple as the word‏תְּלַמְּדֵנִי‎seems to be, it has nevertheless produced a variety of renderings. The Septuagint and Syriac, followed by Percy, entirely omit it, and interpolate here‏וְאֶל חֶדֶר הוֹרָתִי‎,and into the apartment of her who gave me birth, from chap. iii. 4; after‏בֵית אִמִּי‎,[185]the house of my mother. Ibn Ezra, the Authorized Version, Kleuker, Döderlein, Hitzig, &c., supply‏אֲשֶׁר‎,who, before‏תְּלַמְּדֵנִי‎, and refer it to‏אִמִּי‎,my mother. But this interrupts the construction, and, against the scope of the description, introduces the mother as an actress. Hodgson and the editor of Calmet, strangely enough, render itTalmudni, as aproper nameof the maiden’s mother. The most natural way seems to be to take it with the Vulgate, Chaldee, Rashbam, Luther, Ewald, Döpke, De Wette, Delitzsch, Hengstenberg, Philippson, &c., as the second person masculine.I would cause thee to drink, &c. On the aromatic wine, see supra, chap. vii. 3. The pomegranate-juice was and still is a favourite beverage in the East. “The Orientals,” says Dr. Kitto, “indulge largely in beverages made with fresh juice of various kinds of fruits. Among these, sherbet made with pomegranate-juice is particularly esteemed, and, from its agreeable and cooling acidity, the present writer was himself accustomed to prefer it to any other drink of this description.”‏יַיִן‎, is either an anomalousconstruct(Gesenius; Fürst, Lex. s.v.), or theabsolute, and‏הַרֶקַח‎, apposition in the accusative. Compare‏מַיִם לַחַץ‎, 1 Kings xx. 27; Gesen. § 116, 6, Rem. b; Ewald, § 287 h.‏אֶשָׁקְךָ‎and‏אֲשְׁקְךָ‎are a paranomasia,vide supra, chap. i. 3.‏עַסִיס רִמֹּנִי‎,my pomegranate-juice, i.e. which I myself have prepared. The noun in the genitive, expressing the quality of the nominative, has the suffix; compare‏הַר קָדְשִׁי‎,my holy mountain, Ps. ii. 6; Gesen. § 121 b; Ewald, § 291 b. From an oversight of this most probably arose the readings of‏רמנים‎or‏רמונים‎(several MSS.),‏רִמֹּנַי‎(Vulgate, Syriac), the supposition that‏רִמֹּנִי‎is an adjective (Schultens), and the opinion that it is an abbreviated plural from‏רִמֹנִים‎, like‏מִּנִּי‎for‏מִנִּים‎, (Ps. xlv. 9, Meier, Fürst, Lexicon,‏מ‎, 3 b.)3.Let his left hand, &c. Exhausted with the attempt to describe her unfailing attachment for her beloved shepherd, an attachment far deeper than external circumstances permit her to manifest, the Shulamite desires that no other hand should raise her drooping head, no other arm support her enfeebled frame, than those of her beloved; compare chap. ii. 6.4.I adjure you, &c. This last affecting scene, having brought the Shulamite’s struggle to a successful termination, is closed by her adjuring the court ladies as before (ii. 7, and v. 3), to make no more attempt to draw her affections away from her beloved to any one else, since they were unalterably fixed. The Septuagint, which is followed by Good, &c., supplies here‏בִּצְבָאוֹת אוֹ בְּאַיְלוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה‎, from ii. 7, and v. 3. It is obvious, from the change of‏אִם‎into themore urgentnegative particle‏מַה‎, (comp. Job xxxi.; Ewald, § 325 b), that the variation is designedly made; and indeed the haste in which the Shulamite is to depart with her beloved does not permit her to use the lengthy adjuration.[186]5.Who is it that comes up, &c. The last successful resistance secured for the Shulamite her liberty. Convinced that even the blandishments of a king cannot overcome the power of virtuous love in the heart of a rustic damsel; satisfied that “all the wealth of his house” could not buy it, Solomon dismisses her. Then, reunited to her beloved shepherd, the happy pair immediately depart for home. As they approach their native place the inhabitants, beholding them at a distance, exclaim, “Who is it that comes up from the plain, leaning upon her beloved?”‏הַמִּדְבָּר‎,the plain(vide supra, iii. 6), most probably the plain of Esdraelon, at present known by the name of Merij Ibn ’Amir, lying between Jezreel and Sulem (Robinson, Palestine, iii. 169), which the lovers had to cross on their way home.‏מִתְרַפָּקֶת‎(from‏רָפַק‎,to lean; hence‏מַרְפֵּק‎,an arm, on which one leans, Talm. Sabbath, 92),supporting herself, being weary with so long a journey. So the Sept.ἐπιστηριζομένη; the Vulg.innixa, &c. As for the additionalλελευκανθισμένηin the Sept., anddeliciis affluensin the Vulg., the one most probably arose from the word‏בָּרַה‎, used in chap. vi. 10, where a similar question occurs, and the other from a marginal gloss,‏מתפנקת‎or‏מתנענעת‎.Under this apple-tree, &c. As they drew nearer home they beheld the endeared spot—the memorable shady tree under which the shepherd was born, and where their mutual love was first kindled. These sweet musings are at length terminated by the Shulamite, who joyfully recounts the pleasing reminiscences of that place. The frequent meetings of shepherds and shepherdesses under shady trees, (vide supra, chap. i. 7), often resulted in the formation of a sacred tie. The solemn vow of love was then engraven on the bark of the tree, as a witness of their union. Thus Theocritus, Idyl. xviii. 47, 48:—γράμματα δ’ ἐν φλοιῷ γεγράψεται, ὡς παριών τιςἀννείμῃ, Δωριστὶ, σέβου μ’· Ἑλένας φυτὸν εἰμί.“——and on the bark,In Doric, shall be engraven for all to mark,‘To me pay honour—I am Helen’s tree.’ ”Compare also Idyl. xxiii. 46; Propert. I. xviii. 22; Virg. Ecl. x. 53; and Pope, Past. iii. 66, 67.[187]Here thy mother, &c. Confinements in the open air are of frequent occurrence in the East (Gen. xv. 16). “There are in Asia,” says Dr. Chardin in his manuscript notes, “large districts in which no midwives are to be found, and even if some live there they are little known, for mothers assist their daughters, and often female relatives or neighbours fill the place of the former. In Kurman, I saw a woman who was delivered without any assistance inthe open fields, three hours from a village, and to my great surprise, she arrived not much later in town where I was. The people there smiled at my astonishment, remarking that similar cases were very frequent in their country.” (See Rosenmüller, Orient. i. 188; Paxton, Illustrations of Scripture, i. 462; Kalisch on Exod. p. 18.)‏עוֹרֵר‎,to excite,to move to love,vide supra, ii. 7; iii. 5; viii. 4.‏חִבְּלָתְךָ‎does not meanconceived thee(Aquila, Schultens, Hitzig, &c.), which the Shulamite could not know, norplighted, orengaged thee, (Houbigant, Michaelis, Percy, Kleuker, Good, Williams, Boothroyd, Magnus, Meier, &c.), which is contrary to the Piel signification of this verb, but signifieslaboured with thee, (Sept., Syriac, Chaldee, Rashi, Rashbam, Ibn Ezra, Luther, Ewald, De Wette, Gesenius, Philippson, &c.); compare Ps. vii. 15, and Hupheldin loco. To put these words into the mouth of the bridegroom as addressing his bride, (Percy, Good, Williams, Boothroyd, Delitzsch, Hitzig, &c.), is contrary to the words in the text, which have masculine suffixes. The form‏חִבְּלָתְךָ‎is used instead of‏חִבְּלַתְךָ‎, to correspond in sound with‏יָלְדָתְךָ‎in pause,vide supra, iii. 11.‏יָלְרָתְךָ‎,i.q.‏יָלְדָה אוֹתְךָ‎. The Vulgate, which seems here to savour of allegorism, translates‏שָׁמָּה חִבְּלָתְךָ אִמֶּךָ שָׁמָּה חִבְּלָּה יְלָדָתְךָ‎,ibi corrupta est mater tua, ibi violata est genitrix tua. “The tree,” the Roman Catholics explain ofthe cross; “the individual” excited to love under it,the Gentilesredeemed by Christ at the foot of the cross; and “the deflowered and corrupted mother” means,the synagogue of the Jews(the mother of the Church), which was corrupted by denying and crucifying the Saviour.6.Oh, place me as a seal, &c. That is, “Let me be near and dear to thee.” The Shulamite, having shown her faithfulness during a period of extraordinary trials, could now look up to the witnessing tree with an inward satisfaction. It is therefore very natural that she should remind her beloved, in the presence of this witness, of his vows. In ancient times, when the art of writing was confined to a very few, and writing materials were not so easily procurable, rings or signets, with names engraven upon them, were generally used as manual signs. This contrivance for a signature soon became used as an ornament. People who could afford it had these seals or signets made of silver or gold, inlaid with precious stones. Being indispensable articles of use, and highly prized as decorations, they were carried in the bosom, suspended from the neck by a string (Gen. xxxviii. 15), or were worn on the right hand (Jer. xxii. 24; Sirach xlix. 11), and thus became a symbol of what is dear and indispensable. Jehovah himself uses this metaphor, Jer. xxii. 24:—“Though Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,Were as a seal on my right hand,Yet I would pluck thee thence.”Comp. also Hag. ii. 23; Sirach xvii. 22; Rosenmüller, Orient. vi. 252; i. 183; iv. 190;Winer, Bib. Dict.; Kitto, Cyclop. Bib. Lit. s.v.[188]For love is strong as death, &c. True love seizes with a tenacious grasp. Like death, it rules with resistless sway; like Hades, it is never moved to give up its object: neither power nor prayer can overcome it.‏קָשָׁה‎,hard,firm,inexorable.‏קִנְּאָה‎is notjealousy(Sept., Vulg., Authorized Version, Percy, Kleuker, Good, Williams, &c.), butdevout affection,ardent love(Ewald, Gesenius, De Wette, Noyes, Meier, Hitzig, Philippson &c.); it is here used as an intensitive term forlove, as is evident from the parallelism and the connexion.The flames of the Eternal.These words are exegetical of “flames of fire;”i.e.the flames of love, though having the same energy as those of fire, are not of the same origin; they emanate from the Eternal, the source of all love. Whether, with Ben Asher, we read‏שַׁלְהָבָתְיָהּ‎,conjointly, like‏מַאֲפָלְיָהּ‎, Jer. ii. 31; or with Ben Naphtali,‏שַׁלְהֶבָת יָהּ‎,separately, which is followed by most editions, Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and the majority of modern critics, and which is required by the parallelism; this predicate does not state that the flames of love are “most vehement,” but affirms that they emanate from the Eternal.‏יָה‎, an abbreviation of‏יַהֲוֶה‎(seeKalischon Exod. iii. 14; xi. 2; Fürst, Lexicon, s.v.), like‏אֵל‎, Isa. xiv. 13, is the genitive of cause or origin. Comp.ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔστι, 1 John iv. 7.‏שַׁלְהֵב‎,flame, may either be a quadriliteral, formed from‏שַׁהֵב‎, Arabic,to burn, with the insertion of the‏ל‎after the first radical, according to the analogy of‏זַלְעַף‎,violent heat, (Ps. ii. 6), from the root‏זָעַף‎,to be hot; or, which is more probable, is the Shaphel conjugation of‏לָהַב‎,to burn. Fürst, Lexicon, s.v.; Gesen. § 55, 6; Ewald, § 122 a. The Sept. hasφλόγες αὐτῆς,‏שִׁלְהָבֹתֶיהָ‎. That the original reading of the text was‏שַׁלְהֲבֹתֶיהָ שַׁלְהֲבֹת יָהּ‎(Ewald, Döpke, Hitzig, &c.) is purely conjectural.7.Floods cannot quench love.Being a flame of celestial origin no terrestrial influence, however great, can destroy or wash it away; it is not subjected to means resorted to for the extinction of ordinary fires.‏מַיִם רַבִּים‎, prop.much water, i.e. a great quantity of it (Numb. xx. 11),floods.‏שָׁטַף‎,to wash, orsweep away, Job xiv. 19; Isa. xxviii. 17.If one should offer all, &c. Such divine love spontaneously flows from the heart, and cannot be purchased with money; though one offered all his riches for it, they would be utterly despised. This affirmation, whilst true in itself, is levelled against the king, who attempted to gain love by flatteries and praises (vide supra, i. 11; vi. 8), but was utterly rejected (vii. 11).‏אִישׁ‎any one,one, Gen. xiii. 16; Exod. xvi. 29; Gesen. § 122, Rem. 2.‏בּוֹז‎, the infinitive absolute, is employed before the finite verb‏יָבוּזוּ‎, to expressintensity, Gen. xliii. 3; 1 Sam. xx. 6; Gesen. § 131, 3 a; Ewald, § 280 b.‏יָבוּזוּ‎, the third person plural, is used for the passive, see supra, chap. viii. 1.8.Our sister is still young, &c. The[189]brothers are here introduced, on the arrival of the Shulamite, as repeating the promise which they had once given to their sister if she kept virtuous, and, when espoused, remained true to her vows. One of the brothers inquires of the others what they should do for the Shulamite when she reached womanhood, and is demanded in marriage.‏אֲחוֹת לָנוּ‎,i.q.‏אֲחוֹתֵינוּ‎,our sister, and is well rendered by the Sept.ἀδελφὴ ἡμῶν, the Vulg.soror nostra, Luther,unsere Schwester. The adjective‏קָטוֹן‎, like‏גָדוֹל‎, prop. denotingsize, is also used with reference toage. Gen. ix. 24; xxvii. 15; Judg. xv. 2.‏שָׁדַיִם אֵין לָהּ‎, i.e.she has not yet reached puberty.‏בְּיוֹﬦ‎,when, Gen. ii. 4.‏דִבֵּר בְּ‎,to speak for,to demand in marriage, 1 Sam. xiii. 9; xxv. 39.9.If she be like a wall, &c. To this inquiry the second brother replied, that if, having reached that age, she should firmly resist every allurement as a battlement resists the attack of an enemy, they would decorate her as an impregnable wall;i.e.highly reward her. The expression “wall” is figuratively used forimpregnability, Jer. ii. 18; so Immanuel,‏שעמדה הזקה כהומה‎. The silver turret here mentioned most probably refers to thesilver horn, a highly prized ornament which women wear on their heads. “One of the most extraordinary parts of the attire of their females” (Druses of Lebanon), says Dr. Macmichael,“is a silver horn, sometimes studded with jewels, worn on the head in various positions,distinguishing different conditions. A married woman has it affixed to the right side of the head, a widow to the left, and a virgin is pointed out by its being placed on the very crown. Over this silver projection the long veil is thrown, with which they so completely conceal their faces as to rarely have more thanone eye(vide supra, chap. iv. 9), visible.” Comp. also Bowring, Report on Syria, p. 8.But if she be like a door, &c. That is, accessible (vide supra, chap. iv. 12), she shall be barricaded with cedar planks—be punished by being locked up. The word “door” is metaphorically used foropen to seduction. The cedar wood is mentioned because it is exceedingly strong, and increases the idea of strict vigilance. Similarly Immanuel,‏ואם דלת שכבר נפתח נצור עליה לרח ארז כלמ׳ נביאה במצור ונסגור בעדה שלﬡ תראה, וכלוה אדז שהוה הזק ותקיף‎.10.I am a wall, &c. The Shulamite now triumphantly responds, that she had proved impregnable as a wall, and had now reached womanhood, and therefore the promised reward was due to her.‏שָׁדַי כַּמִּגְדָלוֹת‎,i.q.‏שָׁדַי נָכֹנוּ‎, Ezek. xvi. 7, is well explained by Rashbam,‏הגיע זמני להינשא‎,my time for marriage has arrived, and is an answer to‏שָׁדַיִם אֵין לָהּ‎, in the preceding verse.Then I was in his eyes, &c. That[190]is, in her brother’s eyes. He now, being convinced of his sister’s chastity, gave her the reward of virtue. The suffix in‏בְּעֵינָיו‎,his eyes, does not refer to Solomon (Ewald, Hitzig, Philippson, &c.), whose name has not been mentioned, but to the brother (Ibn Ezra, &c.), who last spoke.‏שָׁלוֹם‎,peace, has no reference to the name‏שְׁלֹמֹה‎, but is used in the sense of‏חַן‎,favour, and refers to chap. i. 6; comp. Gen. xxxiv. 7 with ver. 11.11.Solomon had a vineyard, &c. Having been obliged, when demanding her promised reward, to describe her virtue as an impregnable wall, the Shulamite now relates more circumstantially how she had resisted the attempt to gain her affections. Solomon had a large vineyard in Baal-hammon, which he offered to consign to her if she granted his request; but the Shulamite refused his offer, telling him he might keep his large estate to himself, for she was quite satisfied with her humble possession. Many are the conjectures hazarded as to the locality of Baal-hammon, which occurs nowhere else, and no place is known by this name. It is taken for Baal-Gad, orHeliopolis(Rosenmüller, Bib. Geog. ii. p. 253), for‏חַמּוֹן‎,Hammon, a place in the tribe of Asher, Josh. xix. 28 (Ewald), and forΒελαμὼνorΒαλαμὼν,BelamonorBalamon, a place mentioned in the book of Judith, viii. 3, not far from the plain of Esdraelon, Judith iii. 9 (Meier, Hitzig). It is, however, more probable, according to Rashi, that Baal-hammon was in or near Jerusalem, and was called‏בַּעַל הַמּוֹן‎,place of the multitude, because its beauties and charms attracted a multitude of people, thus presenting a greater temptation for the Shulamite. The Vulgate strangely renders‏כֶּרֶם הָיָה לִשְׁלֹמֹה בְּבַעַל הַמּוֹן‎,vinea fuit pacifico in ea, quae habet populos.He let out the vineyard, &c. This is intended to show the value of the vineyard. It was so extensive that it was leased out to a number of tenants, and every one of them paid a thousand shekels annually, and yet had two hundred shekels left for himself.‏נֹטְרִיﬦ‎, anindefinitenumber of keepers or farmers.‏אִישׁ‎each,vide supra, ver. 7. The suffix in‏בְפִרְיוֹ‎,his fruit, refers to‏כֶּרֶם‎,vineyard, which is masculine.‏כֶּסֶף‎,silver, stands for‏שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף‎,silver shekel: substantives denotingweight,measure, ortime, are frequently omitted. Gen. xx. 16; xxxvii. 28; Acts xix. 9; Gesen. § 120, 4, Rem. 2; Ewald, § 287 i. The amount of a shekel is supposed to be about two shillings and sevenpence. The shekel of the sanctuary, however, like all the weights and measures of the Temple, was computed at double the ordinary. See Ezek. xlv. 12; 1 Kings x. 17; comp. with 2 Chron. ix. 16; Mishna, Shekalim, Maaser Sheni;Winer, Bib. Dict. s.v. A thousand shekels, therefore, would be about one hundred and thirty pounds. Remembering that each of these farmers had to pay this sum annually, and that money in those days had fifteen or twenty, nay, according to Michaelis (Mos. Rech. § 243), fifty times its present value, we shall be able to judge of the allurement which this ample estate offered.12.I will keep my own vineyard, &c. And yet, notwithstanding all this, the Shulamite prefers to keep her little vineyard, and be with her beloved shepherd, rather than unfaithfully give him up for riches and honours.‏כַּרְמִי שֶׁלִּי‎,my own vineyard, the vineyard which belongs to me;vide supra, chap. i. 6.‏לְפָנָי‎lit.is before me;it is[191]mine, and I will keep it: this is obvious from the immediately following‏לְךָ‎,thine,keep thou it. The words‏הָאֶלֶף לְךָ וגו״‎are to be taken as an exclamatory phrase, Ewald, § 329 a.‏אֶלֶף‎is here usedcollectivelyfor all the thousands put together, which come in annually from the farmers; so‏מָאתַיִם‎,the two hundreds. The Vulgate translates here again the proper‏שְׁלֹמֹה‎,mille tui pacifici.13.O thou that dwellest in the gardens, &c. The companions of the shepherd, who had manifested their joy at the successful arrival of the happy pair (vide supra, ver. 5), and rejoice that one of their humble occupation has brought such honour upon the whole class, visit the Shulamite, to hear from her own mouth her avowed attachment to her beloved. The shepherd, therefore, requests her to gratify this desire. She is no more‏הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּחַדְרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ‎,sitting in the apartments of the king,vide supra, chap. i. 4, but has the honourable appellation of‏הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּגָנִים‎,dwelling in the gardens.‏חֲבֵרִיﬦ‎,companions, i.e. my companions, fellow-shepherds, i. 8.14.Haste, O my beloved, &c. The Shulamite complies with the request. In the presence of all, she callsthe shepherdher beloved, and tells him always to hasten to her with the speed of the swift-footed gazelle;vide supraii. 9, 17. He has no more to cross “the mountains of separation” (see ii. 17), for they are united. These rugged mountains have now given place to the much-wished-foraromatic hills, iv. 6.

Fecundi calices quem non fecere disertum?“Whom have not soul-inspiring cups made eloquent?”

Fecundi calices quem non fecere disertum?

“Whom have not soul-inspiring cups made eloquent?”

Others, however, with less probability, explain these words to mean wine of so excellent a flavour, as to induce those who have indulged in it to dream of it, and converse about it; or wine so delicious and tempting that it leads to excess, in consequence of which the drinkers fall asleep, and then either disclose the subject of their dream, or mutter unintelligible words.‏דּוֹבֵב‎is notgently flowing,suffusing(Ewald, Döpke, Gesenius, De Wette, Lee, Magnus, Noyes, Meier, Philippson, Hitzig, &c.), butcausing to speak(Vulg., Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Rashbam, Mendelssohn, Kleuker, Hengstenberg, Fürst, Delitzsch, &c.) This is corroborated by the derivative‏דִּבָּה‎, which primarily meanssomething spoken,a report, either good or bad, as is evident from Gen. xxvii. 2; Numb. xiv. 37, where the adjective‏רָעֳה‎,evil, is joined to it; and from Ezek. xxxvi. 3, where it stands in parallelism with‏שְׂפַת לָשׁוֹן‎, and by the frequent usage in the Talmud and other Hebrew writers of the word‏דָּבַב‎, forspeaking.‏דּוֹבֵב‎is the Poel of‏דָּבַב‎, a form frequently used in verbs‏ע״ע‎(comp.‏הֹולֵל‎, Eccl. vii. 7;‏סוֹבֵב‎, Ps. lix. 7; Gesen. § 67, 8), and, like the Piel, is often thecausativeof Kal, Gesen. § 55, 1. The Sept., Vulg., Sym., Syr., read‏שְׂפָתַיִﬦ וְשִׁנַּיִﬦ‎,the lips and the teeth, instead of‏שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִיﬦ‎; but this is neither supported by MSS., nor yields a better sense.

10.I belong to my beloved, &c. The Shulamite gently but decidedly refuses the wishes of the king, declaring that her affections are fixed on one whom she ardently loves, and on whom alone it is her sacred duty to look. Even Ibn Ezra and Rashbam, though explaining it differently, admit that the maiden here refuses the petitioner of the last verse on the plea that she belonged to her beloved.‏עָלַי‎, lit.on me, i.e.it is upon me as a duty.‏עַל‎is frequently used to denotedutyorobligation, which rests upon one like a burden, and must be discharged. Thus‏עָלַי לָתֵת‎, “it was my duty to give,” 2 Sam. xviii. 11;‏זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִיﬦ עָלַי‎, “peace-offerings are due from me,” Prov. vii. 14; Gesen. Lexicon,‏עַל‎A. 1,α γ. Ewald, § 217, 4γ. The suffix in‏תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ‎expresses the object, i.e.the desire for him. This is often the case; comp.‏יִרְאָתוֹ‎,his fear, i.e.the fear for him, Exod. xx. 20; Gesen. § 121, 5; Ewald, § 286 b. We thus obtain the same sense of this clause which Hodgson gives it, without changing the words into‏זעליו תשוקתי‎, upon the slender authority of one MS. to support the first, and three MSS. to support the second alteration.

11.Come, my beloved, &c. Having distinctly and finally refused the king, who forthwith quitted her, the Shulamite now addresses her beloved shepherd, who approached her, urging their departure from the royal palace for their festive bowers in Nature’s[183]hall. The want of separate names, or initial letters of names, generally used in profane composition to indicate the speaker or the person spoken to, is amply supplied here by the skill of the inspired poet in putting into the mouth of the Shulamite such rural language as shows most plainly that she was a rustic maiden, and that her beloved, whom she here addresses, is a shepherd. Comp. also chap. i. 7; ii. 8; v. 2, 4, &c. To ascribe these words to a princess addressing king Solomon is preposterous. Döderlein, Ewald, Meier, &c., take‏כְּפָרִיﬦ‎as the plural of‏כֹּפֶר‎,cypress,vide supra, i. 14; iv. 13; but 1 Chron. xxvii. 25, where‏כְּפָרִיﬦ‎, like here, coupled with‏שָׂדֶה‎,field, forms a contrast to‏עִיר‎,city, is against it.‏הַשָּדֶה‎is the accusative of place, 1 Sam. xx. 11; Gesen. § 118, 1.

12.We will go early, &c. Transported with the thought of her speedy arrival at her mother’s house, the Shulamite vividly depicts to her beloved the scenes of home, where they will again together enjoy rural life. It may be that Milton thought of this passage when he wrote the words:—

“To-morrow, ere fresh morning streak the eastWith first approach of light, we must be risen,And at our pleasant labour, to reformYon flowery arbours, yonder alleys green,Our walks at noon with branches overgrown.”

“To-morrow, ere fresh morning streak the east

With first approach of light, we must be risen,

And at our pleasant labour, to reform

Yon flowery arbours, yonder alleys green,

Our walks at noon with branches overgrown.”

Paradise Lost, iv. 623, &c.

‏נַשְׁכִּימָה לַכְּרָמִים‎isconstructio praegnans, and is well explained by Rashbam,‏נשכימה לטייל בכרמיﬦ‎, “we will rise early to stroll in the vineyards.” Comp. Gen. xliv. 33; Numb. xiv. 24; Gesen. § 141.

There will I give, &c. The shepherd, gladdened with the fact that his loved one is restored to him, is desirous of expressing his joy and affection, but the Shulamite, anxious to get off as quickly as possible, tells him that at home, amidst the charms of nature, they may indulge in sweet effusions of love. The Sept. and Vulg. have here again‏דַּדַּיִם‎,breasts, instead of‏דֹודִים‎,love. But in addition to what has already been remarked, we would state that whenever breasts are mentioned in this Song,‏שָׁדַיִם‎is invariably used.

13.The mandrakes diffuse, &c. Another reason for hastening away from the royal prison into the rural home. There nothing will be wanting; they have there the highly prized apples, they have all sorts of precious fruit, which she left on the trees for him. A similar passage occurs in Virgil,Ecl.i. 37, where the loved one kept fruit on the tree for her lover:—

Mirabar, quid moesta deos, Amarylli, vocares;Cui pendere suâ patereris in arbore poma:Tityrus hinc aberat.“We stood amazed to see your mistress mourn;Unknowing that she pined for your return:We wonder’d why she kept her fruit so long,For whom so late th’ ungather’d apples hung:But no, the wonder ceases, since I seeShe kept them only, Tityrus, for thee.”

Mirabar, quid moesta deos, Amarylli, vocares;Cui pendere suâ patereris in arbore poma:Tityrus hinc aberat.

Mirabar, quid moesta deos, Amarylli, vocares;

Cui pendere suâ patereris in arbore poma:

Tityrus hinc aberat.

“We stood amazed to see your mistress mourn;Unknowing that she pined for your return:We wonder’d why she kept her fruit so long,For whom so late th’ ungather’d apples hung:But no, the wonder ceases, since I seeShe kept them only, Tityrus, for thee.”

“We stood amazed to see your mistress mourn;

Unknowing that she pined for your return:

We wonder’d why she kept her fruit so long,

For whom so late th’ ungather’d apples hung:

But no, the wonder ceases, since I see

She kept them only, Tityrus, for thee.”

‏דּוּדָאִים‎, which occurs only once more, (Gen. xxx. 14), is, according to the testimony of the ancient versions, the mass of commentators and modern travellers,the mandrake-plant, Atropa mandragora, calledyabrochackby the Arabs, the fruit of which is highly valued by the Orientals for its supposed exhilarating, aphrodisiac, and procreative properties. “It grows low, like lettuce, to which its leaves have a strong resemblance, except that they have a dark green colour. The flowers are purple, and the root is for the[184]most part forked. The fruit, when ripe, in the beginning of May, is of the size and colour of a small apple, exceedingly ruddy, and of a most agreeable flavour.” See Kitto, Cyclop. Bib. Lit.;Winer, Bib. Dict. s.v. Here, however, this plant is mentioned merely to fill out the picture of charming and highly prized plants, without reference to any supposed internal properties, and has evidently been suggested by the preceding‏דּוֹדִי‎,beloved.‏דּוּדָאִים‎, lit.love-apples, is the plural of‏דּוּדַי‎, from the root‏דּוּד‎,to love, with the termination‏–ַי‎, like‏לוּלָאוֹת‎, the plural of‏לוּלַי‎, from the root‏לוּל‎. Gesen. § 93, 6, 6; Ewald, § 189 g.‏וְעַל פְּתַחֵינוּ‎is well explained by Rashbam,‏אצל פתח פרדס שלנו‎, “in our garden,closeto our door,” &c.‏עַל‎has not unfrequently the sense ofneighbourhoodandcontiguity. Gesen. Lexicon,‏עַל‎3. Others however render‏עַל‎,over, i.e. “and over our doors grow,” &c.; others again translatein, i.e. “inour house are,” &c., taking‏פֶּתַח‎in the sense ofhouse; comp. Prov. xiv. 19, but with less probability. Houbigant’s transposition of letters, viz.‏על תפחינו‎,in nostris malis aureis, instead of‏על פתחינו‎, is an idle conjecture.

1.Oh that thou wert as my brother, &c. The charming description which the Shulamite gave of their happiness when at home, recalled to her mind the obstacles which they met with, even there; and hence she is led to wish that he had sustained to her the relation of a brother, that, whether in the street or the house, none might misinterpret or interrupt the manifestation of their attachment.‏מִי יִתֵּן‎is used to express theoptative. Comp. Deut. v. 29; xxviii. 67; Ps. xiv. 7; Job vi. 8; Gesen. § 136, 1; Ewald, § 329 c.‏כְּאָח‎is theaccusative. The rendering of the Septuag.,Τὶς δῴη σε, ἀδελφιδέ μου, θηλάζοντα μαστοὺς μητρός μου;and Luther, “O dass ich dich, mein Bruder, der du meiner Mutter Brüste saugest, draussen fände,” are wrong.‏יֹונֵק שְׂדֵי אִמִּי‎, does not mean “an infantstillsucking the breasts.” (Grotius, Gill, Good, Williams, &c.), but “one whohadsucked and is now a youth;” it is the second accusative to‏מִי יִתֶּנְךָ‎, and stands in parallelism with‏אָח‎,brother; like the participle‏יֹולֶדֶת‎(which does not mean one who just gave birth), and‏אֵﬦ‎,vide supra, chap. vi. 9.‏אֶמְצָאֲךָ‎isconditional, with the particle‏אִﬦ‎implied, Judg. xi. 36; Prov. xxiv. 10; Ewald, § 367 b.‏גַם‎is used poetically for‏וְ‎,and, Judg. v. 4; Joel i. 12.‏יָבֻזוּ‎: the third person is used to express the indeterminate third person,the passivein English. Gen. xli. 14; Gesen. § 157, 3. For‏לִי‎,me, five MSS. and two editions read‏לָךְ‎,thee, which Ewald adopts. But this is against the majority of MSS. and all the versions, and does not at all improve the sense.

2.I would lead thee, &c. As a brother, she could unreservedly bring him from the spot, where she met him in the street, to her mother’s house. We must supply‏מִשָּׁם‎,thence, before‏אֱנְהָגְךָ‎; so Rashbam. Simple as the word‏תְּלַמְּדֵנִי‎seems to be, it has nevertheless produced a variety of renderings. The Septuagint and Syriac, followed by Percy, entirely omit it, and interpolate here‏וְאֶל חֶדֶר הוֹרָתִי‎,and into the apartment of her who gave me birth, from chap. iii. 4; after‏בֵית אִמִּי‎,[185]the house of my mother. Ibn Ezra, the Authorized Version, Kleuker, Döderlein, Hitzig, &c., supply‏אֲשֶׁר‎,who, before‏תְּלַמְּדֵנִי‎, and refer it to‏אִמִּי‎,my mother. But this interrupts the construction, and, against the scope of the description, introduces the mother as an actress. Hodgson and the editor of Calmet, strangely enough, render itTalmudni, as aproper nameof the maiden’s mother. The most natural way seems to be to take it with the Vulgate, Chaldee, Rashbam, Luther, Ewald, Döpke, De Wette, Delitzsch, Hengstenberg, Philippson, &c., as the second person masculine.

I would cause thee to drink, &c. On the aromatic wine, see supra, chap. vii. 3. The pomegranate-juice was and still is a favourite beverage in the East. “The Orientals,” says Dr. Kitto, “indulge largely in beverages made with fresh juice of various kinds of fruits. Among these, sherbet made with pomegranate-juice is particularly esteemed, and, from its agreeable and cooling acidity, the present writer was himself accustomed to prefer it to any other drink of this description.”‏יַיִן‎, is either an anomalousconstruct(Gesenius; Fürst, Lex. s.v.), or theabsolute, and‏הַרֶקַח‎, apposition in the accusative. Compare‏מַיִם לַחַץ‎, 1 Kings xx. 27; Gesen. § 116, 6, Rem. b; Ewald, § 287 h.‏אֶשָׁקְךָ‎and‏אֲשְׁקְךָ‎are a paranomasia,vide supra, chap. i. 3.‏עַסִיס רִמֹּנִי‎,my pomegranate-juice, i.e. which I myself have prepared. The noun in the genitive, expressing the quality of the nominative, has the suffix; compare‏הַר קָדְשִׁי‎,my holy mountain, Ps. ii. 6; Gesen. § 121 b; Ewald, § 291 b. From an oversight of this most probably arose the readings of‏רמנים‎or‏רמונים‎(several MSS.),‏רִמֹּנַי‎(Vulgate, Syriac), the supposition that‏רִמֹּנִי‎is an adjective (Schultens), and the opinion that it is an abbreviated plural from‏רִמֹנִים‎, like‏מִּנִּי‎for‏מִנִּים‎, (Ps. xlv. 9, Meier, Fürst, Lexicon,‏מ‎, 3 b.)

3.Let his left hand, &c. Exhausted with the attempt to describe her unfailing attachment for her beloved shepherd, an attachment far deeper than external circumstances permit her to manifest, the Shulamite desires that no other hand should raise her drooping head, no other arm support her enfeebled frame, than those of her beloved; compare chap. ii. 6.

4.I adjure you, &c. This last affecting scene, having brought the Shulamite’s struggle to a successful termination, is closed by her adjuring the court ladies as before (ii. 7, and v. 3), to make no more attempt to draw her affections away from her beloved to any one else, since they were unalterably fixed. The Septuagint, which is followed by Good, &c., supplies here‏בִּצְבָאוֹת אוֹ בְּאַיְלוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה‎, from ii. 7, and v. 3. It is obvious, from the change of‏אִם‎into themore urgentnegative particle‏מַה‎, (comp. Job xxxi.; Ewald, § 325 b), that the variation is designedly made; and indeed the haste in which the Shulamite is to depart with her beloved does not permit her to use the lengthy adjuration.[186]

5.Who is it that comes up, &c. The last successful resistance secured for the Shulamite her liberty. Convinced that even the blandishments of a king cannot overcome the power of virtuous love in the heart of a rustic damsel; satisfied that “all the wealth of his house” could not buy it, Solomon dismisses her. Then, reunited to her beloved shepherd, the happy pair immediately depart for home. As they approach their native place the inhabitants, beholding them at a distance, exclaim, “Who is it that comes up from the plain, leaning upon her beloved?”‏הַמִּדְבָּר‎,the plain(vide supra, iii. 6), most probably the plain of Esdraelon, at present known by the name of Merij Ibn ’Amir, lying between Jezreel and Sulem (Robinson, Palestine, iii. 169), which the lovers had to cross on their way home.‏מִתְרַפָּקֶת‎(from‏רָפַק‎,to lean; hence‏מַרְפֵּק‎,an arm, on which one leans, Talm. Sabbath, 92),supporting herself, being weary with so long a journey. So the Sept.ἐπιστηριζομένη; the Vulg.innixa, &c. As for the additionalλελευκανθισμένηin the Sept., anddeliciis affluensin the Vulg., the one most probably arose from the word‏בָּרַה‎, used in chap. vi. 10, where a similar question occurs, and the other from a marginal gloss,‏מתפנקת‎or‏מתנענעת‎.

Under this apple-tree, &c. As they drew nearer home they beheld the endeared spot—the memorable shady tree under which the shepherd was born, and where their mutual love was first kindled. These sweet musings are at length terminated by the Shulamite, who joyfully recounts the pleasing reminiscences of that place. The frequent meetings of shepherds and shepherdesses under shady trees, (vide supra, chap. i. 7), often resulted in the formation of a sacred tie. The solemn vow of love was then engraven on the bark of the tree, as a witness of their union. Thus Theocritus, Idyl. xviii. 47, 48:—

γράμματα δ’ ἐν φλοιῷ γεγράψεται, ὡς παριών τιςἀννείμῃ, Δωριστὶ, σέβου μ’· Ἑλένας φυτὸν εἰμί.“——and on the bark,In Doric, shall be engraven for all to mark,‘To me pay honour—I am Helen’s tree.’ ”

γράμματα δ’ ἐν φλοιῷ γεγράψεται, ὡς παριών τιςἀννείμῃ, Δωριστὶ, σέβου μ’· Ἑλένας φυτὸν εἰμί.

γράμματα δ’ ἐν φλοιῷ γεγράψεται, ὡς παριών τις

ἀννείμῃ, Δωριστὶ, σέβου μ’· Ἑλένας φυτὸν εἰμί.

“——and on the bark,In Doric, shall be engraven for all to mark,‘To me pay honour—I am Helen’s tree.’ ”

“——and on the bark,

In Doric, shall be engraven for all to mark,

‘To me pay honour—I am Helen’s tree.’ ”

Compare also Idyl. xxiii. 46; Propert. I. xviii. 22; Virg. Ecl. x. 53; and Pope, Past. iii. 66, 67.[187]

Here thy mother, &c. Confinements in the open air are of frequent occurrence in the East (Gen. xv. 16). “There are in Asia,” says Dr. Chardin in his manuscript notes, “large districts in which no midwives are to be found, and even if some live there they are little known, for mothers assist their daughters, and often female relatives or neighbours fill the place of the former. In Kurman, I saw a woman who was delivered without any assistance inthe open fields, three hours from a village, and to my great surprise, she arrived not much later in town where I was. The people there smiled at my astonishment, remarking that similar cases were very frequent in their country.” (See Rosenmüller, Orient. i. 188; Paxton, Illustrations of Scripture, i. 462; Kalisch on Exod. p. 18.)‏עוֹרֵר‎,to excite,to move to love,vide supra, ii. 7; iii. 5; viii. 4.‏חִבְּלָתְךָ‎does not meanconceived thee(Aquila, Schultens, Hitzig, &c.), which the Shulamite could not know, norplighted, orengaged thee, (Houbigant, Michaelis, Percy, Kleuker, Good, Williams, Boothroyd, Magnus, Meier, &c.), which is contrary to the Piel signification of this verb, but signifieslaboured with thee, (Sept., Syriac, Chaldee, Rashi, Rashbam, Ibn Ezra, Luther, Ewald, De Wette, Gesenius, Philippson, &c.); compare Ps. vii. 15, and Hupheldin loco. To put these words into the mouth of the bridegroom as addressing his bride, (Percy, Good, Williams, Boothroyd, Delitzsch, Hitzig, &c.), is contrary to the words in the text, which have masculine suffixes. The form‏חִבְּלָתְךָ‎is used instead of‏חִבְּלַתְךָ‎, to correspond in sound with‏יָלְדָתְךָ‎in pause,vide supra, iii. 11.‏יָלְרָתְךָ‎,i.q.‏יָלְדָה אוֹתְךָ‎. The Vulgate, which seems here to savour of allegorism, translates‏שָׁמָּה חִבְּלָתְךָ אִמֶּךָ שָׁמָּה חִבְּלָּה יְלָדָתְךָ‎,ibi corrupta est mater tua, ibi violata est genitrix tua. “The tree,” the Roman Catholics explain ofthe cross; “the individual” excited to love under it,the Gentilesredeemed by Christ at the foot of the cross; and “the deflowered and corrupted mother” means,the synagogue of the Jews(the mother of the Church), which was corrupted by denying and crucifying the Saviour.

6.Oh, place me as a seal, &c. That is, “Let me be near and dear to thee.” The Shulamite, having shown her faithfulness during a period of extraordinary trials, could now look up to the witnessing tree with an inward satisfaction. It is therefore very natural that she should remind her beloved, in the presence of this witness, of his vows. In ancient times, when the art of writing was confined to a very few, and writing materials were not so easily procurable, rings or signets, with names engraven upon them, were generally used as manual signs. This contrivance for a signature soon became used as an ornament. People who could afford it had these seals or signets made of silver or gold, inlaid with precious stones. Being indispensable articles of use, and highly prized as decorations, they were carried in the bosom, suspended from the neck by a string (Gen. xxxviii. 15), or were worn on the right hand (Jer. xxii. 24; Sirach xlix. 11), and thus became a symbol of what is dear and indispensable. Jehovah himself uses this metaphor, Jer. xxii. 24:—

“Though Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,Were as a seal on my right hand,Yet I would pluck thee thence.”

“Though Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,

Were as a seal on my right hand,

Yet I would pluck thee thence.”

Comp. also Hag. ii. 23; Sirach xvii. 22; Rosenmüller, Orient. vi. 252; i. 183; iv. 190;Winer, Bib. Dict.; Kitto, Cyclop. Bib. Lit. s.v.[188]

For love is strong as death, &c. True love seizes with a tenacious grasp. Like death, it rules with resistless sway; like Hades, it is never moved to give up its object: neither power nor prayer can overcome it.‏קָשָׁה‎,hard,firm,inexorable.‏קִנְּאָה‎is notjealousy(Sept., Vulg., Authorized Version, Percy, Kleuker, Good, Williams, &c.), butdevout affection,ardent love(Ewald, Gesenius, De Wette, Noyes, Meier, Hitzig, Philippson &c.); it is here used as an intensitive term forlove, as is evident from the parallelism and the connexion.

The flames of the Eternal.These words are exegetical of “flames of fire;”i.e.the flames of love, though having the same energy as those of fire, are not of the same origin; they emanate from the Eternal, the source of all love. Whether, with Ben Asher, we read‏שַׁלְהָבָתְיָהּ‎,conjointly, like‏מַאֲפָלְיָהּ‎, Jer. ii. 31; or with Ben Naphtali,‏שַׁלְהֶבָת יָהּ‎,separately, which is followed by most editions, Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and the majority of modern critics, and which is required by the parallelism; this predicate does not state that the flames of love are “most vehement,” but affirms that they emanate from the Eternal.‏יָה‎, an abbreviation of‏יַהֲוֶה‎(seeKalischon Exod. iii. 14; xi. 2; Fürst, Lexicon, s.v.), like‏אֵל‎, Isa. xiv. 13, is the genitive of cause or origin. Comp.ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔστι, 1 John iv. 7.‏שַׁלְהֵב‎,flame, may either be a quadriliteral, formed from‏שַׁהֵב‎, Arabic,to burn, with the insertion of the‏ל‎after the first radical, according to the analogy of‏זַלְעַף‎,violent heat, (Ps. ii. 6), from the root‏זָעַף‎,to be hot; or, which is more probable, is the Shaphel conjugation of‏לָהַב‎,to burn. Fürst, Lexicon, s.v.; Gesen. § 55, 6; Ewald, § 122 a. The Sept. hasφλόγες αὐτῆς,‏שִׁלְהָבֹתֶיהָ‎. That the original reading of the text was‏שַׁלְהֲבֹתֶיהָ שַׁלְהֲבֹת יָהּ‎(Ewald, Döpke, Hitzig, &c.) is purely conjectural.

7.Floods cannot quench love.Being a flame of celestial origin no terrestrial influence, however great, can destroy or wash it away; it is not subjected to means resorted to for the extinction of ordinary fires.‏מַיִם רַבִּים‎, prop.much water, i.e. a great quantity of it (Numb. xx. 11),floods.‏שָׁטַף‎,to wash, orsweep away, Job xiv. 19; Isa. xxviii. 17.

If one should offer all, &c. Such divine love spontaneously flows from the heart, and cannot be purchased with money; though one offered all his riches for it, they would be utterly despised. This affirmation, whilst true in itself, is levelled against the king, who attempted to gain love by flatteries and praises (vide supra, i. 11; vi. 8), but was utterly rejected (vii. 11).‏אִישׁ‎any one,one, Gen. xiii. 16; Exod. xvi. 29; Gesen. § 122, Rem. 2.‏בּוֹז‎, the infinitive absolute, is employed before the finite verb‏יָבוּזוּ‎, to expressintensity, Gen. xliii. 3; 1 Sam. xx. 6; Gesen. § 131, 3 a; Ewald, § 280 b.‏יָבוּזוּ‎, the third person plural, is used for the passive, see supra, chap. viii. 1.

8.Our sister is still young, &c. The[189]brothers are here introduced, on the arrival of the Shulamite, as repeating the promise which they had once given to their sister if she kept virtuous, and, when espoused, remained true to her vows. One of the brothers inquires of the others what they should do for the Shulamite when she reached womanhood, and is demanded in marriage.‏אֲחוֹת לָנוּ‎,i.q.‏אֲחוֹתֵינוּ‎,our sister, and is well rendered by the Sept.ἀδελφὴ ἡμῶν, the Vulg.soror nostra, Luther,unsere Schwester. The adjective‏קָטוֹן‎, like‏גָדוֹל‎, prop. denotingsize, is also used with reference toage. Gen. ix. 24; xxvii. 15; Judg. xv. 2.‏שָׁדַיִם אֵין לָהּ‎, i.e.she has not yet reached puberty.‏בְּיוֹﬦ‎,when, Gen. ii. 4.‏דִבֵּר בְּ‎,to speak for,to demand in marriage, 1 Sam. xiii. 9; xxv. 39.

9.If she be like a wall, &c. To this inquiry the second brother replied, that if, having reached that age, she should firmly resist every allurement as a battlement resists the attack of an enemy, they would decorate her as an impregnable wall;i.e.highly reward her. The expression “wall” is figuratively used forimpregnability, Jer. ii. 18; so Immanuel,‏שעמדה הזקה כהומה‎. The silver turret here mentioned most probably refers to thesilver horn, a highly prized ornament which women wear on their heads. “One of the most extraordinary parts of the attire of their females” (Druses of Lebanon), says Dr. Macmichael,“is a silver horn, sometimes studded with jewels, worn on the head in various positions,distinguishing different conditions. A married woman has it affixed to the right side of the head, a widow to the left, and a virgin is pointed out by its being placed on the very crown. Over this silver projection the long veil is thrown, with which they so completely conceal their faces as to rarely have more thanone eye(vide supra, chap. iv. 9), visible.” Comp. also Bowring, Report on Syria, p. 8.

But if she be like a door, &c. That is, accessible (vide supra, chap. iv. 12), she shall be barricaded with cedar planks—be punished by being locked up. The word “door” is metaphorically used foropen to seduction. The cedar wood is mentioned because it is exceedingly strong, and increases the idea of strict vigilance. Similarly Immanuel,‏ואם דלת שכבר נפתח נצור עליה לרח ארז כלמ׳ נביאה במצור ונסגור בעדה שלﬡ תראה, וכלוה אדז שהוה הזק ותקיף‎.

10.I am a wall, &c. The Shulamite now triumphantly responds, that she had proved impregnable as a wall, and had now reached womanhood, and therefore the promised reward was due to her.‏שָׁדַי כַּמִּגְדָלוֹת‎,i.q.‏שָׁדַי נָכֹנוּ‎, Ezek. xvi. 7, is well explained by Rashbam,‏הגיע זמני להינשא‎,my time for marriage has arrived, and is an answer to‏שָׁדַיִם אֵין לָהּ‎, in the preceding verse.

Then I was in his eyes, &c. That[190]is, in her brother’s eyes. He now, being convinced of his sister’s chastity, gave her the reward of virtue. The suffix in‏בְּעֵינָיו‎,his eyes, does not refer to Solomon (Ewald, Hitzig, Philippson, &c.), whose name has not been mentioned, but to the brother (Ibn Ezra, &c.), who last spoke.‏שָׁלוֹם‎,peace, has no reference to the name‏שְׁלֹמֹה‎, but is used in the sense of‏חַן‎,favour, and refers to chap. i. 6; comp. Gen. xxxiv. 7 with ver. 11.

11.Solomon had a vineyard, &c. Having been obliged, when demanding her promised reward, to describe her virtue as an impregnable wall, the Shulamite now relates more circumstantially how she had resisted the attempt to gain her affections. Solomon had a large vineyard in Baal-hammon, which he offered to consign to her if she granted his request; but the Shulamite refused his offer, telling him he might keep his large estate to himself, for she was quite satisfied with her humble possession. Many are the conjectures hazarded as to the locality of Baal-hammon, which occurs nowhere else, and no place is known by this name. It is taken for Baal-Gad, orHeliopolis(Rosenmüller, Bib. Geog. ii. p. 253), for‏חַמּוֹן‎,Hammon, a place in the tribe of Asher, Josh. xix. 28 (Ewald), and forΒελαμὼνorΒαλαμὼν,BelamonorBalamon, a place mentioned in the book of Judith, viii. 3, not far from the plain of Esdraelon, Judith iii. 9 (Meier, Hitzig). It is, however, more probable, according to Rashi, that Baal-hammon was in or near Jerusalem, and was called‏בַּעַל הַמּוֹן‎,place of the multitude, because its beauties and charms attracted a multitude of people, thus presenting a greater temptation for the Shulamite. The Vulgate strangely renders‏כֶּרֶם הָיָה לִשְׁלֹמֹה בְּבַעַל הַמּוֹן‎,vinea fuit pacifico in ea, quae habet populos.

He let out the vineyard, &c. This is intended to show the value of the vineyard. It was so extensive that it was leased out to a number of tenants, and every one of them paid a thousand shekels annually, and yet had two hundred shekels left for himself.‏נֹטְרִיﬦ‎, anindefinitenumber of keepers or farmers.‏אִישׁ‎each,vide supra, ver. 7. The suffix in‏בְפִרְיוֹ‎,his fruit, refers to‏כֶּרֶם‎,vineyard, which is masculine.‏כֶּסֶף‎,silver, stands for‏שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף‎,silver shekel: substantives denotingweight,measure, ortime, are frequently omitted. Gen. xx. 16; xxxvii. 28; Acts xix. 9; Gesen. § 120, 4, Rem. 2; Ewald, § 287 i. The amount of a shekel is supposed to be about two shillings and sevenpence. The shekel of the sanctuary, however, like all the weights and measures of the Temple, was computed at double the ordinary. See Ezek. xlv. 12; 1 Kings x. 17; comp. with 2 Chron. ix. 16; Mishna, Shekalim, Maaser Sheni;Winer, Bib. Dict. s.v. A thousand shekels, therefore, would be about one hundred and thirty pounds. Remembering that each of these farmers had to pay this sum annually, and that money in those days had fifteen or twenty, nay, according to Michaelis (Mos. Rech. § 243), fifty times its present value, we shall be able to judge of the allurement which this ample estate offered.

12.I will keep my own vineyard, &c. And yet, notwithstanding all this, the Shulamite prefers to keep her little vineyard, and be with her beloved shepherd, rather than unfaithfully give him up for riches and honours.‏כַּרְמִי שֶׁלִּי‎,my own vineyard, the vineyard which belongs to me;vide supra, chap. i. 6.‏לְפָנָי‎lit.is before me;it is[191]mine, and I will keep it: this is obvious from the immediately following‏לְךָ‎,thine,keep thou it. The words‏הָאֶלֶף לְךָ וגו״‎are to be taken as an exclamatory phrase, Ewald, § 329 a.‏אֶלֶף‎is here usedcollectivelyfor all the thousands put together, which come in annually from the farmers; so‏מָאתַיִם‎,the two hundreds. The Vulgate translates here again the proper‏שְׁלֹמֹה‎,mille tui pacifici.

13.O thou that dwellest in the gardens, &c. The companions of the shepherd, who had manifested their joy at the successful arrival of the happy pair (vide supra, ver. 5), and rejoice that one of their humble occupation has brought such honour upon the whole class, visit the Shulamite, to hear from her own mouth her avowed attachment to her beloved. The shepherd, therefore, requests her to gratify this desire. She is no more‏הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּחַדְרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ‎,sitting in the apartments of the king,vide supra, chap. i. 4, but has the honourable appellation of‏הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּגָנִים‎,dwelling in the gardens.‏חֲבֵרִיﬦ‎,companions, i.e. my companions, fellow-shepherds, i. 8.

14.Haste, O my beloved, &c. The Shulamite complies with the request. In the presence of all, she callsthe shepherdher beloved, and tells him always to hasten to her with the speed of the swift-footed gazelle;vide supraii. 9, 17. He has no more to cross “the mountains of separation” (see ii. 17), for they are united. These rugged mountains have now given place to the much-wished-foraromatic hills, iv. 6.

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