Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · Song of Songs Kabanata 1

Song of Solomon 1:1. The song of songs, which is Solomon's— This is a Hebraism, which signifies the most excellent song: the latter part of the title ought perhaps to have been rendered, which is concerning Solomon. The first day's eclogue commences at this chapter, and is continued to ch. Song of Solomon 2:7.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— The Hebrew idiom delights in redundancies of this kind; so in Psalms 17:10. With their mouth they speak: Psalms 66:17. I cried with my mouth: and in ch. Son 8:7 of this song, would be utterly contemned is in the original, contemning they would contemn.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:3. Because of the savour, &c.— The eastern nations, and indeed the ancients in general, dealt much in unguents, which in the hot countries are necessary to brace and close up the pores of the body: fragrant ointments were especially used on nuptial and other festival occasions. See Psalms 45:8.; Proverbs 7:17.; Amos 6:6.; 2 Samuel 12:20. Hence the odour of sweet ointments became a common metaphor, to express the extensive acceptableness of a good name. Ecclesiastes 7:1. Houbigant connects this sentence with the preceding words thus, For thy love is more excellent than wine, and thy fragrance than fine ointments. New Translation.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:4. Draw me, &c.— The author of the New Translation renders this verse thus; SPOUSE: O draw me after thee: VIRGINS: We will run to the fragrance of thy perfumes. SPOUSE: The king hath brought me into his apartments. VIRGINS: We will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will celebrate thy love more than wine. Thou art every way lovely. The LXX, Vulgate, and Ethiopic, add the words, to the fragrance of thy perfumes. The Chaldee countenances this addition. Perhaps the speech of the chorus might more properly have been rendered, We will follow the fragrance of thy perfumes. The translation given of the last clause of this verse, which is from Sanctius, seems well to answer the context, "All the loves are with thee; or, Thou art altogether lovely." Houbigant renders the whole to this effect: We will celebrate thy loves; we love thee more than generous wine, or wine that goes down smoothly. See his note, Le Clerc, and the New Translation.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:5. I am black, but comely— The word שׁחורה shechorah, rendered black, signifies brown, swarthy, or dark-complexioned, and denotes such a duskiness as that of the morning, when some little light begins to appear. The appellation of fair, which is given to the bride in the sequel, is only meant in the general sense of lovely or beautiful. The tents of the wild Arabs, called in Scripture קדר אהלי ahalei keidar, are to this day of a dark or black colour, being made of the shaggy hair of their black goats.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:6. Look not upon me, &c.— Look not down upon me, because I am brown; for the sun hath discoloured me. My mother's children were severe unto me: they made me keeper of the vineyards: mine own vineyard have I not kept. There is a peculiar emphasis in the original of the last clause; mine own vineyard, which is mine, have I not kept. Houbigant translates the word שׁלי shelli (which is mine)—quietly; but this translation is not admissible, if, with Bishop Patrick and others, we allow vineyard to be the eastern phraseology for an office committed to a person, or any interest he is concerned in.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:7. Where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon— In the hot countries, the shepherds and their flocks are always forced to retire to shelter during the burning heats of noon. One that turneth aside is rendered by Houbigant and the New Translation, a wanderer. This verse contains a fine apostrophe, and strongly marks the affection of the bride. See Virgil's Culex, ver. 116.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:8. If thou know not, &c.— This is the reply of the virgins, and it breathes all the simplicity of pastoral life.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:9. I have compared thee—to a company of horses— This, says the author of the New Translation, is the speech of the bridegroom, who, meeting the bride and her virgin companions, says, I have compared thee, O my love, to my well-trained steed in Pharaoh's chariots. We ought not to think the comparison coarse or vulgar, if we consider what beautiful and delicate creatures the eastern horses are, and how highly they are valued; and, withal, the very strong figurative expressions which the oriental writers are continually using. Theocritus, as is observed by Grotius and others, has made use of the very same image to express the beauty of Helen; Idyll. ver. 29. Though here, indeed, the bridegroom does not seem to have in view to compliment the bride on her beauty, so much as to celebrate her conjugal fidelity. She is anxiously concerned for his absence, and fondly goes in search of him. Upon seeing her thus employed, he is charmed with her affection for him, and, as the words may be paraphrased, commends her for drawing well in the marriage yoke. The chariots of Pharaoh are mentioned, probably, because Egypt was at that time most celebrated for its horses and chariots; and the phrase may signify in general a chariot of the most elegant and excellent sort.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:12. While the king sitteth at his table— While the king shall be in his tent, or pavilion, Houbigant. The New Translation has it, While the king sitteth in the circle of his friends; namely, at the nuptial banquet. The tables of the ancients were so framed that the guests formed a circle.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:13. A bundle of myrrh— The orientals were accustomed to tie up myrrh in bundles, and to put them into the bosom to exhilarate the spirits. Some interpret the words המר צרור tserror hammor, a wreath, or nosegay of flowery myrrh. See Bishop Patrick and Castalio.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:14. As a cluster of camphire— As a cluster of cypress flowers; the New Translation. By cypress here, is not meant the trees so called, but an aromatic plant which, Sir Thomas Brown tells us, produces a sweet and odoriferous bush of flowers; out of which was made the oleum cyprinum. See his "Observations on Plants mentioned in Scripture." The vineyards at Engedi, near Jericho, were not so much for vines as aromatic shrubs. These the Jews cultivated for the sake of their gums, balsams, &c. in which they carried on a considerable commerce. Such shrubs were managed after the manner of vines. Hence the nurseries of them were called vineyards: see Bochart. Hieroz. tom. 2: p. 724. Hasselquist is of opinion, that Solomon here refers to a cluster of the Cyprus grape. See his Travels, p. 448.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:15. Thou hast doves' eyes— To conceive the force of this expression, we must not refer it to our common pigeons, but to the large and beautiful eyes of the doves of Syria. They who have seen that fine eastern bird, the carrier-pigeon, will need no commentary on this place. See Brown's Observations.

return to '

Song of Solomon 1:16. Yea, pleasant: also, &c.— The author of the New Translation puts a full stop at beloved; and renders the next clause thus; and how pleasant, how green, is our flowery bed! remarking, that the generality of versions seem not to have attended to the beautiful force of the original, where the particle ףּא ap is repeated. Literally, the whole passage, according to the proposed amendment, would be, Behold, thou art fair, my beloved. Yea, pleasant, yea, green, or flowery, is our bed. Or, it may be rendered, Behold, thou art fair, my beloved; yea, pleasant. Yea, our bed, or couch, is strewed with flowers; for the word rendered green, is translated flowery by the best critics.

return to '