tain beautiful figures of flowers and animals; and in variety of colours. The girdle, moreover, is ordered to be made of a work called rokem, which we translate needle-work, ver. 39. because it is thought not to have differed from the former, save only in this, that the other things were only woven curiously, but this also curiously wrought with the needle. The Jews give another difference, that this was wrought so that the figures appeared on both sides, the other only on one. About which I shall not trouble myself, but only take notice that Josephus (in his 3d book of Antiquities, chap. viii.) explains this work thus: "Flowers were woven in this girdle, with scarlet, purple, blue," &c. And if flowers, (as others say animals), then, in all probability, trees also were wrought in these priestly vestures; which made the fuller representation of a forest. Among which that of Lebanon was the principal, and indeed the most beautiful place in all those countries, which made the prophet express the glory of the church in these words, "The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it," Isa. xxxv. 2. see also Hos. xiv. 5. 6. 7.

Some think that hereby only the tallness of his stature is denoted, which was always looked upon as a princely thing, as it was in Saul.

As for mystical applications of these two verses, there are none to be sought for, if I have given the true sense of them, but such as relate to the excellency of Christ's everlasting priesthood, and its pre-eminence above the other, as much as the cedar excels all the trees of the forest. [9] Ver. 16.] There is little difficulty here. For mouth (Hebrew palate, which is within the mouth) can signify nothing but either his words, which come thence, or his breath. And words being mentioned before, ver. 13. the latter is probably here intended. Which is said to be sweetness, nay, sweetnesses; denoting the perfect soundness of the internal parts, as the foregoing description sets forth the excellent shape and stately vesture of the outward. It is applied by interpreters, to the purity of Christ's affections and passions; but may be as well to his breathing upon his apostles, when he bid them receive the Holy Ghost. Which concluded in a manner what he did upon earth, as it doth his description in this place. For she, finding his praises to exceed all her thoughts, sums up all in a breath, and comprehends his whole character in this; that he is all over lovely, attracting all men's affections, not only those that saw him, but those that heard

(from ver. 4. to the 11th), in such words as shewed that his kindness remained unalterable, and that he delighted in none but her; as incomparably more amiable, even by their own confession, than allthose beauties whom the world most admires. With which kindness she is so ravished, that it snatches. her away from the dearest friends she had, though very desirous of her company, ver. 13.

COMPANIONS, OR DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM.

Ver. 1. WHITHER is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee?] These are high commendations, indeed, which thou givest to thy beloved, which make us in love with him, as before we were, (iv. 9.), and still are with thee, O thou most lovely of all other women; whither dost thou think he hath betaken himself? He is not quite gone away, sure, but only diverted into some retirement. Which way did he go? and where dost thou guess he hath hidden himself, that we may go along, and inquire him out, with thee? See Annot. [a]

SPOUSE.

Ver. 2. My beloved is gone down into bis garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.] I heard my beloved say, that he was gone down into that garden which he himself hath planted, (v. 1.); there he delights to be, among those pious persons, whose virtues make them like to the gardenbeds, that are full of spices; he is always present in every part of this happy company, and hath fellowship with them, and is daily adding more and more pure and sincere souls, who are without all guile, unto their society. See Annot. [b]

Ver 3. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine be fecdeth among the lilies.] Of which I being a member, hope I may still say, that he hath not cast me out of his favour, but still retains a kindness for me; because I am stedfast and faithful in my love to him, who takes a constant care of such as study to resemble him. See Annot. [c]

BRIDEGROOM. Ver. 4. Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.] ¶ It is true, O my beloved friend, who art still dear unto me, and most amiable in my eyes, I have not lost my esteem of thee, for I see thou hast not lost thy affection to me; nor that lovely, that decent and comely order, which makes thee not only beautiful, but venerable, nay, amazes all beholders, or at least strikes them with great admiration of thee. See Annot. [d]

Ver. 5. Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me; thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.] Thou needst not look so earnestly, and with such care and solicitude, upon me, as if 1 had forgotten thee; for I see the same sparkling beauty in thy eyes, which 1 did before, (iv. 1.), and it no less affects my heart, (iv. 9.), thou wantest none of those ornaments which I formerly commended, but retainest them all, notwithstanding the discomposure in which thou hast been. See Annot. [e]

Ver. 6. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.] The same I say also of thy teeth, which are still white and clean, even set both above and below; firm and sound also, without any breach, or want of so much as one of them. See Annot. [f]

Ver. 7. As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.] And, to be short, (and not to repeat every thing again), I see the same fresh colour in thy cheeks, which makes thee look as lovely, now thy veil is off, (v. 7.), as thou didst in the first blooming of thy beauty. See Annot. [g]

Ver. 8. There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.] Wherefore, though other kings and princes of these countries have a great many queens, and more wives of an inferior rank, and virgins that attend them without num. bers, whose beauty they highly admire; See Annot. [b]

Ver. 9. My dove, my undefiled, is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her: the daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised ber.] I have one only, and none other, whom I entirely love, and that is thyself alone; who preservest an inviolable faith and affection to me, and therefore art dearer to me, than an only daughter (and she the most accomplished person and perfect beauty) is to her mother; whom all other persons at last shall admire, the queens themselves before named, calling thee blessed, and wishing all prosperity to thee; and they of the next degree shall praise thy excellencies, and confess their own imperfections. See Annot. [i]

Ver. 10. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?] Saying, What an astonishing beauty is this, that appears like a clear morning after a dark night, and increaseth in lustre more and more, looking as bright as the moon when it is at full, nay, as splendid as the sun when it shineth in its strength; and no less dazzles our eyes, and amazes our thoughts, than a glorious host of heaven, or an army here on earth, when it stands in battalias with all their colours displayed? See Annot. [k]

Ver. 11. I went down into the garden of nuts, to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.] Only this I expect from thee, that thou bring forth fruit proportionable to my care of thee, and kindness to thee; for to that end I went down before, (v. 1. vi. 2.), and now go again, into my garden, (which I have not neglected to dress, and prune, and water), to take a view in what condition it is, and in what forwardness the several sorts of fruit are, which I justly look to receive in their due seasons. See Annot. [1]

SPOUSE.

Ver. 12. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Ammi-nadib.] Alas! what am I, that I should receive such praises, who am not worthy of thy care? But they have put such motions into my soul, as make me aim at the highest perfections, and

make all the haste I can likewise to attain them; and therefore I must, for the present, take leave of you, O my friends, who have kindly assisted me in the search of my beloved. See Annot. [m] COMPANIONS.

Ver. 13. Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.] Let us have thy company again, Ó thou fairest and most accomplished of all the daughters of Jerusalem. Come back again, come back, that we may behold thy wondrous perfections. And if any ask, What is that you would see? what would you enjoy in her happy society? Our answer is, such a divine presence as appeared to Jacob, when he saw the angelical choirs, which made him cry out, "This is God's host," and call the name of that place, Mabonaim. See Annot. [n]

ANNOTATIONS.

[a] Ver. 1.] The daughters of Jerusalem (mentiontioned ver. 8.) here justify what the spouse had said in the conclusion of the former chapter; and declaring themselves in love with him whom she had described, are desirous to join themselves to her company, and go in quest of him. In order to which they would know, whither she thought he was gone, when he went from her.

[b] Ver. 2.] Unto which she replies in this verse, and seems to tell them, in his own words, what she had heard him say about that matter, v. 1. And it signifies that he was still in his church, and in every part of it, though sometimes they were not sensible of it. For so Theodoret well observes, here is distinct mention made of a garden, and of gardens, ie. of the Catholic church, which is but one, and of the several parts thereof. For sometimes St Paul mentions only the church in the singular number, and sometimes the several churches even in the same nation, (as in the epistle to the Galatians, i. 1.), and in the same province or city, 1 Cor. xiv. 34.

He is said here to go down into his garden, with respect to the mountains mentioned, iv. 8. And to feed in the Hebrew, is either to do the office of a shepherd to his flock, or relates to his communion with his people, mentioned chap. iv. 16. v. I. Which may be the meaning also of gathering lilies; or, as Theodoret will have it, by this last clause is to be understood, his gathering holy and pure souls that are like to him, and joining them unto his church. And so the Arabic translation is, "to gather together the lilies," following the Septuagint, who translate it, Cuλxifen. And indeed I find the Hebrew word lakat, signifies to collect things into an heap or bundle; as stones, Gen. xxxi. 46. manna, Exod. xvi. 27. fruit, Lev. xix. 9. silver, Gen. xlvii.

14.

The whole denotes, that communion with him is only to be sought in his church; especially in that part of it which preserves the order wherein he hath

disposed all things, (like the walls and beds in a garden), and kept themselves also in the purity of his religion.

[c] Ver. 3.] Now she seems to have so perfectly recovered herself out of the slumber wherein she had been, as to have regained her former sense of him, and of her interest in him; repeating those words which we met withal before, ch. ii. 16. Of the latter part of which ("he feedeth among the lilies") I think fit here farther to note, that to feed may relate either unto himself, or unto others; for there are examples of both. Of the former, Gen. xli. 2. Job, i. 14. Of the latter, Gen. xxix. 7. 9. xxxvii. 12. I take it here rather in this latter sense, and suppose it signifies his doing the office of a shepherd; and that he is said "to feed among the lilies," as in the Revelation, "to walk in the midst of the seven candlesticks," i. e. there to have his conversation, to take up his abode with them, &c. as he often says in the gospel of St John, (xiv. 23.), that he would with those who love him, and keep his commandments. And such persons are here compared to lilies, which being a name given by Christ to himself, Greg. Nyssen and Theodoret hereby, not unfitly, understand such as are conformed to Christ their Head, and have his image wrought in their souls, in righteousness and true holiness. For, saith the former of them, "a dλno, &c. “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just," &c. (see Phil. iv. 8.) Tauta isTI TË xeiva," these are the lilies in which Christ delights." [] Ver. 4.] And now we must conceive, either that they went to the garden together, and there found him, or that he, hearing this hearty profession of unmoveable love to him, meets them; and, to revive her drooping spirits, falls again into a new commendation of the spouse, in the very same terms as before, and in some higher. And first, he compares her to Tirzah, which was a beautiful situation in the country of Ephraim, and therefore made choice of after these times by Jeroboam, for the seat of his kingdom; and so continued till the building of Samaria, as we read, 1 Kings, xiv. 17. xv. 21. 23. and several other places; to which add Josh. xii. 24. The very original of the word signifies as much as urbs amabilis, or a city that please th one; and therefore chosen by one of the ancient kings of Canaan, for the place of his residence.

And lest this should not be high enough, he next compares her to Jerusalem, which was the most lovely place in the territories of Judah, and indeed of the whole country. For which cause, as it had been the seat of one of the kings of Canaan, so the royal palace of David, nay the house of God himself, was afterward there built; and is called by Jeremiah, in his Lamentations, "the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth," ii. 15. It is mentioned by Pliny likewise, 1. v. c. 14. as the most famous city in the East.

And as she had commended him before, not only for his beauty, but majesty, so he doth here, in the last place, call her "terrible as an army standing in battalias, striking an awe, that is, into beholders. So I think it is to be expounded as referring still to the goodliness of her aspect, and not to her being invincible, inexpugnable, and striking terror into her enemies, as some interpret the whole verse. Every part of which seems to me to be a new proof, that Solomon speaks not in this book of one single person, (whom some fancy the Shulamite, others Pharaoh's daughter, whom others take for one and the same), under the name of the spouse, but of a body or society of men; for none else can be fitly compared to cities, nay, to great armies drawn up under their banners. Which last part of this verse may be applied to the comely order which Christ appointed in his church, which, while it was preserved, made the church very venerable in the world. So Theodoret, ixlovras yaę, &c. "For they are astonished' who behold thy order, there being nothing disorderly, nothing uncertain or undetermined, nothing confused and indistinct; but all τεταμένα καὶ κεκριμένα, orderly appointed, and judiciously determined.

Some refer this terribleness, as we translate it, to the gravity, or rather severity of her countenance, which forbade all wanton reproaches to so great a beauty. [e] Ver. 5.] In this and the following verses, he seems to descend to a particular description of the ' several parts of her beauty; as he had done before, chap. iv. 1. 2. &c. And he doth it in the very same words, for the most part; to assure her, that he had still the same esteem of her, and kindness for her; and that, notwithstanding what had happened, it had not altered her so much as to abate any thing of his affection, or to make her appear otherwise in his eyes than she had done. This seems to me to be the true reason of this repetition; others are given by Theodoret and other authors. And first he begins with the commendation of her eyes, as he had done, iv. 1. (though in other words). For so the first clause of this verse may be translated," turn thine eyes towards me;" the Hebrew phrase signifying not only to turn one's self from another, but sometimes to turn towards them, as 1 Chron. xii. 23. And then we are to conceive that he speaks to her, as one ashamed to look upon him, whom she had so much disobliged; and bid her take more confidence, for he was still in love with her.

If we follow the common translation, I take the sense still to be the same; that she need not trouble herself any farther, for she had prevailed in her suit to be restored to his favour. The looking of the eyes towards one, is as much as intreating and petitioning; which he tells her she might cease, by bidding her turn away her eyes from him.

It

is most ordinarily taken for an amorous expression; as if he had said, her eyes were so bright and dazzling, he could not bear the passion they excited.

Of the latter part of the verse, see an account upon chap. iv. 1.

[f] Ver. 6.] There is no difference between this verse and that in iv. 2. but only in one word, which alters not the sense. And as barecholim, sheep, was to be fetched from hence to supply the sense there, so another word, bakketzuboth, even shorn, is to be fetched from thence to supply it here. [g] Ver. 7.] This is also exactly the same with the latter end of the third verse of the 4th chapter. The LXX. have also the first part; but they might as well have added all that there follows; which is here omitted.

[h] Ver. 8.] Here, most think, Solomon alludes to the number of his own wives, who were fewer, they suppose, in the beginning of his reign, (as Bochartus himself gathers from these words, in his epistle to the now bishop of Winchester, p. 126.); and that then he composed this song, before he let the reins of his lust so prodigiously loose, as afterwards we read he did, 1 Kings, xi. 1. &c. But it is not at all likely that he had so many as are there mentioned, while his mind was filled with such divine raptures as these; and therefore I suppose he alludes to the custom of other princes in the east, who, besides their principal wives that were solemnly espoused and endowed, had also another sort who were neither, and yet were wives called by the Hebrews philagsbim, concubines. And such a difference the Romans anciently made between her whom they called matrona, who was only taken in marriage, and her whom they called materfamilias, who was taken also to order and govern the family, and whose children inherited. As may be seen in Aulus Gellius, lxviii. c. 8. wherein' he confutes Ælius Melissus, a conceited grammarian, who had started other ungrounded notions of these words.

And then threescore and fourscore are only a certain number for an uncertain, not the precise number of these wives and concubines. Theodoret thinks by these are mystically intended several ranks of Christians in the church; some more, some less perfect; but they discourse better, in my opinion, who rather accommodate those to the several sorts of heretical and schismatical churches; some of which gloried in the multitude of their followers, and in their wealth and splendour; but Christ hath only one Catholic church, more glorious than them all put together, as it follows here in the next verses. And that in effect, R. Solomon Jarchi, and some other Hebrew expositors, understand these words with application to themselves. Abraham and his posterity, say they, till the descendants from Israel, were threescore in number, (compared here to queens). The sons of Noah, and their descendants unto Abraham, were fourscore, (compared to concubines). The rest who came from Cham, Ishmael, and Esau, could not be comprehended under a certain number. And so the meaning is, Whatsoever kindness God had for the rest of Abraham's posterity, or of Noah's, (not to mention Cham,

Ishmael, and Esau), "yet I have chosen (saith God) my people Israel, whom I have espoused to my. self, by circumcision, and by the law, and by sacrifices," &c.

[i] Ver. 9.] This verse needs not much explication: wherein the spouse is opposed to all the fore-named beauties, who are constrained to confess her pre-eminence. The Hebrew word for one signifies also only ; and an only child is as much as a beloved child; as appears by this, that μovayevus, only-begatten, and yarnris, well-beloved, are words of the same import in the New Testament. And if such an only daughter be also barab, (choice we translate it, or), pure, as the word originally imports, free from all blemish, (that is, a perfect beauty), it makes her still more dearly beloved.

It is in vain to inquire here, who is the mother intended in this place; for his love is only compared to the love of a mother toward such an only daughter, who hath ingrossed, as we speak, all the excellent qualities that are in any other person. Which forced the daughters to admire her, (so saw ber signifies, they looked upon her with admiration), and the queens to bless her, and the concubines to proclaim her praises. Thus it is most likely the latter part of this verse should be interpreted, "the daughters saw her, and the queens blessed her, and the concubines, they praised her." For though the Jews now have otherwise distinguished the words by their accents, yet Maimonides, I observe, distinguishes them, as I have done, in his preface to Seder Zeraim.

St.

Cyprian, from this and such like places of this book, (iv. 8. 12. v. 1.), proves there is but one only holy catholic church, making this observation, (epist. 73.edit. Oxon.), "We see one person every where mentioned, and no more, because the spouse also is one,” &c.

[k] Ver. 20.] This some take to be the beginning of a new part of this song; and Theodoret in particular here begins his fourth book of commentaries upon it; but I look upon these words as the praises and commendations which the queens and concubines before mentioned bestow upon the spouse, with admiration and astonishment at her transcendent beauty.

They need no explication, being of known signification; only it is fit to note, that to make the eulogy more magnificent, the speech grows and increases. For though the morning be very beautiful and agreeable to every eye, yet the moon is still more bright, and the sun far brighter than that; but all the host of heaven (which I take to be meant in the last words) still more wonderful and amazing. For there being a gradation in this place, and all the other expressions relating to the heavens, it is reasonable to think that this doth so too; and that we are to understand by it the armies or host of heaven, (as the scripture calls the stars), rather than armies upon earth. However, I have put both into the paraphrase, but have not meddled with mystical applications; they that desire them,

may look into the commentaries of three Fathers, where this verse is applied to the four degrees of Christians that are in the church. Others, with more reason, apply it to the progress which the church herself made in splendour and greatness; being at first like the morning when the day breaks, after a long night of ignorance; and then the light of Christian knowledge advanced, till the church appeared like the moon, (whose paleness may serve for an emblem of the terrors which persecution struck into their hearts), till in the issue it dispersed all mists, and, conquering all opposition, shone like the sun; and then was settled in Constantine's time, like a wellordered army, which beat down all idolatry. They that would see more of these applications, may look into Commenius's book De Bono Unitatis; in the beginning whereof there are applications of these things, both unto the church in general, and unto particular churches.

[] Ver. 11.] This seems to be the voice of the bridegroom, declaring what returns he expected to his love. The word ago, which we translate nuts, (of which there were several kinds, some very rich, as the pistic), is found only here; and by some is translated shorn or cut, which I have not omitted in my paraphrase. And beibe hannachal, (fruits of the valley), the LXX. translate sboots by the brook, or river, where plants are apt to grow best; which is very agreeable to the original. The rest of the words are common; and the whole verse signifies that he went to look after the fruits of all sorts. The mystical applications may be found in all interpreters.

[m] Ver. 12.] The meaning of this verse seems to be, that the spouse, hearing such high commendations. of herself, both from him, and from the persons mentioned, ver. 10. with great humility saith, that she was not conscious to herself of such perfections, (for so the first words sound in the Hebrew, I did not know it, or I did not think so), but is excited thereby to make the greatest speed to endeavour to preserve this character he had given her, and to go along with him into his garden, (which she had neglected before, v. 2.), there to give a good account of her proficiency. For which end she seems on a sudden to take leave of her friends, (who had been so charitable as to go along with her to seek him), that she might for some time enjoy his company alone; which is the ground of their calling upon her to return, in the next verse. This is the best account I can give of these two last

verses.

It is supposed, Ammi-nadib was some great captain, who pursued his victories, or advantages, very industriously, with very swift chariots. [n] Ver. 13.] This verse is the voice of her companions or friends; some of which wish for her coming back, that they might enjoy her company again, and see how she was improved; and the rest asked what they expected to see in her? to which

the other reply in the last words, " as it were the company," &c.

The repetition of the word return, four times over, expresseth their vehement affection to her, and their desire to have her company again, whom they call Sulamith, as much as to say Jerusalamith; for the name of that place formerly was Salem, which carries peace in its signification, or, as others will have it, perfection, for Shalam, in the second conjugation, signifies to finish, or perfect. And is a fit name here for the church, the New Jerusalem, built by Christ himself. This seems to me a great deal more probable than the conjecture of Menochus, (1. iii. de Repub. Hebr. c. xxi. n. 14.), who, because wives, when they were married, took the name of their husbands, thinks the spouse from Solomon had the name of Sulamith, which Aquila translates girar, pacific, i. e. Solomonidem. The reader may follow which he likes best. Solomon seems to me not to have had respect to his own spouse in this song.

To

see, or look upon her, signifies to enjoy her happy society, and the benefit of her excellent virtues and perfections. Whom, in the two last words, he seems to me to compare unto the choirs of the heavenly hosts. For the word mechola doth not signify any kind of company, but of such as dance or sing; as may be seen in Exod. xv. 20. xxxii. 19. Judg. xi. 34. Jer. xxxi. 4. Lam. v. 15. and many other places. Which shew that it signifies both chorea, a dance, and chorus, the company that dances; and so the LXX. here translate it xogo, choirs. And Mahanaim (which we translate two armies) may as well be a proper name, as Ammi-nadib in the verse foregoing; and relates to the appearance of angels to Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 2. as a token of God's special presence with him, and most lively sets forth the far more glorious presence of God, now in the Christian church. Or if we interpret it armies or hosts, as we do, still it may signify the armies above in the heavens, either the stars or the angels, called "the armies in heaven," Rev. xix. 14. and "army of heaven," Dan, iv. 35.

CHAP. VII.