Albert Barnes Commentary Song Of Solomon 1:9-14

"I have compared thee, O my love, To a steed in Pharaoh`s chariots. Thy cheeks are comely with plaits [of hair], Thy neck with strings of jewels. We will make thee plaits of gold With studs of silver. While the king sat at his table, My spikenard sent forth its fragrance. My beloved is unto me [as] a bundle of myrrh, That lieth betwixt my breasts. My beloved is unto me [as] a cluster of henna-flowers In the vineyards of En-gedi." — Song Of Solomon 1:9-14 (ASV)

Ancient commentators, both Jewish and Christian, have regarded this section and the next (Song of Solomon 1:2–15:7) as expressing the "love of espousals" (Jeremiah 2:2) between the Holy One and His Church.

This love is seen first in the context of the wilderness of the Exodus, and then in the wilderness of the world (Ezekiel 20:35–36).

Song of Solomon 1:9

The verse can be translated: "I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots." (The term for "my love" is the feminine form of the word translated as "friend" in Song of Solomon 5:16.) The comparison of the bride to a beautiful horse is remarkably similar to one in the writings of Theocritus. Some have speculated that the Greek poet may have borrowed these thoughts from the Song of Solomon after reading the Septuagint version in Alexandria. If this is true, it would be the first known instance of sacred literature influencing secular literature.

This simile is especially fitting from the lips or pen of Solomon, who was the first to import horses and chariots from Egypt (1 Kings 10:28–29). When applied to the bride, the image conveys the stately and imposing character of her beauty.

Song of Solomon 1:10–11

Rows ... borders — The same Hebrew word is used in both places. It refers to ornaments for the bride's headdress, likely strings of beads or similar decorations that descended along her cheeks.

The introduction of "jewels" and "gold" in Song of Solomon 1:10 damages the meaning and weakens the climax of Song of Solomon 1:11. Verse 11 is spoken by a chorus—hence the use of "we" instead of "I," which is used when the king speaks (Song of Solomon 1:9). The chorus promises the bride ornaments more worthy and fitting than the rustic attire in which she already so charms the king: "We will make you ornaments of gold, with studs of silver."

These "studs" are small silver ornaments proposed to be added to the golden ones , or to replace the strung beads of the bride's necklace.

Song of Solomon 1:12–14

The bride's reply in Song of Solomon 1:12 may be understood to mean, "While the king reclines at the banquet, I anoint him with my costliest perfume; but he himself is an even sweeter fragrance to me" (Song of Solomon 1:13–14). According to Origen's interpretation, the bride portrays herself as anointing the king with her most precious ointments, similar to Mary in John 12:3.

Spikenard — This was a highly esteemed ointment in the ancient world, which retained its Indian name in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. It is obtained from an Indian plant now called "jatamansi."

Song of Solomon 1:13

This verse can be translated as: "A sachet of myrrh is my beloved to me, resting all night between my breasts."

Song of Solomon 1:14

Camphire — This word is better translated from the Hebrew כפר (kopher), from which the name "cyprus" is likely derived (this is sometimes misspelled as "cypress" in the margins of older Bibles). This was the name by which the plant, called "henna" by the Arabs, was known to the Greeks and Romans. It is still highly valued throughout the East for the fragrance of its flowers and the dye extracted from its leaves. Engedi was famous for its vineyards, and the henna plant may have been cultivated alongside the vines in the same enclosures.