Albert Barnes Commentary


Albert Barnes Commentary
"His hands are [as] rings of gold set with beryl: His body is [as] ivory work overlaid [with] sapphires." — Song Of Solomon 5:14 (ASV)
His hands... — His hands are golden rings or cylinders. The fingers of the bent or closed hand are compared to a massive ring or set of rings; or, if outstretched or straightened, to a row of golden rods or cylinders.
The beryl — The “tarshish” , probably the chrysolite of the ancients (so called from its gold color), which is the modern topaz.
His belly... — His body (the Hebrew term applies to the whole body, from the shoulders to the thighs) is a piece of ivory workmanship overlaid with sapphires. The sapphire of the ancients seems to have been lapis lazuli.