Charles Ellicott Commentary Song Of Solomon 4:14

"Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; Myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices." — Song Of Solomon 4:14 (ASV)

Spikenard. —See Note on Song of Solomon 1:12. Saffron; Heb. carchom; only here. The Arabic name is still kûrkûm, which is Crocus sativus, a well-known bulb of the order Iridaceae. The pistil and stigma, dried, form the saffron.

Calamus. —Heb. kâneh. (Compare kâneh bosem, meaning sweet calamus, Exodus 30:23; and k. hottôv, meaning sweet cane, Jeremiah 6:20.) Many sweet grasses are found in India and the East. Andropogon calamus aromaticus has been identified (by Royle) with the “reed of fragrance” from Exodus and Jeremiah’s “good reed from a far country,” but this identification should not be accepted without question. (See Bible Educator, Vol. I, p. 245.)

Cinnamon. —Heb. kinnamôn probably included Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon) and Cinnamomum cassia (Cassia lignea). (See Bible Educator, Vol. I, p. 245.) The rind of the plant is the “cinnamon” in use. The plant belongs to the laurel family and grows in Ceylon, on the Malabar coast, and in the East Indian Islands. It reaches a height of twenty to thirty feet, has numerous boughs, and bears leaves that are scarlet when young but change to bright green, along with white blossoms.

Aloes. —See Note on Numbers 24:6.

With all the chief spices. —“That in your sweet all sweets encloses” (H. Constable).