John Gill Commentary Song of Solomon 1

The Song of songs, which [is] Solomon's. Written by Solomon, king of Israel, as the "amanuensis" of the Holy Ghost; and not by Hezekiah and his men, as the Jews say ^F11 : or, "concerning Solomon"; Christ, of whom Solomon was a type; see (Song of Solomon 3:7); of his person, excellencies, love to his church, care of her, and concern for her; and of the nearness and communion he admitted her to, and indulged her with. The Jews have a saying ^F13 , that wherever the word Solomon is used in this song, the Holy One is meant, the holy God, or Messiah:

It is called "the Song of songs", because the most excellent, as the Holy of holies, King of kings which, with the Hebrews, express a superlative; this being more excellent than the one hundred and five songs, written by Solomon, or than any human composure whatever; yea, preferable to all Scriptural songs, as to subject, manner of style, and copiousness of it.

FOOTNOTES:

• F11: T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 15. 1.
• F13: Maimon. Yesode Hatorah, c. 6. s. 12.

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth
That is, Solomon; Christ, the antitype of Solomon, the church's beloved; or it is a relative without an antecedent, which was only in her own mind, "let him"; him, whom her thoughts were so much employed about; her affections were so strongly after; and whose image was as it were before her, present to her mind.

And "the kisses of his mouth", she desires, intend some fresh manifestations and discoveries of his love to her; by some precious word of promise from his mouth, applied to her; and by an open espousal of her, and the consummation of marriage with her. It may be rendered, "with one of the kisses of his mouth" {n}; kisses with the ancients were very rare, and used but once when persons were espoused, and as a token of that; and then they were reckoned as husband and wife ^F15.

On which account, it may be, it is here desired; since it was after this we hear of the spouse being brought into the nuptial chamber, and of the keeping of the nuptial feast, (Song of Solomon 1:4Song of Solomon 1:12) ; for your love [is] better than wine ;
or "loves" ^F16 ; which may denote the abundance of it; the many blessings of grace which flow from it; and the various ways in which it is expressed; as well as the high esteem the church had of it.

This is said to be "better than wine"; for the antiquity of it, it being from everlasting; and for the purity of it, being free from all dregs of dissimulation and deceit on the part of Christ, and from all merit, motives, and conditions, on the part of the church; for its plenty, being shed plenteously in the hearts of believers, and who may drink abundantly of it; and for its freeness and cheapness, being to be had without money and without price; and it is preferable to wine for the effects of it; which not only revives and cheers heavy hearts, but quickens dead sinners, and comforts distressed saints; and of which they may drink plentifully, without hurt, yea, to great advantage.

FOOTNOTES:

• F15: Salmuth. in Pancirol. Memorab. Rer. par. 1. tit. 46. p. 215.
• F16: (Kydd) "amores tui", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator

Because of the savour of your good ointments
It was usual for lovers to anoint themselves, their hair, garments to commend themselves to each other; and it was common to commend each other's ointments, and the grateful smell of them ^F17 none being like them, or so agreeable as theirs: by these ointments may be meant the grace of Christ, the fulness of it, the oil of gladness with which he is anointed above his fellows, and without measure; and which so greatly recommends him to his church and people, (Psalms 45:7) (John 1:14) ;

your name [is as] ointment poured forth ;
which emits the greater odour for its being poured forth out of the box. The very names of lovers are dear to one another, sweeter than nectar itself ^F18 ; the very mention of them gives an inexpressible pleasure. This may respect not merely the fame of Christ spread abroad in the world through the ministry of the word; nor the Gospel only, which is his name, (Acts 9:15) ; and is like a box of ointment broke open, which diffuses the savour of his knowledge everywhere; but some precious name of his, as Immanuel, God with us; Jesus, a Saviour; but more particularly his name Messiah, which signifies anointed, the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King of his church;

therefore do the virgins love you :
for the preciousness of his person, the fulness of grace in him, and the truths of his Gospel: and which love shows itself in a desire of his presence, and communion with him; in a regard to his word and worship, to his truths and ordinances; and to his people, to conversation and communion with them. By these virgins are meant either congregational churches that strictly adhere to Christ, and to his pure worship; or particular believers, for their inviolate attachment to him; for the singleness and sincerity of their love to him; for their uncorruptness in the doctrine of faith; for the truth and spirituality of their worship; for the purity of their lives and conversations; for their beauty and comeliness through Christ; for their colourful and costly attire, being clothed with his righteousness; and for their modest behaviour, having the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.

FOOTNOTES:

• F17: "Nam omuium unguentum odos prae tua nautea est", Plauti Curculio, Act. 1. Sc. 2. v. 5.
• F18: "Nomen nectari dulcius beato", Martial. l. 9. Epigr. 9.

Draw meWith the cords of love, for what draws lovers to each other more strongly? Under the influence of that they cannot bear to be without each other's company. Aben Ezra takes these words to be spoken by the virgins, who everyone of them said this, promising upon it to follow after the drawer; but they are rather the request of the church, desirous of nearer and more intimate communion with Christ; for this is not to be understood of drawing at first conversion, as the fruit of love, and under the influence of grace, (Jeremiah 31:3) (John 6:44) ; but of being brought nearer to Christ, and to enjoy more of him.

we will run after thee;the church and the virgins, she and her companions, or particular believers; everyone of them in their respective stations would act with more rigour upon such drawings; would run in a way of duty, follow Christ, and walk in his steps; and as they had him for an example, and according to his word, and in the ways of his commandments: or "that we may run after thee" ^F19; intimating that there is no running without drawing; no following Christ, at least no running after him with alacrity and cheerfulness, without being drawn by his love, and influenced by his grace.

the King has brought me into his chambers;the blessing she sought after, and was so solicitous for in the preceding verses; namely, to have the marriage consummated, to be owned by Christ as his spouse and bride, by taking her home, and introducing her into the nuptial chamber; by putting her into the enjoyment of himself, and the possession of his substance: and this being done by him as King of saints, yes, of the world, showed great condescension on his part, and great honour bestowed on her; since by this act, as he was King, she was declared queen!

we will be glad and rejoice in thee;she and her bridesmaids, the virgins that attended her; that is, "when he should introduce" her into his chambers, as some ^F20 render the words; then they should express their joy and gladness on that occasion; and that in the greatness, glory, and fitness of his person; in the fulness of grace in him; in the blessings of grace from him; in what he has done for, and is to his church and people; in the offices he bears, and in the relations he stands in to them; and particularly that of a husband, now declared.

we will remember your love more than wine;which, upon the introduction of the bride to the bridegroom, might be plentifully drank; of the preferableness of Christ's love to wine, (See Gill on Song of Solomon 1:2); it may design more particularly the love of Christ, expressed at this time of solemnizing the marriage between him and his church in an open manner, (Hosea 2:19) ; and which would never be forgotten: Christ's love is remembered when thought of and meditated upon; when faith is exercised on it, and the desires of the soul are drawn after it, and the affections set upon it; and when it is often spoken of to others, being uppermost in the mind; saints under the Gospel dispensation have an ordinance for this purpose, to commemorate the love of Christ.

the upright love thee;or "uprightnesses" ^F21; men of upright hearts and conversations, who have right spirits renewed in them; or Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile; who have the truth of grace in them, walk uprightly according to the rule of God's word, and the Gospel of Christ; and do all they do sincerely, from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God; such love Christ superlatively, sincerely, fervently, and constantly; and "love [him] rightly", or "most uprightly", as some ^F23 render the phrase.

FOOTNOTES:

• F19: (huwrn) "ut carramus", so some in Marekius.
• F20: "Quum introduxerit me", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, so Schmidt.
• F21: (Myrvym) (euyuthv) , Sept. "rectitudines", Montanus, Vatablus, Marekius, Michaeilis, so some in Vatablus.
• F23: Junius & Tremellius; so Cocceius and Jarchi.

I [am] black, but comely, O you daughters of Jerusalem
The church having obtained of Christ, what she wanted, turns to the daughters of Jerusalem, the same perhaps with the virgins her companions; they seem to be young converts, it may be not yet members of the visible church, but had a great respect for the church, and she for them; and who, though they had but a small knowledge of Christ her beloved, yet were desirous of knowing more of him, and seeking him with her; see (Song of Solomon 3:9–11) (Song of Solomon 5:8Song of Solomon 5:9) (6:1) ; to these she gives this character of herself, that she was "black" in herself ^F24 , through original sin and actual transgression; in her own eyes, through indwelling sin, and many infirmities, spots, and blemishes in life; and in the eyes of the world, through afflictions, persecutions, and reproaches, she was attended with, and so with them the offscouring of all things: "but comely" in the eyes of Christ, called by him his "fair one", the "fairest among women", and even "all fair", (Song of Solomon 1:8Song of Solomon 1:15) (4:7) ; through his comeliness put upon her, the imputation of his righteousness to her; through the beauties of holiness upon her; through the sanctifying influences of his Spirit; and, being in a church state, walking in Gospel order, attending to the commands and ordinances of Christ; and so beautiful as Tirzah, and comely as Jerusalem, (Song of Solomon 6:4) ; and upon all accounts "desirable" ^F25 to Christ, and to his people, as the word may be rendered;

as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon :
each of which are thought by some to refer to both parts of her character; and suppose that the tents of Kedar, though they might look poor on the outside, were full of wealth and riches within; and Solomon's curtains, or hangings, might have an outward covering not so rich and beautiful as they were on the inside; but rather the blackness of the church is designed by the one, and her comeliness by the other. With respect to her blackness, she compares herself to the tents of Kedar, to the inhabitants of those tents, who were of a black or swarthy complexion; Kedar signifies the name of a man whose posterity these were, that dwelt in tents, even of Kedar the second son of Ishmael, and who inhabited some part of Arabia; and, their employment being to feed cattle, moved from place to place for the sake of pasturage, and so dwelt in tents, which they could easily remove, and hence were called Scenites; and the tents they dwelt in being made of hair cloth, and continually exposed to the sun and rain, were very black, and yet a number of them made a fine appearance, as Dr. Shaw relates ^F26 ; he says, "the Bedouin Arabs at this day live in tents called "hhymes", from the shelter which they afford the inhabitants; and "beet el shaar", that is, "houses of hair", from the materials or webs of goats' hair whereof they were made; and are such hair cloth as our coal sacks are made of; the colour of them is beautifully alluded to, (Song of Solomon 1:5) ; for nothing certainly can afford (says he) a more delightful prospect than a large extensive plain, whether in its verdure, or even scorched up by the sunbeams, than these movable habitations pitched in circles upon them; of which (he says) he has seen from three to three hundred."

And for her comeliness the church compares herself either to the curtains of Solomon, about his bed, or to the rich hangings of tapestry in the several apartments of his palace, which no doubt were very costly and magnificent.

FOOTNOTES:

• F24: "Nigra per naturam, formosa per gratiam", Aug. de Tempore, serm. 201. p. 354. tom. 10. "Fusca per culpam, decora per gratiam", Ambros. in Psal. cxviii. octon. 2. col. 881. tom. 2.
• F25: (hwan) "optabilis", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Mercerus; so Aben Ezra.
• F26: Travels, p. 220. edit. 2. See Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 28. Solin. Polyhist. c. 46.