John Gill Commentary Song of Solomon 5

I am come into my garden, my sister, [my] spouse
This verse should rather have concluded the preceding chapter, being Christ's answer to the church's request, which was speedily and exactly granted as she desired; which shows it was according to the will of Christ, and of which he informs her; for sometimes he is present, when it is not known he is: of the titles used, see (Song of Solomon 4:8Song of Solomon 4:9); and of Christ's coming into his garden, (Song of Solomon 4:16). What he did, when come into it, follows: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice :

to make an ointment of, and anoint his guests with, after invited, as was usual in those times and countries, (Luke 7:38Luke 7:46) (Mark 14:3); "oil of myrrh" is mentioned, (Esther 2:12); These may design, either the sufferings of Christ; which, though like myrrh, bitter to him, are like spice, of a sweet smelling savour, to God and to the saints; the fruits of which, in the salvation of his people, are delightful to himself, and which he is now reaping with pleasure: or the graces of his Spirit in exercise in them, in which Christ delights; see (Song of Solomon 4:13Song of Solomon 4:14); and testifies by his presence; and having got in his harvest, or vintage, as the word ^F17 used signifies, he makes a feast for himself and friends, as was the custom of former times, and now is; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey :

bread with honey, as the Septuagint version, dipped in honey, or honey put upon it; see (Ezekiel 16:13); or the sugar cane with the sugar, as Jarchi, approved by Gussetius ^F18 : the meaning may be, he plucked up a sugar cane and ate the sugar out of it, which is called by Arrianus, (meli kalaminon) , as Cocceius observes; or rather a piece of an honeycomb, full of honey, just taken out of the hive, had in great esteem with the Jews; see (Luke 24:42); the word for "honeycomb" properly signifies wood honey, of which there was plenty in Judea, (1 Samuel 14:25); though this was in a garden, where they might have their hives, as we have. By which may be meant the Gospel and its doctrines, sweeter than the honey and the honeycomb; and, being faithfully dispensed, is pleasing to Christ; I have drunk my wine with my milk ;

a mixture of wine and milk was used by the ancients ^F19 ; and which, Clemens Alexandria says ^F20 , is a very profitable and healthful mixture: by which also may be intended the doctrines of the Gospel, comparable to wine and milk; to the one, for its reviving and cheering quality; to the other, for its nourishing and strengthening nature; see (Isaiah 55:1); and (See Gill on Song of Solomon 4:11), and (See Gill on Song of Solomon 7:9). Here is feast, a variety of sweet, savoury, wholesome food and drink; and all Christ's own, "my" myrrh, "my" spice, &c. as both doctrines and graces be: with which Christ feasts himself, and invites his friends to eat and drink with him: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved ;

the individuals, of which the church consists, are the "friends" who are reconciled to God by the death of Christ, and to himself by his Spirit and grace; and whom he treats as such, by visiting them, and disclosing the secrets of his heart to them, (John 15:14John 15:15); and "beloved", beloved of God, and by Christ and by the saints there is a mutual friendship and love between Christ and his people: and these he invites to eat of the provisions of his house, of all the fruits of his garden, to which they are welcome; and of his love and grace, and all the blessings of it, which exceed the choicest wine; and of which they may drink freely, and without danger; "yea, be inebriated with loves" ^F21 , as the words may be rendered; see (Ephesians 5:18). With the eastern people, it was usual to bid their guests welcome, and solicit them to feed on the provisions before them; as it is with the Chinese now, the master of the house takes care to go about, and encourage them to eat and drink ^F23 .

FOOTNOTES:

• F17: (ytyra) (etrughsa) , Sept. "messui", V. L.
• F18: Comment. Ebr. p. 179, 337.
• F19: "Et nivei lactis pocula mista mero", Tibullus, l. 3. Eleg. 5. v. 34.
• F20: Paedagog. l. 1. c. 6. p. 107.
• F21: (Mydwd wrkvw) "et inebriamini amoribus", Mercerus, Schmidt, Cocceius, so Ainsworth.
• F23: Semedo's History of China, par. c. 1. 13.

I sleep, but my heart wakes
Like persons that are half awake, half asleep, whom Cicero^F24 calls "semisomni". Christ and the church having feasted together at his invitation, she soon after fell asleep, as the disciples did after a repast with their Lord; yet not so fast asleep but that she was sensible of it; for this was not the dead sleep of sin, in which unconverted men are, and are insensible of; nor a judicial slumber some are given up to, and perceive it not, yet a frame of spirit unbecoming saints, and displeasing to Christ; though consistent with grace, which at such a time is not, or very little, in exercise; they are slothful in duty, and backward to it; the phrase is sometimes used to describe a sluggish, slothful man^F25; they are indifferent and lukewarm about divine things, content themselves with the bare externals of religion, without the lively exercise of grace, and without fervency and spirituality in them, and seem willing to continue so; (See Gill on Matthew 25:6); but the church here was not so overcome with sleep but her "heart was awake".

Jarchi, and some ancient Jewish writers^F26, interpret this and the former clause of different persons; the former, "I sleep", of the bride; this, "my heart wakes", of the bridegroom; and then the sense is, though I am in a sleepy frame, he who is "my heart", a phrase used by lovers^F1, my soul, my life, my all, he never slumbers nor sleeps, he watches over me night and day, lest any hurt me; but both clauses are rather to be understood of the same person differently considered, as having two principles of grace and corruption, as the church has, which are represented as two persons; see (Romans 7:18Romans 7:20) (Ephesians 4:22Ephesians 4:24) (Galatians 5:17); as the carnal part in her prevailed, she was the "sleeping I"; as the new man, or principle of grace appeared, her "heart [was] awake"; for, notwithstanding her sleepy frame, she had some thoughts of Christ, and stirring of affection to him; Some convictions of her sin, and some desires of being in her duty perhaps, though overpowered by the fleshly part; the spirit was willing, but the flesh weak.

Christ's response to his church in this case follows, and is observed by her; he spoke to her so loud, that though sleepy she heard him, and owns it, [it is] the voice of my beloved: in the ministration of the Gospel, which is to be distinguished from the voice of a stranger, even when dull and sleepy under hearing it, and little affected with it. Christ was the church's beloved still, had an affection for him, though not thoroughly awaked by his voice, but sleeps on still; this method failing, he takes another, or repeats the same with an additional circumstance, that knocks, saying, "open to me".

This is to be understood not so much of his knocking by the ministry of the word to awaken her out of sleep, but in a providential way, by taking in his hand the rod of affliction, or scourge of persecution, and lashing therewith in order to bring her out of her carnal security; see (Revelation 3:20); and he not only knocked but called, [saying], open to me, open the door to me, and let me in; so lovers are represented as at the door or gate to get admittance, and know not which to call most hard and cruel, the door or their lover^F2: there is an emphasis on the word "me"; me, your Lord, your head, your husband, your friend, that loves you so dearly; to whom her heart was shut, her affections contracted, her desires towards him languid; therefore he importunes her to "open" to him, which denotes an enlarging of her affections to him, an exercise of grace on him, an expression of the desires of her soul to him; which yet could not be done without efficacious grace exerted, as in (Song of Solomon 5:4); but, the more to win upon her, he gives her good words, and the most endearing titles, expressive of love and relation, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled.

These are all made use of before, excepting the last; see (Song of Solomon 1:9Song of Solomon 1:14) (4:9); that is, "my undefiled", which she was, not as a descendant of Adam, nor as in herself, but as washed in the blood of Christ, justified by his righteousness, and sanctified by his Spirit; and as having been enabled by divine grace to preserve her chastity, and keep the "bed undefiled", (Hebrews 13:4); not guilty of spiritual adultery among all her infirmities, even idolatry and superstition; see (Revelation 14:4); or "my perfect one"^F3; not in a legal, but in an evangelical sense, being completely redeemed, perfectly justified, fully pardoned, and sanctified in every part, though not to the highest degree; and perfect in Christ, though not in herself.

Other arguments follow to engage her attention to his request; for head is filled with dew, [and] my locks with the drops of the
night; through standing so long at the door, in the night season, waiting to be let in; so lovers represent their case in such circumstances, as dealt very hardly with^F4: by which may be meant the sufferings of Christ, either in the persons of his ministers, who are exposed to the rage and reproach of men for ministering in his name to the church; or which he endured in his own person, in his estate of humiliation; and particularly in the night he was betrayed, and during the time of darkness he hung upon the cross, when he bore the sins of his people, and his Father's wrath; compared to "dew", and "drops of the night", because of the multitude of them he endured in soul and body, and because so uncomfortable to human nature; though as dew is useful and fructifying to the earth, so were these the means of many fruits and blessings of grace, and of bringing many souls to glory; now though these arguments were expressed in the most strong, moving, and melting language, yet were ineffectual.

FOOTNOTES:

• F24: Familiar. Epist. l. 7. Ep. 1.
• F25: "Qui vigilans dormiat", Plauti Pseudolus, Act. 1. Sc. 3. v. 151.
• F26: Pesikta in Jarchi, & Tanchama in Yalkut in loc.
• F1: "Meum mel, meum cor", Plauti Poenulus, Act. 1. Sc. 2. v. 154, 170, 175. "Meum corculum, melliculum", ibid. Casina, Act. 4. Sc. 4, v. 14.
• F2: "Janua vel domina", &c, Propert. Eleg. 16. v. 17, 18, 19.
• F3: (ytmt) (teleia mou) , Sept. "perfecta mea", Montanus, Tigurine version, Marckius; "integra mea", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Michaelis.
• F4: "Me mediae noctes" Propert. ut supra. (Eleg. 16.) v. 22, &c.

I have put off my coat
In order to lie down on her bed at night, and take her ease; meaning her conversation garments, which she hasnot been careful of to keep, but has betook herself to carnal ease and rest, and was off her watch and guard,(Nehemiah 4:23) (Revelation 16:15) ; and being at ease, and free from trouble, affliction, andpersecution, was unwilling to arise and go with her beloved, lest she should meet with the same trials andsufferings as before, for the sake of him and his Gospel; which may be greatly the sense of her next words;how shall I put it on ?
which suggests an apprehension of difficulty in doing it, it being easier to drop the performance of dutythan to take it up again; and shows slothfulness and sluggishness, being loath and not knowing how to bringherself to it; and an aversion of the carnal and fleshly part unto it; yea, as if she thought it wasunreasonable in Christ to desire it of her, when it was but her reasonable service; or as if she imagined itwas dangerous, and would be detrimental to her rest, and prejudicial to her health; I have washedyour feet ;
as persons used to do when come off of a journey, and about to go to bed ^F5 , being weary; as shewas of spiritual exercises, and of the observance of ordinances and duties, and so betook herself to carnalease, and from which being called argues, how shall I defile them ?
by rising out of bed, and treading on the floor, and going to the door to let her beloved in; as ifhearkening to the voice of Christ, obeying his commands, and taking every proper step to enjoy communion withhim, would be a defiling her; whereas it was the reverse of these that did it: from the whole it appears,that not only these excuses were idle and frivolous, but sinful; she slighted the means Christ made use of toawaken her, by calling and knocking; she sinned against light and knowledge, sleeping on, when she knew itwas the voice of her beloved; she acted a disingenuous part in inviting Christ into his garden, and thenpresently fell asleep; and then endeavoured to shift the blame from herself, as if she was no ways culpable,but what was desired was either difficult, or unreasonable, or unlawful; she appears guilty of greatingratitude, and discovers the height of folly in preferring her present ease to the company of Christ.

FOOTNOTES:

• F5: Homer. Odyss. 19. v. 317.

My beloved put in his hand by the hole [of the door]
To remove the bolt or bar which kept him from entering in. By the "door" is meant the door of her heart, which was in a great measure shut against Christ, through the prevalence of corruption; and the "hole" in it shows that it was not entirely shut up, there was a little love broke out from her to him; a little light broke in from him upon her; but her heart was much narrowed and straitened, her grace low in exercise, yet there were some faith, some love.

Wherefore Christ takes the advantage of the little hole or crevice there was, and "put in his hand"; which is to be understood of powerful and efficacious grace, and the exertion of it on her.

This is as necessary to awake a drowsy saint, and reclaim a backsliding professor, and to quicken to the exercise of grace, and performance of duty, as to the conversion of a sinner, (Acts 11:22).

And this is a proof of the greatness of Christ's love to his church; that notwithstanding her rude carriage to him, he does not utterly forsake her, but left something behind that wrought upon her; as well as of his mighty power, in that what calls, knocks, raps, good words, and melting language, could not do, his hand did at once.

and my bowels were moved for him ;
the passions of her soul; her grief and sorrow for sin, in using him in so ill a manner; her shame for being guilty of such ingratitude; her fear lest he should utterly depart from her; her love, which had been chill and cold, now began to kindle and appear in flames; her heart, and the desires of it, were in motion towards him; and a hearty concern appeared that he should be used so unfriendly by her; that his company and communion with him should be slighted, who had so greatly loved her, and endured so much for her; other effects follow.

I rose up to open to my beloved
As soon as touched by the hand of mighty grace, she not only resolved to rise, but actually rose, and that directly, not being easy to lie any longer on her bed of carnal security; being now made heartily and thoroughly willing to let in her beloved, who she supposed was still at the door; but in that she was mistaken; however she met with a rich experience of his grace and goodness;

and my hands dropped [with] myrrh, and my fingers [with] sweet
smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock ;
when she put her hand upon it to draw it back, and let her beloved in; the myrrh, which he had gathered, (Song of Solomon 5:1) , and left there when he put in his hand at the hole of the door: the allusion seems to be to lovers shut out, who used to cover the threshold of the door with flowers, and anoint the door posts with sweet smelling ointment ^F6 :

as by the "door" is meant the heart of the church, so by the "lock", which fastened and kept it shut, unbelief may be designed; and by the "handles" of it lukewarmness and sluggishness, which strengthen unbelief, and keep the heart closer shut against Christ; and by her "hands" and "fingers", faith in exercise, attended with the fruits of it, attempting to draw back the lock of unbelief; which while the church was trying to do, she met with some fresh experience of the grace of Christ:

her "hands [and] fingers dropped with sweet smelling myrrh, passing" or "current" ^F7 ; such as weeps and drops from the tree of itself, and, being liquid, runs upon and overflows the hands and fingers; and being excellent and valuable, is passing or current as money; and the odour of it diffusive, it passes afar off: now this is either to be understood of myrrh brought by the church, a pot of ointment of it to anoint her beloved with, who had been long waiting at her door in the night season, to refresh him with it; and this pot being broke unawares, or designedly, or being in a panic her hands shook, the myrrh run over her hands and fingers as she was drawing back the lock; which may denote that her grace was now in exercise and on the flow, in great abundance; which put her on her duty, and which became odorous and acceptable to Christ: or it may signify myrrh brought and left there by Christ; and may express the abundance of grace from him, communicated by him, to draw and allure her to him, to supple and soften her hard heart, to take off the stiffness of her will, and the rustiness of her affections, and make the lock of unbelief draw back easier, and so open a way for himself into her heart; and to excite grace in her, her faith and love, and cause her to come forth in exercise on him: and her hands and fingers "dropping" herewith shows that all the grace a believer has is from Christ, from whom, in the way of his duty, he receives a large measure of it: while the church was on her bed of sloth there was no flow of sweet smelling myrrh; but, now she is up and doing her duty, her hands and fingers are overflowed with it.

FOOTNOTES:

• F6: "At lachrymans exclusus amator,----posteisque superbos unguit amaracino", Lucret. l. 4. prope finem.
• F7: (rbe rwm) "myrrham transeuntem", Pagninus, Montanus "probam", Tigurine version; "lachrymantem", Bochart; "quam Dioscorides vocat Myrrham Galiraeam".