Song of Solomon6
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1 Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither hath thy beloved turned him, That we may seek him with thee?
2 My beloved is gone down to his garden, To the beds of spices, To feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
3 I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: He feedeth his flock among the lilies.
4 Thou art fair, O my love, as Tirzah, Comely as Jerusalem, Terrible as an army with banners.
5 Turn away thine eyes from me, For they have overcome me. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of Gilead.
6 Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes, Which are come up from the washing; Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them.
7 Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind thy veil.
8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, And virgins without number.
9 My dove, my undefiled, is but one; She is the only one of her mother; She is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Terrible as an army with banners?
11 I went down into the garden of nuts, To see the green plants of the valley, To see whether the vine budded, And the pomegranates were in flower.
12 Before I was aware, my soul set me Among the chariots of my princely people.
13 Return, return, O Shulammite; Return, return, that we may look upon thee. Why will ye look upon the Shulammite, As upon the dance of Mahanaim?
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Song of Solomon 6Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Song of Solomon 6. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Inquiry where Christ must be sought. (1) . Where Christ may be found. (2,3) . Christ's commendations of the church. (4-10) . The work of grace in the believer. (11-13).
v1
Those made acquainted with the excellences of Christ, and the comfort of an interest in him, desire to know where they may meet him. Those who would find Christ, must seek him early and diligently.
vv2-3
Christ's church is a garden, enclosed, and separated from the world; he takes care of it, delights in it, and visits it. Those who would find Christ, must attend him in his ordinances, the word, sacraments, and prayer. When Christ comes to his church, it is to entertain his friends. And to take believers to himself: he picks the lilies one by one; and at the great day he will send forth his angels to gather all his lilies, that he may be for ever admired in them. The death of a believer is not more than the owner of a garden plucking a favourite flower; and He will preserve it from withering, yea, cause it to flourish for ever, with increasing beauty. If our own hearts can witness for us that we are Christ's, question not his being ours, for the covenant never breaks on his side. It is the comfort of the church, that he feeds among the lilies, that he takes delight in his people.
vv4-10
All the real excellence and holiness on earth centre in the church. Christ goes forth subduing his enemies, while his followers gain victories over the world, the flesh, and the devil. He shows the tenderness of a Redeemer, the delight he takes in his redeemed people, and the workings of his own grace in them. True believers alone can possess the beauty of holiness. And when their real character is known, it will be commended. Both the church and believers, at their first conversion, look forth as the morning, their light being small, but increasing. As to their sanctification, they are fair as the moon, deriving all their light, grace, and holiness from Christ; and as to justification, clear as the sun, clothed with Christ, the Sun of righteousness, and fighting the good fight of faith, under the banners of Christ, against all spiritual enemies.
Key Words
אָן: where?; hence, whither?, when?; also hither and thither
דּוֹד: (figuratively) to love; by implication, a love-token, lover, friend; specifically an uncle
הָלַךְ: to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
יָפֶה: beautiful (literally or figuratively)
אִשָּׁה: a woman
פָּנָה: to turn; by implication, to face, i.e. appear, look, etc.
בָּקַשׁ: to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after
עִם: adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)
יָרַד: to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications)
גַּן: a garden (as fenced)
Cross References
Song of Solomon 6The 'only one of her mother' identified as the 'Jerusalem above, the mother of us all'.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Tirzah as a beautiful royal city and capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Jerusalem praised as the perfection of beauty and comeliness.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The spiritual power of faith that 'overcomes' or prevails with God, like Jacob.
Supported by JFB
The path of the just compared to the shining light of morning, growing to perfect day.
Supported by JFB
The woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet; celestial beauty of the church.
Supported by JFB
The nations seeking the Lord, matching the daughters asking to seek the Beloved with the Bride.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The church as an army equipped with spiritual, not carnal, weapons.
Supported by JFB
Contrast with Solomon's many literal queens and concubines who violated the marriage law.
Supported by JFB
The uniqueness and blessedness of Israel (the Church) as a people saved by the Lord.
Supported by JFB
Christ's presence promised in the midst of his gathered local assemblies (the gardens).
Supported by Matthew Poole
One fold and one Shepherd, explaining the unity of the Shulamite as 'the company of two armies'.
Supported by JFB