| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 The Song of Songs, that [is] Solomon's. |
Song of songs – Harmony of harmonies. R4232:1*, R1517:4
Although Solomon's songs were 1005 (1 Kings 4:32) they were not all deemed of the Lord worthy of preservation as a portion of the sacred Scriptures. R2053:4
The figurative expressions of Solomon's Song should not be allowed to exercise fanciful impressions upon our minds of physical or sensuous manifestations of our heavenly Bridegroom's love and care. R4562:2*
Which Is Solomon's – Type of Christ in glory, as David was a type of Christ in the flesh. R4232:1*
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| 2 Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth, For better [are] thy loves than wine. |
Let him kiss me – A form of salutation which has always signified closest fellowship. R4232:1*
With the kisses – The oft repeated endearments. R4232:1*
Of his mouth – Full heart recognition of the exceeding great and precious promises and their application to oneself. R4562:2*
Does not indicate a physical manifestation of Christ's care. R4562:2*
Of his Word, the Scriptures. R4232:1*
For thy love – Thy caresses, the repeated assurances of guidance, protection, companionship, love and care. R4232:1*
Is better than wine --Symbol of doctrine. R5633:2, R4232:1*
The Lord's assurances of love are even more precious to the Church than are the precious doctrines so vital to her happiness. R4232:1*
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| 3 For fragrance [are] thy perfumes good. Perfume emptied out thy name, Therefore have virgins loved thee! |
Because of the savour – Sweet perfume. R4232:2*
Good ointments – The holy Spirit, composed of myrrh (wisdom), cinnamon (understanding), calamus (knowledge), cassia (deputyship), the holy anointing oil of the priesthood. R4232:2*
Thy name – Christ, which means "anointed." R4232:2*
Is as ointment – Symbol of the holy Spirit. T37
Poured forth – At his baptism, upon the Head; at Pentecost, on the Body. R4232:2*
Therefore – Because of their admiration and appreciation of Christ's holy Spirit. R4232:2*
Do the virgins – The pure in heart. R4232:2*
Love thee – Seek fellowship with thee, aspire to learn of thee, to cultivate thy graces, to be near thee. R4232:2*
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| 4 Draw me: after thee we run, The king hath brought me into his inner chambers, We do joy and rejoice in thee, We mention thy loves more than wine, Uprightly they have loved thee! |
Draw me – "No man can come to me except the Father draw him." (John 6:44) R4232:2*
We will run – Run with patience the race set before us; run for the prize (Heb. 12:1); so run that we may obtain. R4232:2*
After thee – The forerunner, the Head, that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Col. 1:18) R4232:3*
The king – The Lord Jesus, typified by Solomon. R4232:3*
Hath brought me – Even in the present life. R4232:3*
Into his chambers – Into the "Holy," the spirit-begotten condition. R4232:3*
We will be glad – "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous." (Psa. 32:11) R4232:4*
And rejoice in thee – "And again I say, rejoice." (Phil. 4:4) R4232:4*
We will remember – Will meditate upon, think of. R4232:4*
Thy love – Thy caresses, assurances of guidance, protection, companionship, love and care. R4232:4*
More than wine – More even than the doctrines so precious to us. R4232:4*
The upright – Those without deceit, the guileless, the pure-hearted. R4232:4*
Love thee – Seek fellowship with thee, aspire to learn of thee, to cultivate thy graces, to be near thee. R4232:4*
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| 5 Dark [am] I, and comely, daughters of Jerusalem, As tents of Kedar, as curtains of Solomon. |
I am black – The Ethiopian eunuch to whom Philip was sent was a black man. (Acts 8:27) The Queen of Sheba is presumed to have been a Negress. R3043:1; HG508:4
The bride of Moses, Zipporah, type of the Bride of Christ, was an Ethiopian woman. R4232:4*
But comely – The King's daughter is all glorious within (Psa. 45:13); her intentions are pure, spotless in God's sight. R4232:4*
O ye daughters – Professed children. R4232:4*
Of Jerusalem – Symbol of the Kingdom of God. A296; R4232:5*
Tents of Kedar – Kedar was one of the children of Ishmael. Their tents, though outwardly weather beaten, were often extremely luxurious inside, being hung with costly tapestries. R4232:5*
Curtains – Between the Holy and the Most Holy. R4232:5*
Of Solomon – Of Solomon's Temple. A similar one in Herod's Temple was a most wonderful curtain, being some 30 feet long, 15 feet wide and 5 inches thick. R4232:5*
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| 6 Fear me not, because I [am] very dark, Because the sun hath scorched me, The sons of my mother were angry with me, They made me keeper of the vineyards, My vineyard my own I have not kept. |
Look not upon me – "Look not so upon me" (Leeser); the Church kindly expostulates with her critics. R4232:5*
Because I am black – "Because I am somewhat black" (Leeser). The Church does not deny her imperfections, but is not disposed to admit the contentions of her faultfinders that she is altogether worthless. R4232:5*
Because the sun – The searching light of the true Gospel which exposes every defect. R4232:5*
Hath looked upon me --Judgment must begin at the house of God. God's Word fearlessly exposes the weaknesses of every noble character whose life is there recorded. R4232:5*
That is to say, the sun hath made me black. HG509:5
My mother's children – Sitting and speaking against their brother, their own mother's son. R4232:5*
Were angry with me – "The brother shall betray the brother to death." (Matt. 10:21) R4232:6*
"Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake." (Isa. 66:5) R4232:6*
They made me – Elected me, appointed me. R4232:6*
Keeper – Class leader, Sunday School teacher, etc. R4232:6*
Of the vineyards – Sunday Schools, Christian Endeavor Societies, etc. R4232:6*
But mine own vineyard – The cultivation of the true vine. "I am the vine, ye are the branches. " (John 15:1) R4232:6*
Have I not kept – Because my Father is the husbandman. (John 15:1) R4232:6*
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| 7 Declare to me, thou whom my soul hath loved, Where thou delightest, Where thou liest down at noon, For why am I as one veiled, By the ranks of thy companions |
My soul – Being's affections. R205:3
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| 8 If thou knowest not, O fair among women, Get thee forth by the traces of the flock, And feed thy kids by the shepherds' dwellings! |
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| 9 To my joyous one in chariots of Pharaoh, I have compared thee, my friend, |
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| 10 Comely have been thy cheeks with garlands, Thy neck with chains. |
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| 11 Garlands of gold we do make for thee, With studs of silver! |
Borders of gold – Symbol of the divine nature. T18
With studs of silver – Symbol of truth. T114
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| 12 While the king [is] in his circle, My spikenard hath given its fragrance. |
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| 13 A bundle of myrrh [is] my beloved to me, Between my breasts it lodgeth. |
A bundle of myrrh – Symbol of wisdom. R4093:2*
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| 14 A cluster of cypress [is] my beloved to me, In the vineyards of En-Gedi! |
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| 15 Lo, thou [art] fair, my friend, Lo, thou [art] fair, thine eyes [are] doves! |
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| 16 Lo, thou [art] fair, my love, yea, pleasant, Yea, our couch [is] green, |
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| 17 The beams of our houses [are] cedars, Our rafters [are] firs, I [am] a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys! |
Are cedar – An everlasting tree, symbol of everlasting life. T109; R1364:5
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