Song of Solomon 8

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1If only you were to me like a brother, who was nursed at my mother's breasts! Then, if I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me.

2I would lead you and bring you to my mother's house– she who has taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates.

3His left arm is under my head and his right arm embraces me.

4Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.

5Who is this coming up from the desert leaning on her lover? Under the apple tree I roused you; there your mother conceived you, there she who was in labor gave you birth.

6Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

7Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.

8We have a young sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister for the day she is spoken for?

9If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

10I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. Thus I have become in his eyes like one bringing contentment.

11Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon; he let out his vineyard to tenants. Each was to bring for its fruit a thousand shekels of silver.

12But my own vineyard is mine to give; the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon, and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.

13You who dwell in the gardens with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice!

14Come away, my lover, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the spice-laden mountains.

Commentary

"\nO that thou [wert] as my brother,.... Or, "who will give thee as a brother to me?" {q} an usual form of wishing, De 5:29\n Ps 14:7. The church here not only requests that Christ would be like a brother to her, but appear to be really one, and to act the part of one towards her; with whom she might as freely converse as brother and sister may. Several Jewish {r} writers own, that the King Messiah is intended here; and in such a relation Christ does stand to his church and people, by virtue of his incarnation, Heb 2:11; hence many of the ancients take this to be a wish of the Jewish church, for the coming of Christ in the flesh; and also through their adoption, he and they having one Father, Joh 20:17; and by being of a like nature, disposition, and practice, Mt 12:50; as well as on the score of love and friendship, Pr 18:24; and this relation Christ fills up, by the intimacy and familiarity he uses them with; by his compassion on them, and sympathy with them, in all their afflictions; by the help, aid, and relief, he gives them; by his condescension to their weaknesses, and by his great love and affection for them. As a further description of him as a brother, it is added,\n\nthat sucked the breasts of my mother; which may denote the truth and reality of Christ's incarnation, being a sucking infant: and the near relation of Christ to his people, being a brother by the mother's side, reckoned the nearest, and their affection to each other the strongest: by her "mother" may be meant Jerusalem above, the mother of us all; and, by her "breasts", the ordinances, of which Christ, as man, partook when on earth, and now may be said to suck, as formed in the hearts of his people;\n\n[when] I should find thee without; or, "in the street" {s}; in public ordinances, where Christ is to be found; or outside of Judea, in the Gentile world, where, after his coming in the flesh, his Gospel was preached, the ordinances administered, and he was there to be found; or in the most public place and manner, where she should not be ashamed to own him, his truths and ordinances, before men;\n\nI would kiss thee; not only with a kiss of approbation, Pr 24:16; but of love and affection, of faith and confidence, of homage and subjection, of worship and adoration; see Ps 2:12; this is an usage with relations and friends, brothers and sisters, at meeting; hence Heunischius refers this to the time when the saints shall meet Christ in the clouds, who will be admitted to the nearest embraces of him, with unspeakable pleasure, and enjoy him to all eternity;\n\nyea, I should not be despised; for taking such freedom with Christ, her brother. Or, "they would not despise me" {t}; neither men nor angels, for such an action, and still less God, the Father, Son, and Spirit; which she might conclude from the relation between them, it being no more unseemly than for a sister to use such freedom with an own brother, even in the street; and from the reception she had reason to believe she should meet with from Christ: who would not turn away his face from her, when she offered to kiss him, which would occasion shame and blushing. The whole expresses her boldness in professing Christ, without fear or shame, in the most public manner.\n\n{q} \u05de\u05d9 \u05d9\u05ea\u05e0\u05da "quis det te?" Pagninus, Montanus, Marckius. {r} Targum in loc. Zohar in Gen. fol. 104. 1. Tzeror Hammor, fol. 73. 3. Caphtor Uperah, fol. 5. 2. {s} \u05d1\u05d7\u05d5\u05e5 "in platen", Montanus, Brightman, Marckius; "in publico", Cocceius, Michaelis. {t} \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05d1\u05d6\u05d9 \u05dc\u05d9 "non contemnent, vel contemnerent me", Montanus, Brightman, Marckius.\n\n\n\n "

CHAPTER 8So 8:1-14.1. He had been a brother already. Why, then, this prayer here? It refers to the time after His resurrection, when the previous outward intimacy with Him was no longer allowed, but it was implied it should be renewed at the second coming (Joh 20:17). For this the Church here prays; meanwhile she enjoys inward spiritual communion with Him. The last who ever "kissed" Jesus Christ on earth was the traitor Judas. The bride's return with the King to her mother's house answers to Ac 8:25, after the mission to Samaria. The rest spoken of (So 8:4) answers to Ac 9:31.that sucked … mother—a brother born of the same mother; the closest tie.

2. Her desire to bring Him into her home circle (Joh 1:41).who would instruct me—rather, "thou wouldest instruct me," namely, how I might best please thee (Isa 11:2, 3; 50:4; Lu 12:12; Joh 14:26; 16:13).spiced wine—seasoned with aromatic perfumes. Jesus Christ ought to have our choicest gifts. Spices are never introduced in the song in His absence; therefore the time of His return from "the mountain of spices" (So 8:14) is contemplated. The cup of betrothal was given by Him at the last supper; the cup or marriage shall be presented by her at His return (Mt 26:29). Till then the believer often cannot feel towards, or speak of, Him as he would wish.

"\nI would lead thee, [and] bring, thee into mother's house,.... The general assembly and church of the firstborn is mother to the church visible, to particular churches and believers, where they are born, educated, and brought up; for which they have a great affection, as persons usually have for the place of their nativity and education.

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Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG አንተ የእናቴን ጡት እንደ ጠባ እንደ ወንድሜ ምነው በሆንህ! በሜዳ ባገኘሁህ ጊዜ በሳምሁህ፥ ማንም ባልናቀኝም ነበር። አማርኛ BCV ንስኻ ኣበይሞ ጡብ ወላዲተይ ከም ዝጠበወ፥ ከም ሓወይ እንተ እትኾነለይ! ኣብ ወፃኢ እንትረኽበካ ምሰዓምኩኻ ነይረ፤ ሓደ እኳ ኣይምነዓቐንን ነይሩ። ትግርኛ GAZBIB “Utuu ati obboleessa koo isa harma haadha kootii hodhee guddate taatee, karaa irratti yommuun si argu sin dhungadhan tu… Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ መኑ ይሁበከ ወልድ እኁየ ትጥቡ አጥባቲሃ ለእምየ፤ ረኪብየ በአፍአ እስዕመከ ወኢይሜንኑኒ። giz GAZGAZ “Utuu ati obboleessa koo isa harma haadha kootii hodhee guddate taatee, karaa irratti yommuun si argu sin dhungadhan tu… Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum ንስኻ ኣበይሞ ጡብ ወላዲተይ ከም ዝጠበወ፥ ከም ሓወይ እንተ እትኾነለይ! ኣብ ወፃኢ እንትረኽበካ ምሰዓምኩኻ ነይረ፤ ሓደ እኳ ኣይምነዓቐንን ነይሩ። ትግርኛ AMHNIV ምነው አንተ የእናቴን ጡት እንደ ጠባ፣ እንደ ወንድሜ በሆንህ! ከዚያም ውጭ ባገኝህ፣ እስምህ ነበር፤ ታዲያ ማንም ባልናቀኝ! አማርኛ SWAHSUV Laiti ungekuwa kama ndugu yangu, Aliyeyanyonya matiti ya mamangu! Kama ningekukuta huko nje, Ningekubusu, asinidharau m… Kiswahili