Song of Solomon

Chapter 6

The church professes her faith in Christ, 1-3. Christ shows the graces of the church, 4-9; and his love toward her, 10-13.

[Others:]

1  Where has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned aside so that we may seek him with you?

[Lady:]

2  My beloved has gone down into 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 feeds among the lilies.

[Gentleman:]

4  You are beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners.

5  Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Your hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.

6  Your teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, of which every one bears twins, and there is not one barren among them.

7  As a piece of pomegranate are your temples within your locks.

8  There are sixty queens, eighty 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 who bore her. The daughters saw her and blessed her, even the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

10 Who is she who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and awesome as an army with banners?

[Lady:]

11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded.

12 Before I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.

[Others:]

13 Return, return, O Shulamite. Return, return, so that we may look upon you.

[Gentleman:]

Why should you gaze at the Shulamite, as at the company of two armies?

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - Song of Solomon, Chapter 6[➚]

Notes

John Gill's Chapter Summary:

The discourse between the church and the daughters of Jerusalem is continued in this chapter. They inquire where her beloved had gone in order to seek him with her (Song of Solomon 6:1); she tells them where he had gone and for what purpose he went there and what he was doing there, and claims and asserts her interest in him (Song of Solomon 6:2-3). Then follows a commendation of the church by Christ, who admires her beauty and describes her by her eyes, hair, etc. (Song of Solomon 6:4-7); and prefers her to all others, being a singular and choice one to him and the praise of others (Song of Solomon 6:8-10); and next he gives an account of his going into his garden and his design in it, and of what happened to him there (Song of Solomon 6:11-12). And the chapter is concluded with a charge to the Shulamite to turn herself so that she might be looked upon, which occasions a question, to which an answer is returned (Song of Solomon 6:13).

[v.12] - "Amminadib" - From Matthew Poole's Commentary: "Ammi-nadib is supposed to be some eminent charioteer then well known, and famous for his speed in driving chariots. But this clause with the former is otherwise rendered, both in the margin and by others, and that very agreeably to the Hebrew words, my soul set me on the chariots of my willing (or, as others, noble or princely) people, i.e. which mine and the bride's friends had prepared to bring me to the bride with more expedition, into which I ascended with all my soul, as longing to come to my bride."

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