of the Gospel should derive benefit in his arduous but blessed and important employment from the commentary now prepared, as the writer is thankful to learn has been the case with that on Job or if the Christian reader should find himself assisted by it in his meditation on that portion of the inspired Word which the author has found so precious to himself, he will feel abundantly rewarded for the labour it has cost him. He prayerfully commends it, with all its imperfections, to the blessing of Him whose aid has been invoked in its preparation, and who has graciously promised in regard to His own Word: 'IT SHALL NOT RETURN UNTO ME VOID.'

HOMILETIC COMMENTARY

ON

THE

SONG OF
OF SOLOMON.

Introduction.

I. Authorship. The poem generally regarded as the work of King Solomon. Perhaps, though not certainly, indicated by the title. See on chap. i. ver. 1. Reasons in favour of this view:-1. General consent both of Jewish and Christian writers, ancient and modern. 2. The prevailing circle of images and references to facts and things; indicating the author to have lived in the time of Solomon, and to have been well acquainted with natural history, as Solomon is known to have been (Kiel). 3. The author well acquainted with all parts of the land of Israel, and greatly susceptible of impressions from the beautiful (Delitzsch). 4. Solomon known to have been largely employed in poetical composition (1 Kings iv. 32). 5. A relationship with the Book of Proverbs, known to be Solomon's, indicated by the language (Hengstenberg).

II. Canonicity and Inspiration. All but universally admitted. Formed part of the Jewish canon in the time of the Saviour, and always received as inspired Scripture by the Christian Church. Independent arguments for its inspiration;-The majesty of the style; the sublimity of the matter; its harmony with the rest of Scripture, especially in the leading idea of the bridal relation of the Church to Jehovah or the Messiah; its power, felt in all ages, in moving the affections towards the Divine Saviour.

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III. Unity of the Book. The poem generally regarded as a united whole rather than a collection of independent odes. Arguments in favour of its unity:-1. The title-a Song," not Songs. 2. The same persons introduced throughout, and in the same character; as-the King, called also Solomon, appearing as the friend and beloved of the virgin; the Virgin herself, called more definitely Shulamite, who appears throughout as the Fair One, the love, sister, and bride of the king; the Daughters of Jerusalem. 3. The same commencements and conclusions of long passages or divisions of the book; as at iii. 6; vi. 10; viii. 5; ii. 6, 7; iii. 5; viii. 3, 4. 4. The recurrence of the same ideas, and even of whole sentences, as in ii. 10--13 compared with vi. 11, vii. 12–14; iii. 1-4 with v. 2-8; iv. 1-3 with vi. 5-7; iv. 5 with vii. 4; i. 15 with iv. 1. 5. The same language throughout, even to the smallest peculiarities (Hahn). 6. Unity of scene. 7. The plan and tendency of the whole (Ewald).

IV. Internal Character of the Composition. An allegory, with a probable foundation in some historical fact or event in Solomon's life, as the occasion of it; the brida] relation between the Church and Christ being exhibited under the figure of a similar relation between King Solomon and Shulamite, a beautiful and pure-minded rustic maiden. Arguments in favour of the allegorical nature of the poem :-1. The general belief of both the Jewish and the Christian Church, both in ancient and modern times. 2. The unity and harmony of the Book, on this supposition, with the rest of Scripture. 3. The apparent reference to it in this sense by the writers and speakers of the New Testament, as Matt. ix. 15; John iii. 29; Rom. vii. 4; 2 Cor. xi. 2; Eph. v. 23-32; Rev. xix. 7; xxi. 9; xxii. 17 compared with Song iii. 11; iv. 8, 9, 10, 11; v. 1; and vii. 10; Matt. ii. 1 with iii. 2, and v. 6; Matt. ii. 11 with iii. 6; Matt. xviii. 12, 13, and Luke xv. 4–7 with ii. 2, 8, and vi. 8, 9. 4. The undeniable resemblance of the Song to the 45th Psalm, about whose allegorical meaning all are agreed. 5. Apparent indications in the poem itself; for example: "Shulamite" apparently used as a symbolical name (viii. 10), and as the name rather of a plurality in unity than of a single person (i. 3, 4; ii. 9, 15; v. 1; vii. 13; viii, 8, 12). “Baalhamon" not the name of any known real place, but apparently expressive of the world and its peoples as in a state of unrest and dispeace (Ps. xlvi 4, 7; Isaiah lvii. 20). 6. The acknowledged difficulty of giving a satisfactory explanation on the merely natural or historic theory, as indicated by the great want of unity among those who have adopted it.

V. The External Character or Form of the Composition. A dramatic poem, or a poem in the nature of a drama, embracing a variety of scenes and characters; these characters sometimes speaking in dialogue, and sometimes alone; with a subordinate party generally present and often taking part in the dialogue, in some respects corresponding to the Chorus of the ancient drama. The form of the poem thus in some degree resembling that of Job; the difference being that in Job each speaker is formally announced by the poet, which is not the case in the Song, the change and personality of the speakers being left to be inferred by the reader from the speeches themselves-a circumstance often rendering the interpretation more difficult, but greatly contributing to the energy and liveliness of the composition.

VI. The Object of the Book. Various objects probably contemplated by the Divine Author, whatever may have been the design of the human one. The leading object justly regarded as being to exhibit the intimate relation subsisting between the Church, whether viewed as a whole or in each of its true members individually, and its Divine covenantHead and King, the Messiah, or Son of God in human nature; the relation being that of a Bride and Bridegroom-a relation constantly recognized in the Prophets in especial reference to the Church of the Old Testament (Isaiah liv. 5, 6; Jer. ii. 2; iii. 14; xxxi. 32; Hos. ii. 19, 20; iii. 3; Ezek. xvi. 32-38); and in the Evangelists and Apostles in reference to the Church of the New (Matt. ix. 15; John iii. 29; Rom. vii. 4; 2 Cor. xi. 2; Eph. v. 23, 32; Rev. xix. 7—9; xxi. 9; xxii. 17). As a part of this object, the Book designed to shew the amazing love of God in Christ as implied in that bridal relation; the transcendent excellence of the Divine Bridegroom; the privileges, duties, and responsibilities connected with this relation on the part of the Church as His Bride; the injury sustained by her from a conduct unbecoming it, and, on the other hand, the blessedness and honour connected with a faithful observance of its duties and improvement of its privileges. Practically, the edification of the Church the object of this as of the other parts of Scripture

(Rom. xv. 4; 2 Tim. iii. 15, 16); the aim of her Divine Head in giving this precious portion of Holy Writ being thereby to elevate, purify, sanctify, comfort, warn, direct, preserve, and stimulate the members of his mystical Body in every age; the Book exhibiting, with this view, a picture of the experience of believers while on earth-their hopes and longings, joys and sorrows, temptations and conflicts, falls and recoveries, love and service.

A coincident object of the book probably to afford a prophetical shadowing forth of the incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Bridegroom, and of the general history of the Church after these events; as well as a dim allegorical picture of its development up to the time of their occurrence.

Possibly also a subordinate object contemplated in the Book in relation to marriage, viewed as an earthly though Divine institution; its duties being here, as in Eph. v. 23, &c., mirrored forth, on the one hand, in the affection and demeanour of the heavenly Bridegroom to His Church; and, on the other, in the duties belonging to the Church in relation to her Divine Husband.

VII. Divisions and Contents of the Book. The divisions variously made, but very generally considered as five or six, with several subdivisions. The first division may be viewed as extending from chap. i. 2 to ii. 7; the second, from chap. ii. 8 to iii. 5; the third, from chap. iii. 6 to v. 1; the fourth from chap. v. 2 to vi. 9; the fifth, from chap. vi. 10 to the end of the Book. The last possibly divided at chap. viii. 4. The subjects under these divisions, as regards the allegory, may for convenience be distinguished thus:-Part First: The Meeting of the Betrothed. Part Second: The Nuptials. Part Third: The Marriage Feast. Part Fourth: The Coolness and its Consequences. Part Fifth: Married Life and its Incidents. The Book might be said to have three great divisions:-Before the Marriage; The Marriage Itself; and, After the Marriage. The divisions might be further reduced to two: The Period before and the Period after Marriage. Chap. iii. 2 apparently the centre of the poem.