Verse 17. The beams of our house are cedar - Perhaps it was under a cedar tree whose vast limbs were interwoven with the twrb beroth, a tree of the cypress kind, where they now sat. And this natural bower recommended itself to the poet's attention by its strength, loftiness, and its affording them a shady cover and cool retreat. How natural to break out into the praise of a bower, by whose branches and foliage we are shielded from the intense heat of the sun! Even the shelter of a great rock to a weary land is celebrated by the pen of the first of prophets and greatest of poets, Isa. xxxii. 2.
With this chapter the first day of the marriage ceremonies is supposed to end.
Ver. 17. The beams of our house [are] cedar , etc.] Or “houses” f83 ; where their bed was, and where they had fellowship and communion together. By which may be meant particular congregations or churches, in which housesChrist has a property, being of his building and beautifying; where he takes up his rest and residence, and where he feeds and feasts with his people, and to the privileges of which all the saints have a right: and by the “beams” of these houses may be intended the ministers of the word, who are pillars here, as James, John, and Cephas, were; and who are the means of supporting and strengthening such communities, by their excellent doctrines and exemplary lives: or common saints may be meant, who are also beams and pillars in the churches of Christ; and serve greatly to support, strengthen, and cement the spiritualbuilding, fitly framed together: and these being of “cedar” wood, of a pleasant smell, and durable, may denote their gratefulness and acceptableness to Christ and his church, in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty; and of their continuance and perseverance therein, having in them the incorruptible and immortalseed of divinegrace; (see Psalm 92:12); [and] our rafters of fir ; which Pliny says is the best and strongest wood for roofing and raftering: by these may be meant the ordinances of the Gospel, which are that to the churches as “rafters” are to a house, the means of supporting and strengthening it; so by the ordinancessaints are supported in their spiritualstate, and by them their spiritualstrength is renewed; and these being said to be of “fir”, which is a pleasant and lasting wood, may signify the delight that is had in ordinances, and the continuance of them. Some render the word by “cypress” f85 ; which is also of a pleasant smell f86 , and very durable, never admits of worms, nor ever rots, nor is ever sensible of old age f87 ; and so may denote the pleasure that saints take in ordinances, and the long continuance of them, as of the present ones, which will remain until the second coming of Christ. Some think the “brutine” tree is meant, which Pliny calls “bruta” f89 ; and is near in sound to the word here used, is much like the cypress, and of a sweet smell, like cedar; it grows beyond Pasitigris, on Mount Zagras. Some will have it to be the tree of paradise; and, so applied to ordinances, may signify the same as before. The word for “rafters” is elsewhere rendered “gutters” and “troughs” for water; and some render it so here, and are so called from water running in them: and as the grace of God is often expressed by water, this is commonly conveyed in the use of ordinances; these are the canals in which it runs. Moreover the same word is translated “galleries”, in ( Song of Solomon 7:5); which, as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe, were buildings in high houses in which men walked from house to house, or from one end of the house to the other; and might be called by this name, from their droning along the sides of houses, and seem to be like our “balconies”: now ordinances are the galleries or “walking places” f91 , where Christ and his people walk and converse together.
Song 1:1 This is "the Song of songs," excellent above any others, for it is wholly taken up with describing the excellences of Christ, an the love between him and his redeemed people.
Song 1:2-6 The church, or rather the believer, speaks here in the character of the spouse of the King, the Messiah. The kisses of his mouth mean those assurances of pardon with which believers ar favoured, filling them with peace and joy in believing, and causin them to abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost. Gracious soul take most pleasure in lovingChrist, and being loved of him. Christ' love is more valuable and desirable than the best this world can give The name of Christ is not now like ointment sealed up, but lik ointment poured forth; which denotes the freeness and fulness of the setting forth of his grace by the gospel. Those whom he has redeeme and sanctified, are here the virgins that loveJesusChrist, and follo him whithersoever he goes, Rev. 14:4. They entreat him to draw them by the quickening influences of his Spirit. The more clearly we discer Christ's glory, the more sensible shall we be that we are unable to follow him suitably, and at the same time be more desirous of doing it Observe the speedy answer given to this prayer. Those who wait a Wisdom's gate, shall be led into truth and comfort. And being brough into this chamber, our griefs will vanish. We have no joy but in Christ, and for this we are indebted to him. We will remember to giv thanks for thy love; it shall make more lasting impressions upon u than any thing in this world. Nor is any love acceptable to Christ but love in sincerity, Eph. 6:24. The daughters of Jerusalem may mea professors not yet established in the faith. The spouse was black a the tents of the wandering Arabs, but comely as the magnificen curtains in the palaces of Solomon. The believer is black, as being defiled and sinful by nature, but comely, as renewed by Divinegrace to the holy image of God. He is still deformed with remains of sin, but comely as accepted in Christ. He is often base and contemptible in the esteem of men, but excellent in the sight of God. The blackness wa owing to the hard usage that had been suffered. The children of the church, her mother, but not of God, her Father, were angry with her They had made her sufferhardships, which caused her to neglect the care of her soul. Thus, under the emblem of a poorfemale, made the chosen partner of a prince, we are led to consider the circumstances in which the love of Christ is accustomed to find its objects. They wer wretchedslaves of sin, in toil, or in sorrow, weary and heavy laden but how great the change when the love of Christ is manifested to their souls!
Song 1:7,8 Observe the title given to Christ, O Thou whom my sou loveth. Those that do so, may come to him boldly, and may humbly plea with him. Is it with God's people a noon-time of outward troubles inward conflicts? Christ has rest for them. Those whose soulsloveJesusChrist, earnestly desire to share in the privileges of his flock Turning aside from Christ is what gracious souls dread more tha anything else. God is ready to answer prayer. Follow the track, ask for the good old way, observe the footsteps of the flock, look what ha been the practice of godly people. Sit under the direction of goo ministers; beside the tents of the under shepherds. Bring thy charg with thee, they shall all be welcome. It will be the earnest desire an prayer of the Christian, that God would so direct him in his worldl business, and so order his situation and employment, that he may have his Lord and Saviour always before him.
