SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:11
Porque he aquí ha pasado el invierno, se ha mudado, la lluvia se fue;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 2:11
Verse 11. The winter is past - Mr. Harmer has made some good collections on this part, from Drs. Shaw and Russet, which I shall transcrilbe. One part of the winter is distinguished from the rest of it by the people of the East, on account of the severity of the cold. At Aleppo it lasts about forty days, and is called by the natives maurbanie. I would propose it to the consideration of the learned, whether the word here used, and translated winter, may not be understood to mean what the Aleppines express by the term maurbanie. It occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament; and another word is used for the rainy part of the year in general. If this thought be admitted, it will greatly illustrate the words of the bridegroom: Lo, the winter is past; the rain is over, and gone. For then the last clause will not be explanatory of the first, and signify that the moist part of the year was entirely past; with which, Dr. Russel assures us, all pleasantness withdraws at Aleppo; but the words will import: "The maurbanie is past and over; the weather is become agreeably warm; the rain too is just ceased, and consequently hath left us the prospect of several days of serenity and undisturbed pleasantness." The weather of Judea was in this respect, I presume, like that at Algiers; where, after two or three days of rain, there is usually, according to Dr. Shaw, "a week, a fortnight, or more, of fair and good weather. Of such a sort of cessation of rain alone, the bridegroom, methinks, is here to be understood; not of the absolute termination of the rainy season, and the summer droughts being come on. And if so, what can the time that is past mean but the maurbanie? Indeed, Dr. Russel, in giving us an account of the excursions of the English merchants at Aleppo, has undesignedly furnished us with a good comment on this and the two following verses. These gentlemen, it seems, dine abroad under a tent, in spring and autumn on Saturdays, and often on Wednesdays. They do the same during the good weather in winter; but they live at the gardens in April, and part of May. In the heat of the summer they dine at the gardens, as once or twice a week they dine under a tent in autumn and spring." The cold weather is not supposed by Solomon to have been long over, since it is distinctly mentioned; and the Aleppines make these incursions very early; the narcissus flowers during the whole of the maurbanie; the hyacinths and violets at least before it is quite over. The appearing of flowers, then, doth not mean the appearing of the first and earliest flowers, but must rather be understood of the earth's being covered with them; which at Aleppo is not till after the middle of February, a small crane's bill appearing on the banks of the river there about the middle of February, quickly after which comes a profusion of flowers. The nightingales, too, which are there in abundance, not only afford much pleasure by their songs in the gardens, but are also kept tame in the houses, and let out at a small rate to divert such as choose it in the city; so that no entertainments are made in the spring without a concert of these birds. No wonder, then, that Solomon makes the bridegroom speak of the singing of birds; and it teaches us what these birds are, which are expressly distinguished from turtle doves.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 11. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over [and] gone .] A season of the year which keeps persons within doors, makes going abroad unsafe, unpleasant, and uncomfortable; very unfit for travelling, roads bad, rivers impassable, and journeying very difficult; but now this season being over, and the spring come, the weather fair, and every thing gay and pleasant, it is inviting to be abroad; winter is by some writers used not for the season of the year, but for a storm or tempest. Thus the winter and rain may be descriptive of the state and condition of Jews and Gentiles before the coming of Christ f139 , and which then ceased; it having been a stormy dispensation with the one, and a time of darkness and ignorance with the other, ( Hebrews 12:18-27) ( Acts 17:30); or rather it may in general represent the state of God’s people both before and after conversion; before conversion it is a time of darkness, coldness, barrenness, and unfruitfulness; and which are removed by the powerful and efficacious grace of Christ: and after conversion it is often a winter season with them, through the blustering winds of Satan’s temptations; the storms of impending wrath for sin, as they imagine; the nipping blasts of persecution, and sharp and severe afflictions they are at times exposed unto: moreover, they are often in great darkness of soul, clouds interpose between Christ and them; a great deal of coldness attends them, their hearts are frozen up and hard, and no impression made on them by the preaching of the word, or by the providences of God; there is a coolness in their love to God and Christ, his people, ordinances, cause, and interest; great barrenness and unfruitfulness in them, they look like trees in winter, and no appearance of fruit on them; their hands are sealed up from working, and they become indolent and inactive; and by all these fellowship with Christ is greatly interrupted: but, when the spring returns again, light breaks in upon them, and their hearts are melted with a sense of love; they become lively in their frames, and in the exercise of grace, and are fruitful in good works; and enjoy much calmness and serenity, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost: sometimes they think the winter is not over when it is, and fear more storms are behind, even of divine wrath and vengeance, though without reason; since Christ has bore all wrath for them, and has satisfied law and justice, and has delivered them from wrath to come; and he that has done this says, “the winter is past”, etc.
Matthew Henry Commentary
The mutual love of Christ and his church. (Song 2:1-7) The hope an calling of the church. (Song 2:8-13) Christ's care of the church, He faith and hope. (Song 2:14-17)
Song 2:1-7 Believers are beautiful, as clothed in the righteousness of Christ; and fragrant, as adorned with the graces of his Spirit; an they thrive under the refreshing beams of the Sun of righteousness. The lily is a very noble plant in the East; it grows to a considerabl height, but has a weak stem. The church is weak in herself, yet is strong in Him that supports her. The wicked, the daughters of thi world, who have no love to Christ, are as thorns, worthless an useless, noxious and hurtful. Corruptions are thorns in the flesh; but the lily now among thorns, shall be transplanted into that paradis where there is no brier or thorn. The world is a barren tree to the soul; but Christ is a fruitful one. And when poor souls are parche with convictions of sin, with the terrors of the law, or the trouble of this world, weary and heavy laden, they may find rest in Christ. It is not enough to pass by this shadow, but we must sit down under it Believers have tasted that the Lord Jesus is gracious; his fruits ar all the precious privileges of the new covenant, purchased by his blood, and communicated by his Spirit; promises are sweet to believer, and precepts also. Pardons are sweet, and peace of conscienc sweet. If our mouths are out of taste for the pleasures of sin, Divin consolations will be sweet to us. Christ brings the soul to seek and to find comforts through his ordinances, which are as a banqueting-hous where his saints feast with him. The love of Christ, manifested by his death, and by his word, is the banner he displays, and believers resor to it. How much better is it with the soul when sick from love to Christ, than when surfeited with the love of this world! And thoug Christ seemed to have withdrawn, yet he was even then a very presen help. All his saints are in his hand, which tenderly holds their achin heads. Finding Christ thus nigh to her, the soul is in great care tha her communion with him is not interrupted. We easily grieve the Spiri by wrong tempers. Let those who have comfort, fear sinning it away.
Song 2:8-13 The church pleases herself with thoughts of furthe communion with Christ. None besides can speak to the heart. She see him come. This may be applied to the prospect the Old Testament saint had of Christ's coming in the flesh. He comes as pleased with his ow undertaking. He comes speedily. Even when Christ seems to forsake, it is but for a moment; he will soon return with everlastin loving-kindness. The saints of old saw him, appearing through the sacrifices and ceremonial institutions. We see him through a glas darkly, as he manifests himself through the lattices. Christ invite the new convert to arise from sloth and despondency, and to leave sin and worldly vanities, for union and communion with him. The winter ma mean years passed in ignorance and sin, unfruitful and miserable, or storms and tempests that accompanied his conviction of guilt an danger. Even the unripe fruits of holiness are pleasant unto Him whose grace has produced them. All these encouraging tokens and evidences of Divine favour, are motives to the soul to follow Christ more fully Arise then, and come away from the world and the flesh, come int fellowship with Christ. This blessed change is owing wholly to the approaches and influences of the Sun of righteousness.
Song 2:14-17 The church is Christ's dove; she returns to him, as he Noah. Christ is the Rock, in whom alone she can think herself safe, an find herself easy, as a dove in the hole of a rock, when struck at by the birds of prey. Christ calls her to come boldly to the throne of grace, having a great High Priest there, to tell what her request is Speak freely, fear not a slight or a repulse. The voice of prayer is sweet and acceptable to God; those who are sanctified have the bes comeliness. The first risings of sinful thoughts and desires, the beginnings of trifling pursuits which waste the time, trifling visits small departures from truth, whatever would admit some conformity to the world; all these, and many more, are little foxes which must be removed. This is a charge to believers to mortify their sinfu appetites and passions, which are as little foxes, that destroy their graces and comforts, and crush good beginnings. Whatever we find hinderance to us in that which is good, we must put away. He feedet among the lilies; this shows Christ's gracious presence amon believers. He is kind to all his people. It becomes them to believ this, when under desertion and absence, and so to ward off temptations The shadows of the Jewish dispensation were dispelled by the dawning of the gospel day. And a day of comfort will come after a night of desertion. Come over the mountains of Bether, "the mountains tha divide," looking forward to that day of light and love. Christ wil come over every separating mountain to take us home to himself __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
כי 3588 הנה 2009 הסתו 5638 עבר 5674 הגשׁם 1653 חלף 2498 הלך׃ 1980
