John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 8. Come with me from Lebanon, [my] spouse, with me from Lebanon , etc.] This is a new title given the church, my “spouse”; here first mentioned, because the day of espousals was over, ( Song of Solomon 3:11); and having on the wedding garment, in which she was so fair and spotless, as before described, she looked somewhat like a bride, and the spouse of Christ; and is chiefly used by Christ, to prevail upon her to go with him, which relation, duty, and affection, obliged her to do. The invitation is to come with him from Lebanon, which is repeated, to show earnestness and vehemency; not Lebanon, literally taken, a mountain to the north of the land of Canaan, famous for odoriferous trees, and where to be was delightful; but figuratively, the temple, made of the wood of Lebanon, and Jerusalem, in which it was, which in Christ’s time was a den of thieves, and from whence Christ called out his people; or this being a pleasant mountain, may signify those carnal sensual pleasures, from which Christ calls his people off. Some render the words, “thou shalt come with me”, etc. f238 , being influenced by the powerful grace of Christ, and drawn by his love; and what he invites and exhorts unto, he gives grace to enable to perform; look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards ; Amana is thought by some to be the mountain which divided Cilicia from Syria, taken notice of by several writers f239 ; but it seems too distant from Lebanon; perhaps it is the same with Abana, from whence was a river of that name, ( 2 Kings 5:12); where, in the “Keri” or margin, it is read Amana; so the Targum here explains it of the people that dwelt by the river Amana, which washed the country of Damascus: Jarchi takes it to be the same with Hor, a mountain on the northern border of Israel; and indeed, wherever mention is made of this mountain, the Targum has it, Taurus Umanus; and, according to Ptolemy f240 , Amanus was a part of Mount Taurus, with which it is joined by Josephus f241 ; and with that and Lebanon, and Carmel, by Aelianus f242 , Shenir and Hermon were one and the same mountain, called by different names; Hermon might be the common name to the whole; and that part of it which belonged to the Sidonians was called by them Sirion; and that which the Amorites possessed Shenir, ( Deuteronomy 3:9); Now all these mountains might be called “dens of lions”, and “mountains of leopards”; both because inhabited by such beasts of prey; hence we read of the lions of Syria f243 , and of leopards in those parts; in the land of Moab, and in the tribe of Gad, were places called Bethnimrah, and the waters of Nimrim, which seem to have their names from leopards that formerly haunted those places, ( Numbers 32:36 Isaiah 15:6); or because inhabited by cruel, savage, and tyrannical persons; particularly Amana, in Cilicia or Syria, as appears from Strabo f245 , Lucan f246 , and Cicero f247 ; and Shenir and Hermon were formerly, as Jarchi observes, the dens of those lions, Og king of Bashan, and Sihon king of the Amorites: unless rather these were the names of some places near Lebanon; for Adrichomius f248 says, “the mountain of the leopards, which was round and high, was two miles from Tripoli northward, three from Arce southward, and one from Lebanon.”
Now these words may be considered as a call of Christ to his people, to come out from among wicked men, comparable to such creatures; and he makes use of two arguments to enforce it: the one is taken from the nature of such men, and the danger of being with them; who are like to lions, for their cruel and persecuting temper; and to leopards, for their being full of the spots of sin; and for their craftiness and malice, exercised towards those who are quiet in the land; and for their swiftness and readiness to do mischief; wherefore it must be both uncomfortable and unsafe to be with such persons: the other argument is taken from their enjoyment of Christ’s company and presence, which must be preferable to theirs, for pleasure, profit, and safety, and therefore most eligible. Besides, Christ chose not to go without his church; she was so fair, as before described, and so amiable and lovely in his sight, as follows.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Christ sets forth the graces of the church. (Song 4:1-7) Christ's love to the church. (Song 4:8-15) The church desires further influences of Divine grace. (Song 4:16)
Song 4:1-7 If each of these comparisons has a meaning applicable to the graces of the church, or of the faithful Christian, they are no clearly known; and great mistakes are made by fanciful guesses. The mountain of myrrh appears to mean the mountain Moriah, on which the temple was built, where the incense was burned, and the people worshipped the Lord. This was his residence till the shadows of the la given to Moses were dispersed by the breaking of the gospel day, an the rising of the Sun of righteousness. And though, in respect of his human nature, Christ is absent from his church on earth, and wil continue to be so till the heavenly day break, yet he is spirituall present in his ordinances, and with his people. How fair and comely ar believers, when justified in Christ's righteousness, and adorned with spiritual graces! when their thoughts, words, and deeds, thoug imperfect, are pure, manifesting a heart nourished by the gospel!
Song 4:8-15 Observe the gracious call Christ gives to the church. I is, 1. A precept; so this is Christ's call to his church to come of from the world. These hills seem pleasant, but there are in them lions dens; they are mountains of the leopards. 2. As a promise; many shal be brought as members of the church, from every point. The church shal be delivered from her persecutors in due time, though now she dwell among lions, Ps. 57:4. Christ's heart is upon his church; his treasur is therein; and he delights in the affection she has for him; it working in the heart, and its works in the life. The odours wherewit the spouse is perfumed, are as the gifts and graces of the Spirit. Love and obedience to God are more pleasing to Christ than sacrifice of incense. Christ having put upon his spouse the white raiment of his ow righteousness, and the righteousness of saints, and perfumed it with holy joy and comfort, he is well pleased with it. And Christ walks in his garden unseen. A hedge of protection is made around, which all the powers of darkness cannot break through. The souls of believers are a gardens enclosed, where is a well of living water, John 4:14; 7:38, the influences of the Holy Spirit. The world knows not these wells of salvation, nor can any opposer corrupt this fountain. Saints in the church, and graces in the saints, are fitly compared to fruits an spices. They are planted, and do not grow of themselves. They ar precious; they are the blessings of this earth. They will be kept to good purpose when flowers are withered. Grace, when ended in glory will last for ever. Christ is the source which makes these garden fruitful; even a well of living waters.
Song 4:16 The church prays for the influences of the blessed Spirit, to make this garden fruitful. Graces in the soul are as spices in thes gardens, that in them which is valuable and useful. The blessed Spirit in his work upon the soul, is as the wind. There is the north wind of conviction, and the south wind of comfort. He stirs up good affections and works in us both to will and to do that which is good. The churc invites Christ. Let him have the honour of all the garden produces, an let us have the comfort of his acceptance of it. We can invite him to nothing but what is his own already. The believer can have no joy of the fruits, unless they redound some way or other to the glory of Christ. Let us then seek to keep separate from the world, as a garde enclosed, and to avoid conformity thereto _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew אתי854 מלבנון3844 כלה3618 אתי854 מלבנון3844 תבואי935 תשׁורי7789 מראשׁ7218 אמנה549 מראשׁ7218 שׂניר8149 וחרמון2768 ממענות4585 אריות738 מהררי2042 נמרים׃5246
