Song 8 The church expresseth her desire of familiarity with Christ, Song 8:1, by the entertainment she would make him, Song 8:2–3. She charges the daughters of Jerusalem not to disturb her. Beloved, Song 8:4. A commendation of the church for her faith in Christ, Song 8:5.

Oh that thou wert as my brother, most intimate, and free, and familiar with me, as brethren and sisters commonly are, that sucked the breasts of my mother! that came out of the same womb, and sucked the same breasts, and consequently were brother and sister by father and mother too; for such are…

Bring thee, with joy and triumph, as the bridegroom was usually brought to the bride’s house. See Ps. 45:14–15. Into my mother’s house; either, 1. My mother’s-inlaw, my husband’s mother, as the custom was, Gen. 24:61, Judg. 12:9. Or, 2.

The same expressions are used Song 2:6. The sense is, He would not despise me for my forwardness in showing my affections to him, as men commonly do in like cases, but would kindly accept of my love, and return love for it.

This verse is here repeated again, from Song 2:7, Song 3:5, See Poole “Song 2:7”, See Poole “Song 3:5”.

Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness? These Words are repeated from Song 3:6, See Poole “Song 3:6”. This and the next clause are the words either, 1. Of the daughters of Jerusalem, or the friends of the bride and Bridegroom, admiring and congratulating this happy conjunction. Or, 2.

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: these are undoubtedly the words of the bride. The sense is, Let thy mind and thy heart be constantly set upon me, let me be engraven upon the tables of thine heart.

It is the nature of love in general, and of my love to thee, that it cannot be taken off, neither by terrors and afflictions, which are commonly signified in Scripture by waters and floods, Ps. 32:6, Ps. 52:7, and elsewhere; not by temptations and allurements.

These are manifestly the words of the bride, still continuing her speech. The present church, which was that of the Jews, speaks of another future church, which was to consist of the Gentiles, which she calls little, because she was the younger sister, and then scarce had a being; and she calls her…

This seems to be Christ’s answer to the foregoing question of the Jewish church concerning their sister church of the Gentiles, for which they were very solicitous.

These seem to be the words of the Jewish church to Christ: O Lord, by thy grace I am what thou wouldst have my sister to be, a wall, and therefore do humbly beg and hope that, according to thy promise to her in that case, thou wilt build upon me a palace of silver.

Baal-hamon; a place not far from Jerusalem, where Solomon had, as it seems, a noble vineyard. Every one was to bring a thousand pieces of silver; whereby he signifies both the vast extent of the vineyard, which required so many keepers, and its singular fertility, which afforded so great a rent.

My vineyard; my church, which is oft compared to a vineyard, and is here opposed to Solomon’s vineyard. It is much doubted and disputed whether this verse be spoken by Christ or by the spouse; the first clause seems to agree best to the former, and the following clause to the latter.

Thou that dwellest: the Hebrew word is of the feminine gender, which plainly showeth that Christ speaks hero to his spouse, being about to depart from her for a season, as the next verse showorb.

Seeing we must part for a time, make haste, O my beloved Bridegroom, and speedily finish the work which thou hast to do in the world, that so thou mayst take me to thyself, that I may live in thine everlasting embraces. The words of this verse are borrowed from Song 2:17. where they are explained.