1 Who doth make thee as a brother to me, Sucking the breasts of my mother? I find thee without, I kiss thee, Yea, they do not despise me,
Hearken, O daughter, and see, incline thine ear, And forget thy people, and thy father's house, And the king doth desire thy beauty, Because he `is' thy lord -- bow thyself to him,
For Jehovah hath builded Zion, He hath been seen in His honour, He turned unto the prayer of the destitute, And He hath not despised their prayer.
So that ye suck, and have been satisfied, From the breast of her consolations, So that ye wring out, and have delighted yourselves From the abundance of her honour. For thus said Jehovah: `Lo, I am stretching out to her peace as a river, And as an overflowing stream the honour of nations, And ye have sucked, on the side ye are carried, And on the knees ye are dandled.
since it had behoved him many times to suffer from the foundation of the world, but now once, at the full end of the ages, for putting away of sin through his sacrifice, he hath been manifested; and as it is laid up to men once to die, and after this -- judgment, so also the Christ, once having been offered to bear the sins of many, a second time, apart from a sin-offering, shall appear, to those waiting for him -- to salvation!
and him who was made some little less than messengers we see -- Jesus -- because of the suffering of the death, with glory and honour having been crowned, that by the grace of God for every one he might taste of death. For it was becoming to Him, because of whom `are' the all things, and through whom `are' the all things, many sons to glory bringing, the author of their salvation through sufferings to make perfect, for both he who is sanctifying and those sanctified `are' all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, `I will declare Thy name to my brethren, in the midst of an assembly I will sing praise to Thee;' and again, `I will be trusting on Him;' and again, `Behold I and the children that God did give to me.' Seeing, then, the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself also in like manner did take part of the same, that through death he might destroy him having the power of death -- that is, the devil --
But what things were to me gains, these I have counted, because of the Christ, loss; yes, indeed, and I count all things to be loss, because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because of whom of the all things I suffered loss, and do count them to be refuse, that Christ I may gain, and be found in him,
And having turned unto the disciples, he said, by themselves, `Happy the eyes that are perceiving what ye perceive; for I say to you, that many prophets and kings did wish to see what ye perceive, and did not see, and to hear what ye hear, and did not hear.'
`And happy are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear, for verily I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men did desire to see that which ye look on, and they did not see, and to hear that which ye hear, and they did not hear.
and having come, a poor widow did put in two mites, which are a farthing. And having called near his disciples, he saith to them, `Verily I say to you, that this poor widow hath put in more than all those putting into the treasury; for all, out of their abundance, put in, but she, out of her want, all that she had put in -- all her living.'
And Jesus said, `Let her alone; why are ye giving her trouble? a good work she wrought on me; for the poor always ye have with you, and whenever ye may will ye are able to do them good, but me ye have not always; what she could she did, she anticipated to anoint my body for the embalming. Verily I say to you, wherever this good news may be proclaimed in the whole world, what also this woman did shall be spoken of -- for a memorial of her.'
and it hath been divinely told him by the Holy Spirit -- not to see death before he may see the Christ of the Lord. And he came in the Spirit to the temple, and in the parents bringing in the child Jesus, for their doing according to the custom of the law regarding him, then he took him in his arms, and blessed God, and he said, `Now Thou dost send away Thy servant, Lord, according to Thy word, in peace, because mine eyes did see Thy salvation, which Thou didst prepare before the face of all the peoples, a light to the uncovering of nations, and the glory of Thy people Israel.'
a kiss to me thou didst not give, but this woman, from what `time' I came in, did not cease kissing my feet; with oil my head thou didst not anoint, but this woman with ointment did anoint my feet; therefore I say to thee, her many sins have been forgiven, because she did love much; but to whom little is forgiven, little he doth love.' And he said to her, `Thy sins have been forgiven;'
The officers answered, `Never so spake man -- as this man.' The Pharisees, therefore, answered them, `Have ye also been led astray? did any one out of the rulers believe in him? or out of the Pharisees? but this multitude, that is not knowing the law, is accursed.' Nicodemus saith unto them -- he who came by night unto him -- being one of them, `Doth our law judge the man, if it may not hear from him first, and know what he doth?' They answered and said to him, `Art thou also out of Galilee? search and see, that a prophet out of Galilee hath not risen;'
he answered, therefore, and said, `If he be a sinner -- I have not known, one thing I have known, that, being blind, now I see.' And they said to him again, `What did he to thee? how did he open thine eyes?' He answered them, `I told you already, and ye did not hear; why again do ye wish to hear? do ye also wish to become his disciples?' They reviled him, therefore, and said, `Thou art his disciple, and we are Moses' disciples; we have known that God hath spoken to Moses, but this one -- we have not known whence he is.' The man answered and said to them, `Why, in this is a wonderful thing, that ye have not known whence he is, and he opened my eyes! and we have known that God doth not hear sinners, but, if any one may be a worshipper of God, and may do His will, him He doth hear; from the age it was not heard, that any one did open eyes of one who hath been born blind; if this one were not from God, he were not able to do anything.' They answered and said to him, `In sins thou wast born altogether, and thou dost teach us!' and they cast him forth without. Jesus heard that they cast him forth without, and having found him, he said to him, `Dost thou believe in the Son of God?' he answered and said, `Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?' And Jesus said to him, `Thou hast both seen him, and he who is speaking with thee is he;' and he said, `I believe, sir,' and bowed before him.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Song of Songs 8
Commentary on Song of Songs 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
The affections between Christ and his spouse are as strong and lively here, in this closing chapter of the song, as ever, and rather more so.
Sgs 8:1-4
Here,
Sgs 8:5-7
Here,
Sgs 8:8-12
Christ and his spouse having sufficiently confirmed their love to each other, and agreed it to be on both sides strong as death and inviolable, they are here, in these verses, like a loving husband and his wife, consulting together about their affairs, and considering what they should do. Yoke-fellows, having laid their hearts together, lay their heads together, to contrive about their relations and about their estates; and, accordingly, this happy pair are here advising with one another about a sister, and a vineyard.
Sgs 8:13-14
Christ and his spouse are here parting for a while; she must stay below in the gardens on earth, where she has work to do for him; he must remove to the mountains of spices in heaven, where he has business to attend for her, as an advocate with the Father. Now observe with what mutual endearments they part.