Vers. 3. I am my Beloveds] The Spouse here glo∣rieth in the peace renewed betweene Christ and [unspec 3] her, and their mutuall communion by his Spirit and her faith; notwithstanding her former infirmi∣ties and afflictions. The same words (but in other order) she used before, in Song. 2. 16. see the anno∣tations there.
V. 4. Thou art faire] The Spouse having found, & [unspec 4] being reconciled to Christ, is here cōmended by him for her manifold graces wherewith shee was beautified. Compare these her graces with the for∣mer, in Son. 4. 1. &c. as Tirzah] This was a city in Canaan, not far from Samaria, wherin one of the 31 Kings whom Iosua conquered, did dwell; Ios. 12: 24. Afterward the Kings of Israel kept their Courts in it, 1 King. 14. 17. and 15. 21. 33: and 16. 6. 8. 23. By interpretation Tirzah signifieth gratefull, well pleasing, or acceptable, and so the Greek here translateth it Good pleasure, or favourable ac∣ceptation: which sheweth it to be a goodly pleasant place, such as Kings delight to dwell in. A like beauty is here ascribed to the Spouse, being made faire and acceptable by Christ her Beloved, as E∣phes. 1. 6, and 5. 27. Ierusalem] a city renow∣ned for glory, especially because God himselfe chose to dwell in it, having his Temple built there on mount Sion. It was faire in situation, the joy of all the earth, the City of the great King, Psal. 48. 2. 3. &c. Hereupon the Church under the Gospell, the Spouse and Wife of the Lambe Christ, is called Ieru∣salem, holy, and heavenly: whose glory from God, and excellent ornaments, are described at large, in Rev. 21. 2. 9. 10. 11. &c. Ierusalem by interpretati∣on is the Sight of peace. as armies with banners] or, as bannered hosts; as armies ordered under their banners and ensignes, which are terrible to their enemies: So againe in vers. 10. This sheweth the peace of the Spouse to be in Christ, but from the world she is to looke for affliction, and is to fight the good fight of faith, in the order appointed her of God. Thus when Israel abode in his tents, accor∣ding to their tribes, encamping in the wildernesse, his tents were goodly, his strength was as an Vni∣cornes, hee couched as a couragious Lion, whom none durst stir up, Num. 24. 2. 5. 8. 9.
Ver. 5. Turne about thine eyes] This word is used sometime for turning towards, as in 1 Chro. 12. 23. [unspec 5] sometime for turning-away, as in Ezek. 7. 22. Here it seemeth to bee meant in the first sense that the eyes of the Spouse (which were like doves, Song. 4. 1.) should now in her Beloveds absence, be turned to him, by faith; that he thereby might be encou∣raged & cheared in her love. over against me] towards me, though a far off: so the word is used sundry times, as is noted on Num. 2. 2. It may also be Englished from me, or, from before mee▪ for they have lifted me up] or, that they may lift me up, to weet, with courage, strength, comfort, &c. as in Ps. 138. 3. thou hast incouraged, (or lifted-up, strength∣ned) me. In this sense the Greeke here translareth figuratively, for they have lifted me up on wing, (or, have made me flye) that is, encouraged, cheared me. The Hebrewes also in their Chaldee paraphrase apply this, to the restoring of the high Councel or Senate in Ierusalem, after their return from Baby∣lon. thy haire] thy thoughts, counsels, purpo∣ses, &c. are orderly composed, like the haire of fa goats: see the notes on Song. 4. 1.
Vers. 6. teeth] wherewith she eateth the spirituall [unspec 6] food of the Word, &c. or, devoureth her enemies. See Song. 4. 2. from the washing] and so are white and cleane.
Ver. 7. temples] signifying her modesty, shame∣fastnesse, [unspec 7] &c. See Song. 4. 3.
Vers. 8. There are threescore Queenes] Hebrew [unspec 8] Sixtie, they Queenes, and eighty Concubines: which may be understood either affirmatively; There are sixtie, (as the Greeke also translateth) or by suppo∣sition, be there sixtie Queenes; that is, though there were sixtie, &c. yet one is my dove. And for the numbers threescore and fourescore, it is uncertaine whether the allusion bee to Solomons wives and concubines which hee tooke at first, before he in∣creased them to seven hundred wives, and three hun∣dred concubines, 1 King. 11. 3▪ (as before wee heard of threescore valiant men, about Solomons bed, Son. 3. 7.) or, as the Hebrewes conjecture, to the sons of Noe, Abraham, Esau, &c. or rather whether a cer∣taine number be not put for an uncertaine; mea∣ning many Queenes, moe concubines, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 innu∣merable damsels: as seven shepheards and eight Prin∣ces, in Mic. 5. 5. signifie many, and no definite num¦ber. So six troubles and seven, in Iob 5. 19. and O¦ther the like. Concubines] these were seconda∣ry wives, taken for propagation of children, but they bare no rule in the familie as wives, neither had their children such right to inherit as had the others, but were sent away with gifts, as Abrahams practice sheweth, Gen. 25. 1. 5. 6. See the annotati∣ons on Gen. 22. 24. Uirgines] or, maydens, damosels; Such as are not married at all, but accom∣panie and attend upon Queenes, and other great women, as in Psal. 45. 15. Est. 2. 9.
V. 9. she is one] or, There is (but) one my do ve, &c. so this one onely, is opposed to the many Queenes, [unspec 9] Concubines, &c. formentioned. Here the Spouse of Christ wch is but one, (as there is one bodie, & one Spirit, one Hope, one Lord, one Faith, &c. Eph. 4. 45.) is preferred before the multitude of other, which in their owne & the worlds esteeme, are Queenes, Ladies, &c. Rev. 18. 7. Esay 47. 7. Thus was it said of Israel, And who is like thy people, like Israel: one na∣tion in the earth; whom God went to redeeme for a peo∣ple to himselfe, &c. 2 Sam. 7. 23. And when God entred into covenant with them, he said, If yee will obey my voice in deed, and keepe my covenant; then yee shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all peoples: for all the earth is mine, Exod. 19. 5. the onely one of her mother] or, one she is to her mother, mean∣ing by mother, Ierusalem which is above, which is the mother of us all, Gal. 4. 26. which was prefigured by Sarah the freewoman, the onely wife of Abra∣ham, of whom he had his only son Isaak, the child of promise: though he had (by Agar and Keturah his Concubines) other children also, to whom hee gave gifts, and sent them away; but gave all that he had into Isaak, Gen. 25. 5. 6. And Sarah was a type of the New Testament, and Isaak (in whom Abra∣hams