Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

on the Whole Bible

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

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Song of Solomon

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Chapter 3 Chapter 4

Chapter 5 Chapter 6

Chapter 7 Chapter 8

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AN

EXPOSITION,

W I T H   P R A C T I C A L   O B S E R V A T I O N S,

OF THE

S O N G   O F   S O L O M O N.

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All scripture, we are sure, is given by inspiration of God,

and is profitable for the support and advancement of the interests

of his kingdom among men, and it is never the less so for there being

found in it some things dark and hard to be understood, which those

that are unlearned and unstable wrest to their own destruction. In

our belief both of the divine extraction and of the spiritual

exposition of this book we are confirmed by the ancient, constant, and

concurring testimony both of the church of the Jews, to whom were

committed the oracles of God, and who never made any doubt of

the authority of this book, and of the Christian church, which happily

succeeds them in that trust and honour.

I. It must be confessed, on the one hand, that if he who barely reads

this book be asked, as the eunuch was Understandest thou what thou

readest? he will have more reason than he had to say, How can I,

except some man shall guide me? The books of scripture-history and

prophecy are very much like one another, but this Song of

Solomon’s is very much unlike the songs of his father David; here

is not the name of God in it; it is never quoted in the New Testament;

we find not in it any expressions of natural religion or pious

devotion, no, nor is it introduced by vision, or any of the marks of

immediate revelation. It seems as hard as any part of scripture to be

made a savour of life unto life, nay, and to those who come to

the reading of it with carnal minds and corrupt affections, it is in

danger of being made a savour of death unto death; it is a

flower out of which they extract poison; and therefore the Jewish

doctors advised their young people not to read it till they were thirty

years old, lest by the abuse of that which is most pure and sacred

(horrendum dictu–horrible to say!) the flames of lust should be

kindled with fire from heaven, which is intended for the altar only.

But,

II. It must be confessed, on the other hand, that with the help of the

many faithful guides we have for the understanding of this book it

appears to be a very bright and powerful ray of heavenly light,

admirable fitted to excite pious and devout affections in holy souls,

to draw out their desires towards God, to increase their delight in

him, and improve their acquaintance and communion with him. It is an

allegory, the letter of which kills those who rest in that and look no

further, but the spirit of which gives life,

2 Cor. iii. 6; John vi. 63.

It is a parable, which makes divine things more difficult to those who

do not love them, but more plain and pleasant to those who do,

Matt. xiii. 14, 16.

Experienced Christians here find a counterpart of their experiences,

and to them it is intelligible, while those neither understand

it nor relish it who have no part nor lot in the matter. It is a son,

an Epithalamium, or nuptial song, wherein, by the expressions of

love between a bridegroom and his bride, are set forth and illustrated

the mutual affections that pass between God and a distinguished remnant

of mankind. It is a pastoral; the bride and bridegroom, for the more

lively representation of humility and innocence, are brought in as a

shepherd and his shepherdess. Now,

1. This song might easily be taken in a spiritual sense by the Jewish

church, for whose use it was first composed, and was so taken, as

appears by the Chaldee-Paraphrase and the most ancient Jewish

expositors. God betrothed the people of Israel to himself; he entered

into covenant with them, and it was a marriage-covenant. He had given

abundant proofs of his love to them, and required of them that they

should love him with all their heart and soul. Idolatry was often

spoken of as spiritual adultery, and doting upon idols, to prevent

which this song was penned, representing the complacency which God took

in Israel and which Israel ought to take in God, and encouraging them

to continue faithful to him, though he might seem sometimes to withdraw

and hide himself from them, and to wait for the further manifestation

of himself in the promised Messiah.

2. It may more easily be taken in a spiritual sense by the Christian

church, because the condescensions and communications of divine love

appear more rich and free under the gospel than they did under the law,

and the communion between heaven and earth more familiar. God sometimes

spoke of himself as the husband of the Jewish church

(Isa. lxiv. 5, Hos. ii. 16, 19),

and rejoiced in it as his bride,

Isa. lxii. 4, 5.

But more frequently is Christ represented as the bridegroom of his

church

(Matt. xxv. 1;

Rom. vii. 4; 2 Cor. xi. 2; Eph. v. 32),

and the church as the bride, the Lamb’s wife,

Rev. xix. 7; xxi. 2, 9.

Pursuant to this metaphor Christ and the church in general, Christ and

particular believers, are here discoursing with abundance of mutual

esteem and endearment. The best key to this book is the

45th Psalm,

which we find applied to Christ in the New Testament, and therefore

this ought to be so too. It requires some pains to find out what may,

probably, be the meaning of the Holy Spirit in the several parts of

this book; as David’s songs are many of them level to the capacity of

the meanest, and there are shallows in them learned, and there are

depths in it in which an elephant may swim. But, when the meaning is

found out, it will be of admirable use to excite pious and devout

affections in us; and the same truths which are plainly laid down in

other scriptures when they are extracted out of this come to the soul

with a more pleasing power. When we apply ourselves to the study of

this book we must not only, with Moses and Joshua, put off our shoe

from off our foot, and even forget that we have bodies, because

the place where we stand is holy ground, but we must, with John,

come up hither, must spread our wings, take a noble flight, and

soar upwards, till by faith and holy love we enter into the

holiest, for this is no other than the house of God and this is

the gate of heaven.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

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