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Selected Verse: Song of solomon 4:10 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| So 4:10 |
King James |
How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
love--Hebrew, "loves"; manifold tokens of thy love.
much better--answering to her "better" (Sol 1:2), but with increased force. An Amoebean pastoral character pervades the Song, like the classic Amoebean idylls and eclogues.
wine--The love of His saints is a more reviving cordial to Him than wine; for example, at the feast in Simon's house (Luk 7:36, Luk 7:47; Joh 4:32; compare Zac 10:7).
smell of . . . ointments than all spices--answering to her praise (Sol 1:3) with increased force. Fragrant, as being fruits of His Spirit in us (Gal 5:22). |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
He proceeds still further to praise her attractions.
10 How fair is thy love, my sister-bride!
How much better thy love than wine!
And the fragrance of thy unguents than all spices!
11 Thy lips drop honey, my bride;
Honey and milk are under thy tongue;
And the fragrance of thy garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
Regarding the connection of the pluralet. דּודים with the plur. of the pred., vid., at Sol 1:2. The pred. יפוּ praises her love in its manifestations according to its impression on the sight; טבוּ, according to its experience on nearer intercourse. As in Sol 4:9 the same power of impression is attributed to the eyes and to the necklace, so here is intermingled praise of the beauty of her person with praise of the fragrance, the odour of the clothing of the bride; for her soul speaks out not only by her lips, she breathes forth odours also for him in her spices, which he deems more fragrant than all other odours, because he inhales, as it were, her soul along with them. נפת, from נפת, ebullire (vid., under Pro 5:3, also Schultens), is virgin honey, ἄκοιτον (acetum, Pliny, xi. 15), i.e., that which of itself flows from the combs (צוּפים). Honey drops from the lips which he kisses; milk and honey are under the tongue which whispers to him words of pure and inward joy; cf. the contrary, Psa 140:4. The last line is an echo of Gen 27:27. שׂלמה is שׂמלה (from שׂמל, complicare, complecti) transposed (cf. עלנה from עולה, כּשׂבּה from כּבשׂה). As Jacob's raiment had for his old father the fragrance of a field which God had blessed, so for Solomon the garments of the faultless and pure one, fresh from the woods and mountains of the north, gave forth a heart-strengthening savour like the fragrance of Lebanon (Hos 4:7), viz., of its fragrant herbs and trees, chiefly of the balsamic odour of the apples of the cedar. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Fair - How amiable and acceptable to me. Ointments - Of the gifts and graces of God's Spirit, wherewith thou art anointed. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
How much better is thy love - דדיך dodayich; Hebrew. mastoi sou; Septuagint. Ubera tua; Vulgate. "Thy breasts." And so all the versions, except the Chaldee.
Smell of thine ointments - Perfumes. |
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.
7 And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD.
32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:
4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.
3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.