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Selected Verse: Song of solomon 5:12 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
So 5:12 |
Strong Concordance |
His eyes [05869] are as the eyes of doves [03123] by the rivers [0650] of waters [04325], washed [07364] with milk [02461], and fitly set [03427] [04402]. |
|
King James |
His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. |
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] |
as the eyes of doves--rather, "as doves" (Psa 68:13); bathing in "the rivers"; so combining in their "silver" feathers the whiteness of milk with the sparkling brightness of the water trickling over them (Mat 3:16). The "milk" may allude to the white around the pupil of the eye. The "waters" refer to the eye as the fountain of tears of sympathy (Eze 16:5-6; Luk 19:41). Vivacity, purity, and love, are the three features typified.
fitly set--as a gem in a ring; as the precious stones in the high priest's breastplate. Rather, translate as Vulgate (the doves), sitting at the fulness of the stream; by the full stream; or, as MAURER (the eyes) set in fulness, not sunk in their sockets (Rev 5:6), ("seven," expressing full perfection), (Zac 3:9; Zac 4:10). |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Or, His eyes are doves. The comparison is to doves seen by streams of water washing in milk (i. e., milk-white), and sitting on fulness (i. e., on the full or abundant water-flood).
Fitly set - This rendering supposes that the eyes within their sockets are compared to precious stones set in the foil of a ring (see the margin); but the other rendering is preferable. The milk-white doves themselves, sitting by full streams of water, or reflected in their flittings athwart the glassy surface, present images of the calm repose and vivid glances of the full pure lustrous eyes of the beloved. |
The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917] |
fitly set
Hebrew, "sitting in fulness;" that is, fitly placed, and set as a precious stone in the foil of a ring. |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
12 His eyes like doves by the water-brooks,
Bathing in milk, stones beautifully set
The eyes in their glancing moistness (cf. ὑγρότης τῶν ὀμμάτων, in Plutarch, of a languishing look), and in the movement of their pupils, are like doves which sip at the water-brooks, and move to and fro beside them. אפיק, from אפק, continere, is a watercourse, and then also the water itself flowing in it (vid., under Psa 18:16), as (Arab.) wadin, a valley, and then the river flowing in the valley, bahr, the sea-basin (properly the cleft), and then also the sea itself. The pred. "bathing" refers to the eyes (cf. Sol 4:9), not to the doves, if this figure is continued. The pupils of the eyes, thus compared with doves, seem as if bathing in milk, in that they swim, as it were, in the white in the eye. But it is a question whether the figure of the doves is continued also in ישׁבות על־מלּאת. It would be the case of milleth meant "fulness of water," as it is understood, after the example of the lxx, also by Aquila (ἐκχύσεις). Jerome (fluenta plenissima), and the Arab. (piscinas aqua refertas); among the moderns, by Dpke, Gesen., Hengst., and others. But this pred. would then bring nothing new to Sol 5:12; and although in the Syr. derivatives from melā' signify flood and high waters, yet the form milleth does not seem, especially without מים, to be capable of bearing this signification. Luther's translation also, although in substance correct: und stehen in der flle (and stand in fulness) (milleth, like שׁלמותא of the Syr., πληρώσεως of the Gr. Venet., still defended by Hitz.), yet does not bring out the full force of milleth, which, after the analogy of כּסּא, רצפה, appears to have a concrete signification which is seen from a comparison of Exo 25:7; Exo 27:17, Exo 27:20; Exo 39:13. There מלּאה and מלּאים signify not the border with precious stones, but, as rightly maintained by Keil, against Knobel, their filling in, i.e., their bordering, setting. Accordingly, milleth will be a synon. technical expression: the description, passing from the figure of the dove, says further of the eyes, that they are firm on (in) their setting; על is suitable, for the precious stone is laid within the casket in which it is contained. Hitzig has, on the contrary, objected that מלאת and מלאים denote filling up, and thus that milleth cannot be a filling up, and still less the place thereof. But as in the Talm. מוּליתא signifies not only fulness, but also stuffed fowls or pies, and as πλήρωμα in its manifold aspects is used not only of that with which anything is filled, but also of that which is filled (e.g., of a ship that is manned, and Eph 1:23 of the church in which Christ, as in His body, is immanent), - thus also milleth, like the German "Fassung," may be used of a ring-casket (funda or pala) in which the precious stone is put. That the eyes are like a precious stone in its casket, does not merely signify that they fill the sockets, - for the bulbus of the eye in every one fills the orbita, - but that they are not sunk like the eyes of one who is sick, which fall back on their supporting edges in the orbita, and that they appear full and large as they press forward from wide and open eyelids. The cheeks are next described. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
Of doves - Lovely and pleasant, chaste and innocent. Rivers - Where they delight to abide. Milk - Doves of a milk white colour. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
His eyes are as the eyes of doves - See on Sol 4:1 (note).
Washed with milk - The white of the eye, exceedingly white. By the use of stibium, in the East, the eye is rendered very beautiful; and receives such a lustre from the use of this article, that, to borrow the expression of a late traveler, "their eyes appear to be swimming in bliss." I believe this expression to be the meaning of the text.
Fitly set - Or, as the margin, very properly, sitting in fullness; not sunk, not contracted. |
10 For who hath despised [0936] the day [03117] of small things [06996]? for they shall rejoice [08055], and shall see [07200] the plummet [068] [0913] in the hand [03027] of Zerubbabel [02216] with those seven [07651]; they are the eyes [05869] of the LORD [03068], which run to and fro [07751] through the whole earth [0776].
9 For behold the stone [068] that I have laid [05414] before [06440] Joshua [03091]; upon one [0259] stone [068] shall be seven [07651] eyes [05869]: behold, I will engrave [06605] the graving [06603] thereof, saith [05002] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], and I will remove [04185] the iniquity [05771] of that land [0776] in one [0259] day [03117].
6 And [2532] I beheld [1492], and [2532], lo [2400], in [1722] the midst [3319] of the throne [2362] and [2532] of the four [5064] beasts [2226], and [2532] in [1722] the midst [3319] of the elders [4245], stood [2476] a Lamb [721] as [5613] it had been slain [4969], having [2192] seven [2033] horns [2768] and [2532] seven [2033] eyes [3788], which [3739] are [1526] the seven [2033] Spirits [4151] of God [2316] sent forth [649] into [1519] all [3956] the earth [1093].
41 And [2532] when [5613] he was come near [1448], he beheld [1492] the city [4172], and wept [2799] over [1909] it [846],
5 None eye [05869] pitied [02347] thee, to do [06213] any [0259] of these unto thee, to have compassion [02550] upon thee; but thou wast cast out [07993] in the open [06440] field [07704], to the lothing [01604] of thy person [05315], in the day [03117] that thou wast born [03205].
6 And when I passed [05674] by thee, and saw [07200] thee polluted [0947] in thine own blood [01818], I said [0559] unto thee when thou wast in thy blood [01818], Live [02421]; yea, I said [0559] unto thee when thou wast in thy blood [01818], Live [02421].
16 And [2532] Jesus [2424], when he was baptized [907], went up [305] straightway [2117] out of [575] the water [5204]: and [2532], lo [2400], the heavens [3772] were opened [455] unto him [846], and [2532] he saw [1492] the Spirit [4151] of God [2316] descending [2597] like [5616] a dove [4058], and [2532] lighting [2064] upon [1909] him [846]:
13 Though ye have lien [07901] among the pots [08240], yet shall ye be as the wings [03671] of a dove [03123] covered [02645] with silver [03701], and her feathers [084] with yellow [03422] gold [02742].
23 Which [3748] is [2076] his [846] body [4983], the fulness [4138] of him that filleth [4137] all [3956] in [1722] all [3956].
13 And the fourth [07243] row [02905], a beryl [08658], an onyx [07718], and a jasper [03471]: they were inclosed [04142] in ouches [04865] of gold [02091] in their inclosings [04396].
20 And thou shalt command [06680] the children [01121] of Israel [03478], that they bring [03947] thee pure [02134] oil [08081] olive [02132] beaten [03795] for the light [03974], to cause the lamp [05216] to burn [05927] always [08548].
17 All the pillars [05982] round about [05439] the court [02691] shall be filleted [02836] with silver [03701]; their hooks [02053] shall be of silver [03701], and their sockets [0134] of brass [05178].
7 Onyx [07718] stones [068], and stones [068] to be set [04394] in the ephod [0646], and in the breastplate [02833].
12 His eyes [05869] are as the eyes of doves [03123] by the rivers [0650] of waters [04325], washed [07364] with milk [02461], and fitly set [03427] [04402].
9 Thou hast ravished my heart [03823], my sister [0269], my spouse [03618]; thou hast ravished my heart [03823] with one [0259] of thine eyes [05869], with one [0259] chain [06060] of thy neck [06677].
16 He sent [07971] from above [04791], he took [03947] me, he drew [04871] me out of many [07227] waters [04325].
1 Behold, thou art fair [03303], my love [07474]; behold, thou art fair [03303]; thou hast doves [03123]' eyes [05869] within [01157] thy locks [06777]: thy hair [08181] is as a flock [05739] of goats [05795], that appear [01570] from mount [02022] Gilead [01568].