Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Song of Songs
Book: Song of Songs
Chapter: 8
Overview:
Desire for
Communion with
Christ.
(1-4) The vehemence of this
desire.
(5-7) The
Church pleads for others.
(8-12) And prays for
Christ's coming.
(13,14)
1-4 The
Church wishes for the constant intimacy and
Freedom
with the
Lord Jesus that a sister has with a
Brother. That they
might be as his brethren, which they are, when
By Grace they are
made partakers of a Divine nature.
Christ is become as our
Brother; wherever we find him, let us be ready to own our
relation to him, and
Affection for him, and not fear being
despised for it. Is there in us an ardent wish to serve
Christ
more and better? What then have we laid up in store, to show our
Affection to the Beloved of our souls? What
Fruit unto
Holiness?
The
Church charges all her children that they never provoke
Christ to withdraw. We should reason with ourselves, when
tempted to do what would grieve the
Spirit.
5-7 The Jewish
Church came up from the
Wilderness, supported
By
Divine power and favour. The
Christian Church was raised from a
low, desolate condition,
By the
Grace of
Christ relied
On.
Believers,
By the power of
Grace, are brought up from the
Wilderness. A sinful state is a
Wilderness in which there is
No
true comfort; it is a
Wandering, wanting state: There is
No
coming out of this
Wilderness, but leaning
On Christ as our
Beloved,
By Faith; not leaning to our own understanding, nor
trusting in any
Righteousness of our own; but in the strength of
him, who is the
Lord our
Righteousness. The words of the
Church
to
Christ which follow, entreat an abiding place in his
Love,
and protection
By his power. Set me as a
Seal upon thine
Heart;
let me always have a place in thine
Heart; let me have an
impression of
Love upon thine
Heart. Of this the soul would be
assured, and without a sense thereof
No Rest is to be found.
Those who truly
Love Christ, are jealous of every thing that
would draw them from him; especially of themselves, lest they
should do any thing to provoke him to withdraw from them. If we
Love Christ, the fear of coming short of his
Love, or the
temptations to forsake him, will be most painful to us.
No
waters can quench
Christ's
Love to us, nor any floods
Drown it.
Let nothing abate our
Love to him. Nor will
Life, and all its
comforts, entice a believer from loving
Christ.
Love of
Christ,
will enable us to repel and triumph over temptations from the
smiles of the world, as
Well as from its frowns.
8-12 The
Church pleads for the
Gentiles, who then had not the
Word of God, nor the
Means of Grace. Those who are brought to
Christ themselves, should contrive what they may do to help
others to him. Babes in
Christ are always seen among Christians,
and the welfare of their weak brethren is an object of continual
Prayer with the stronger believers. If the beginning of this
work were likened to a
Wall built upon Him the precious
Foundation and
Corner-
Stone, then the Gentile
Church would
become as a
Palace for the great
King, built of solid
Silver. If
the first preaching of the
Gospel were as the making a door
through the
Wall of partition, that door should be lasting, as
cased with boards of durable
Cedar. She shall be carefully and
effectually protected, enclosed
So as to receive
No damage. The
Church is full of care for those yet uncalled.
Christ says, I
will do all that is necessary to be done for them. See with what
satisfaction we should look back upon the times and
Seasons,
when we were in his eyes as those that find favour. Our hearts
are our vineyards, which we must keep with all diligence. To
Christ, and to his praise, all our fruits must be dedicated. All
that work for
Christ, work for themselves, and shall be
unspeakable gainers
By it.
13,14 These verses close the conference between
Christ and his
Church. He first addresses her as dwelling in the
Gardens, the
assemblies and ordinances of his saints. He exhorts her to be
constant and frequent in prayers, supplications, and praises, in
which he delights. She replies, craving his speedy return to
take her to be wholly with Him. The heavens, those high
mountains of sweet
Spices, must contain
Christ, till the times
come, when every
Eye shall see him, in all the
Glory of the
better world. True believers as they are looking for,
So they
are hastening to the coming of that
Day of the
Lord. Let every
Christian endeavour to perform the duties of his station, that
men may see his good
Works, and
Glorify his heavenly
Father.
Continuing
Earnest in
Prayer for what we want, our thanksgivings
will abound, and our joy will be full; our souls will be
enriched, and our labours prospered. We shall be enabled to look
forward to
Death and
Judgment without fear. Even
So, come,
Lord
Jesus.