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The Church Praises her Bridegroom
v. 9. What is thy Beloved more than another beloved, to place Him so high in praise, O thou fairest among women? so the "daughters of Jerusalem," introduced for the sake of the liveliness of the presentation, ask Shulamith. What is thy Beloved more than another beloved that thou dost so charge us? namely, by admonishing them to assure Him of her lasting love and devotion. And the bride answers,
v. 10. My Beloved is white and ruddy, fair and with the color of health, the chiefest among ten thousand, distinguished above a myriad, an unequaled Champion.
v. 11. His head is as the most fine gold, not only from the red luster of His crown, but by reason of preciousness, His locks are bushy, like the waving fronds of the date-palm, and black as a raven.
v. 12. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, full of lustrous brightness, washed with milk, to enhance their beauty, and fitly set, literally, "sitting in fullness," like a precious gem in the setting of a ring.
v. 13. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, or balm, in the luxuriant growth of the beard, as sweet flowers, elevated beds or mounds of spice plants; His lips like lilies, the red lilies of Palestine, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh.
v. 14. His hands are as gold rings, each finger being a cylinder of gold, set with the beryl, or encased in turquoises; His belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires, or, "his body a figure of ivory veiled with sapphires," so spoken of either from the delicate blue veining or from the girdle studded with these precious gems.
v. 15. His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets, or bases, of fine gold, the references probably being to the costly sandals worn by the King; His countenance is as Lebanon, His entire appearance and bearing is majestic, excellent as the cedars, choice and stately as the finest trees of the forest.
v. 16. His mouth is most sweet, literally, "His palate is sweetnesses"; yea, He is altogether lovely, literally, "lovelinesses," the plural indicating the excess of pleasurable qualities. This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
This is the ecstatic description which the Church gives of the Bridegroom with whose love she is ravished, she herself being once more addressed with the honoring name of "the fairest among women," since the Church is, by virtue of His grace, without spot, or blemish, or any such thing. Her praise of the King is in the same strain which caused the inspired writers to call out: "Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured out into Thy lips; therefore God hath blessed Thee forever," Psalms 45, 2. The entire description shows Christ as true man, but at the same time, in the fullness of His divinity, with majesty and stateliness in His entire appearance, and loveliness and sustaining power in His words. Beauty and strength, delicacy and might, are combined in His person, and therefore the sight of Him does not cause fear and terror, but inspires love and confidence. The entire description fits only Him who, while indeed true man, is at the same time God over all, blessed forever. It is the indescribable majesty of His deity which is here set forth in pictures and parables, in order that we might know Him with the eyes of faith, until we shall finally see Him as He is and be with Him in everlasting joy and happiness.