And as a rose-tree in Jericho.”
Comp. also Homer, Odyss. vi. 162, and supra, chap. v. 15. אֶשְׁכֹּל, bunch, cluster, of grapes, dates, or flowers; the context must decide which. Here, from its close proximity to תָּמָר, palm-tree, dates are most probably intended. For the etymology of אֶשְׁכֹּל, see supra, chap. i. 14; and for its form, both here and in ver. 9, Ewald, § 212 d.
[8]. I long to climb, &c. After this flattering description Solomon tells the Shulamite how greatly he desires, and how happy he should be to enjoy, the affections of one so lovely and charming. We earnestly request those who maintain the allegorical interpretation of the Song seriously to reflect whether this verse, and indeed the whole of this address, can be put into the mouth of Christ as speaking to the Church. Would not our minds recoil with horror were we to hear a Christian using it publicly, or even privately, to illustrate the love of Christ for his Church?—אָמַר, to speak, also to wish, to desire, Gen. xliv. 28; Exod. ii. 14; 1 Sam. xx. 4. אָמַרְתִּי does not express the past, but the present; comp. דָמְתָה in the preceding verse; Gesen. § 126, 3; Ewald, § 135 b. The second verb אֶעֱלֶה is subordinate to the first, vide supra, chap. ii. 3. גֶּפֶן is added to אֶשְׁכֹּל, to distinguish it from the dates in ver. 7.
And the odour of thy breath, &c. That is, be as sweet and as quickening as that of apples. אַף is used in preference to פֶּה, because the nostril, or the breathing (which אַף literally means) is regarded by the Hebrews as that which in distension betokens pleasure, anger, &c. The appropriateness of this expression will be more manifest when we remember that hitherto all that the Shulamite showed towards Solomon were resistance and independence. There is also a play of words here, אַף being derived from אָנַף, to breathe, and תַּפּוּחַ, from נָפַח, to breathe. Hodgson strangely renders וְרֵיחַ אַפֵף, “the fragrance of thy face,” because several MSS. read אפיך with a yod.
[9]. And thy speech, &c. That is, Let thy language to me be as the sweetness of delicious wine. Rosenmüller, Döpke, De Wette, Noyes, Delitzsch, Hengstenberg, &c., put these words into the mouth of the maiden. But it is incredible that this modest woman would approve of these expressions with regard to her own person, and that she would continue the words דּוֹבֵב שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁינִים. חֵךְ, palate, metonymically for speech; vide supra, chap. v. 16. טוֹב is used as a substantive, and placed in the genitive after יַיִן; comp. Ps. xxi. 4; Prov. xxiv. 25; Ewald, § 287 b. The phrase הֹלֵךְ לְמֵישָׁרִים describes the smooth or mellow wine, which is of a very superior quality, and highly prized, Prov. xxiii. 31. The expression לְדוֹדִי is added in order to describe still more forcibly the nature of the wine, and affords a more striking illustration of the pleasantness of the damsel’s speech. Her voice is not merely compared to wine, valued because it is sweet to everybody; but to such wine as would be sweet to a friend, and on that account is more valuable and pleasant. Ammon, Ewald, Heiligstedt, Hitzig, &c. regard לְדוֹדִי as having erroneously crept in here [[182]]from ver. 11, whilst Velthusen, Meier, &c. point it לְדוֹדַי in the plural; but this is unsupported by MSS. Hodgson, taking לְדוֹדִי for לְדוֹדִים, translates it ad amores, delightfully, corresponding to לְמֵישָׁרִיﬦ in the next clause. But this rendering, to say the least, is contrary to the general meaning of this word. The rendering of Williams, “which I sent to those whom I love for their integrity,” is preposterous.
And causes slumbering lips, &c. The wine is of such an animating nature, that it even causes silent lips to speak. Thus Horace, Epist. lib. i. Ep. v. 19:—
Fecundi calices quem non fecere disertum?
“Whom have not soul-inspiring cups made eloquent?”
Others, however, with less probability, explain these words to mean wine of so excellent a flavour, as to induce those who have indulged in it to dream of it, and converse about it; or wine so delicious and tempting that it leads to excess, in consequence of which the drinkers fall asleep, and then either disclose the subject of their dream, or mutter unintelligible words. דּוֹבֵב is not gently flowing, suffusing (Ewald, Döpke, Gesenius, De Wette, Lee, Magnus, Noyes, Meier, Philippson, Hitzig, &c.), but causing to speak (Vulg., Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Rashbam, Mendelssohn, Kleuker, Hengstenberg, Fürst, Delitzsch, &c.) This is corroborated by the derivative דִּבָּה, which primarily means something spoken, a report, either good or bad, as is evident from Gen. xxvii. 2; Numb. xiv. 37, where the adjective רָעֳה, evil, is joined to it; and from Ezek. xxxvi. 3, where it stands in parallelism with שְׂפַת לָשׁוֹן, and by the frequent usage in the Talmud and other Hebrew writers of the word דָּבַב, for speaking. דּוֹבֵב is the Poel of דָּבַב, a form frequently used in verbs ע״ע (comp. הֹולֵל, Eccl. vii. 7; סוֹבֵב, Ps. lix. 7; Gesen. § 67, 8), and, like the Piel, is often the causative of Kal, Gesen. § 55, 1. The Sept., Vulg., Sym., Syr., read שְׂפָתַיִﬦ וְשִׁנַּיִﬦ, the lips and the teeth, instead of שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִיﬦ; but this is neither supported by MSS., nor yields a better sense.
[10]. I belong to my beloved, &c. The Shulamite gently but decidedly refuses the wishes of the king, declaring that her affections are fixed on one whom she ardently loves, and on whom alone it is her sacred duty to look. Even Ibn Ezra and Rashbam, though explaining it differently, admit that the maiden here refuses the petitioner of the last verse on the plea that she belonged to her beloved. עָלַי, lit. on me, i.e. it is upon me as a duty. עַל is frequently used to denote duty or obligation, which rests upon one like a burden, and must be discharged. Thus עָלַי לָתֵת, “it was my duty to give,” 2 Sam. xviii. 11; זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִיﬦ עָלַי, “peace-offerings are due from me,” Prov. vii. 14; Gesen. Lexicon, עַל A. 1, α γ. Ewald, § 217, 4 γ. The suffix in תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ expresses the object, i.e. the desire for him. This is often the case; comp. יִרְאָתוֹ, his fear, i.e. the fear for him, Exod. xx. 20; Gesen. § 121, 5; Ewald, § 286 b. We thus obtain the same sense of this clause which Hodgson gives it, without changing the words into זעליו תשוקתי, upon the slender authority of one MS. to support the first, and three MSS. to support the second alteration.