He let out the vineyard, &c. This is intended to show the value of the vineyard. It was so extensive that it was leased out to a number of tenants, and every one of them paid a thousand shekels annually, and yet had two hundred shekels left for himself. נֹטְרִיﬦ, an indefinite number of keepers or farmers. אִישׁ each, vide supra, ver. 7. The suffix in בְפִרְיוֹ, his fruit, refers to כֶּרֶם, vineyard, which is masculine. כֶּסֶף, silver, stands for שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף, silver shekel: substantives denoting weight, measure, or time, are frequently omitted. Gen. xx. 16; xxxvii. 28; Acts xix. 9; Gesen. § 120, 4, Rem. 2; Ewald, § 287 i. The amount of a shekel is supposed to be about two shillings and sevenpence. The shekel of the sanctuary, however, like all the weights and measures of the Temple, was computed at double the ordinary. See Ezek. xlv. 12; 1 Kings x. 17; comp. with 2 Chron. ix. 16; Mishna, Shekalim, Maaser Sheni; Winer, Bib. Dict. s.v. A thousand shekels, therefore, would be about one hundred and thirty pounds. Remembering that each of these farmers had to pay this sum annually, and that money in those days had fifteen or twenty, nay, according to Michaelis (Mos. Rech. § 243), fifty times its present value, we shall be able to judge of the allurement which this ample estate offered.
[12]. I will keep my own vineyard, &c. And yet, notwithstanding all this, the Shulamite prefers to keep her little vineyard, and be with her beloved shepherd, rather than unfaithfully give him up for riches and honours. כַּרְמִי שֶׁלִּי, my own vineyard, the vineyard which belongs to me; vide supra, chap. i. 6. לְפָנָי lit. is before me; it is [[191]]mine, and I will keep it: this is obvious from the immediately following לְךָ, thine, keep thou it. The words הָאֶלֶף לְךָ וגו״ are to be taken as an exclamatory phrase, Ewald, § 329 a. אֶלֶף is here used collectively for all the thousands put together, which come in annually from the farmers; so מָאתַיִם, the two hundreds. The Vulgate translates here again the proper שְׁלֹמֹה, mille tui pacifici.
[13]. O thou that dwellest in the gardens, &c. The companions of the shepherd, who had manifested their joy at the successful arrival of the happy pair (vide supra, ver. 5), and rejoice that one of their humble occupation has brought such honour upon the whole class, visit the Shulamite, to hear from her own mouth her avowed attachment to her beloved. The shepherd, therefore, requests her to gratify this desire. She is no more הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּחַדְרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, sitting in the apartments of the king, vide supra, chap. i. 4, but has the honourable appellation of הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּגָנִים, dwelling in the gardens. חֲבֵרִיﬦ, companions, i.e. my companions, fellow-shepherds, i. 8.
[14]. Haste, O my beloved, &c. The Shulamite complies with the request. In the presence of all, she calls the shepherd her beloved, and tells him always to hasten to her with the speed of the swift-footed gazelle; vide supra ii. 9, 17. He has no more to cross “the mountains of separation” (see ii. 17), for they are united. These rugged mountains have now given place to the much-wished-for aromatic hills, iv. 6.
Reed and Pardon, Printers, Paternoster Row, London. [[193]]
Works by the same Author.
The Song of Songs.—Translated from the original Hebrew, with a Commentary (Historical and Critical), 1857.
Coheleth, commonly called the Book of Ecclesiastes.—Translated from the original Hebrew, with a Commentary (Historical and Critical), 1861.