Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Song of Solomon 4:3

Thy lips [are] like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech [is] comely: thy temples [are] like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

3. like a thread of scarlet ] i.e. she has thin red lips. The word for ‘red’ here is shn =‘cochineal.’ In Arabic its name is qirmiz, hence our word ‘crimson.’

thy speech ] thy mouth. The word used here, midhbr, is an unusual one in this sense.

thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks ] Better, thy cheeks are like the rift of a pomegranate behind thy veil. Properly raqqh means the thin part of the skull, from rqaq =‘to be thin,’ i.e. the temple; but, as in other languages, both cheeks and temple may be included in the one term. The meaning here is either that the temples strictly so called gleam through the slit of the veil, as the mingled white and red of the inside of a pomegranate gleam through the cracks of the rind, or if pelach means ‘a piece,’ the comparison is of the cheeks to the rounded form and ruddy colour of a section of this fruit.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Thy speech is comely – Perhaps, thy mouth, i. e., the organ of speech.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 3. Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet] Both lips and cheeks were ruddy; sicut fragmen mali punici. – VULGATE. Like the section of a pomegranate, that side cut off on which is the finest blush. This is a good and apt metaphor. But the inside may be referred to, as it is finely streaked with red and white melting into each other. She had beautiful hair, beautiful eyes, beautiful cheeks and lips, and a most pleasing and dulcet voice.

Within thy locks.] See on So 4:1, and on So 4:7.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet; fine, and smooth, and soft, and round, and red, in which the beauty of the lips consisteth. Thy speech is comely; which is added, partly as another ingredient of an amiable person, and partly to explain the foregoing metaphor. The communication or discourse of believers is edifying, and comfortable, and acceptable to God and to serious men. Compare Psa 45:2; Col 4:6. Thy temples; under which doubtless he comprehends the cheeks, which are joined to them, and in which a great part of beauty lies, which therefore would not have been omitted in this description.

Like a piece of a pomegranate; in which there is a lovely mixture of red and white. This may note both the churchs beauty and her modesty, which showeth itself by blushes in those parts when she hath fallen into any sin, as the highest believers in this world sometimes do.

Within thy locks; a further evidence both of beauty and modesty. See on Son 4:1.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

3. threadlike a delicatefillet. Not thick and white as the leper’s lips (type of sin), whichwere therefore to be “covered,” as “unclean” (Le13:45).

scarletThe blood ofJesus Christ (Isa 6:5-9)cleanses the leprosy, and unseals the lips (Isa 57:19;Hos 14:2; Heb 13:15).Rahab’s scarlet thread was a type of it (Jos2:18).

speechnot a separatefeature from the lips (Zep 3:9;Col 4:6). Contrast “uncircumcisedlips” (Ex 6:12). MAURERand BURROWES translate,”thy mouth.”

templesrather, theupper part of the cheek next the temples: the seat ofshamefacedness; so, “within thy locks,” no display (1Co 11:5;1Co 11:6; 1Co 11:15).Mark of true penitence (Ezr 9:6;Eze 16:63). Contrast Jer 3:3;Eze 3:7.

pomegranateWhen cut,it displays in rows seeds pellucid, like crystal, tinged with red.Her modesty is not on the surface, but within, which Jesus Christ cansee into.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Thy lips [are] like a thread of scarlet,…. To a “thread” for thinness, to “scarlet” for colour; thin red lips being beautiful, as well as white teeth; so the beautiful Aspasia had red lips b, and teeth whiter than snow; hence we read of red and purple lips c. Now as lips are the instruments of speech, the words of the church, and of all true believers, may be designed; what is said by them in their prayers, which are filled, not with great swelling words of vanity, exalting themselves, and magnifying their works, like the Pharisee; but with humble confessions of sin, and acknowledgments of their unworthiness of mercy; and they are constant, like one continued thread, they go on praying all their days: and the scarlet colour may denote the fervency of them, whereby they become available with God; and the acceptableness of them to God, through the mediation of Christ, whose blood, and not any worthiness of theirs, is pleaded in them: their words of praise also may be signified hereby; which are not filled with big swollen encomiums of themselves, and of what they have done; but with expressions of the goodness and grace of God to them; and with thankfulness for all mercies, both temporal and spiritual, bestowed upon them; and these are hearty and sincere, coming from a heart inflamed with the love of God, which make such lips look like scarlet; and that being in great esteem may intimate the acceptableness of them to God, through the blood and sacrifice of Christ. To which may be added, that the doctrines of the Gospel, delivered by the ministers of the church, who are her lips, may be taken into the sense of this clause; which are like a “thread”, spun out of the Scriptures, and are harmonious and all of a piece, consistent and closely connected; the subject and matter of which are the blood, sufferings, and death of Christ, and the blessings that come thereby; and which also, like scarlet, are valuable and precious;

and thy speech [is] comely; which explains the preceding clause; and shows, that by her lips her speech is meant, which is “comely”, that is, graceful and amiable; as it is when believers speak of Christ, of his person, offices, and grace; and for him, in vindication of his truths and ordinances; when they speak to him, in prayer or in praise; and when, in common conversation, their speech is with grace;

thy temples [are] like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks; not like a piece of the tree, but of the fruit, when the shell of it bursts of itself, through the abundance of liquor in it; such the Israelites found at one of their stations, and therefore called it “Rimmonparez”, the pomegranate of rupture, or the bursted pomegranate; and in the tribe of Zebulun was a city called Remmonmethoar, the beautiful pomegranate, Jos 19:13; now the rind being broken d it appears full of grains or kernels, of a white colour, interspersed with a reddish purple juice, like blood, as Pausanias remarks e, and looks very beautiful; and is aptly used to set forth the church’s beauty, who, like her beloved, is “white and ruddy”, So 5:10: by which may be meant ecclesiastical officers, placed on an eminence in the church; to take care, among other things, of the discipline of it, according to the laws of Christ, 1Ti 5:17; The temples, in the Hebrew tongue f, have their name from the thinness and tenderness of them, having but little flesh on them, and covered with a thin skin; and, in the Greek tongue g, from the evident beating of the pulse in them; and their situation is between the ear and the eye: all which denote, that such officers should be spiritual men, and have as little carnality in them as may be; that they should use great tenderness in the administrations of their office, particularly in giving admonitions and reproofs: and, as by the beating of the pulse the state of a constitution is discerned, whether healthy or not; so the state of the church may be judged of by the discipline of it; if that is neglected, it is in a bad state, and in a declining condition; but if strictly observed, it is in a healthful and flourishing one: and the temples being between the eye and the ear may teach, that, in the management of church affairs, the officers are to make use of both; their ears are to be open to all; and they are not to shut their eyes against clear and plain evidence: and being said to be “within [her] locks”, may be expressive of the meekness and humility of such officers, who are not to lord it over God’s heritage; and of the private manner in which admonitions are to be given, in case of private offences; and of the affairs and concertos of a church being kept private, and not blazed abroad. And these may be compared to “a piece of a pomegranate”, because of their being full of gifts, and grace, and good works, visible to men; and for their harmony and union among themselves, and with the church and its members; and the strict regard that, in all things, is had to the rules and laws of Christ; all which make the officers of the church, and the discipline of it, acceptable to him. It may be further observed, that the temples, taken largely, include the “cheeks” also; and so some render the word h here; and the purple juice of the pomegranate well expresses the colour of them; hence we read of purple cheeks i: and this may denote the beauty and modesty of the church; whose blushing looks, and ruddy cheeks, made her extremely beautiful in the eye of Christ.

b Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 1. c , Theocrit. Idyll. 15. “Purpureis labellis”, Ovid. Amor. l. 3. Eleg. 13. d , Sept. “sicut fragmen”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Junius Tremellius “pars vel frustum”, Michaelis. e Boeotica, sive l. 9. p. 578. f “tenuis faciei pars”, Marckius; “tenuior”, Michaelis. Vid. Kimchii Sepher Shorash. rad. . g . h , Sept. “genae tuae”, Pagninus, Cocceius. i “Purpureas genas”, Ovid. Amor. l. 1. Eleg. 4. Statii Thebaid. l. 1. v. 538. Ausonii Parental. 23. v. 16. “Purpurissatae buccae”, Plauti Trucul. Act. 2. Sc. 2. v. 35. “genre”, Apulei Apolog. p. 239.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The mouth is next praised:

3a Like a thread of crimson thy lips,

And thy mouth is lovely,

As distinguished from red-purple, , (properly, shining, glistening; for this form has an active signification, like , as well as a passive, like ) – fully, – signifies the kermes or worm-colour; the karmese, the red juice of the cochineal. ( ) is translated by the lxx “thy speech;” Jerome, eloquium ; and the Venet. “thy dialogue;” but that would be expressed, though by a . ., by is here the name of the mouth, the naming of which one expects; the preform. is the mem instrumenti : the mouth, as the instrument of speech, as the organ by which the soul expresses itself in word and in manner of speech. The poet needed for a fuller, more select word; just as in Syria the nose is not called anf , but minchar (from nachara , to blow, to breathe hard).

Praise of her temples.

3b Like a piece of pomegranate thy temples

Behind thy veil.

is the thin piece of the skull on both sides of the eyes; Lat., mostly in the plur., tempora ; German, schlfe , from schlaff , loose, slack, i.e., weak = . The figure points to that soft mixing of colours which makes the colouring of the so-called carnation one of the most difficult accomplishments in the art of painting. The half of a cut pomegranate (Jer. fragmen mali punici ) is not meant after its outer side, as Zckler supposes, for he gives to the noun rakka , contrary to Jdg 4:21; Jdg 5:26, the meaning of cheek, a meaning which it has not, but after its inner side, which presents

(Note: The interior of a pomegranate is divided by tough, leather-like white or yellow skins, and the divisions are filled with little berries, in form and size like those of the grape, in the juicy inside of which little, properly, seed-corns, are found. The berries are dark red, or also pale red. The above comparison points to the mixing of these two colours.)

a red mixed and tempered with the ruby colour, – a figure so much the more appropriate, since the ground-colour of Shulamith’s countenance is a subdued white.

(Note: The Moslem erotic poets compare the division of the lips to the dividing cleft into a pomegranate.)

Up to this point the figures are borrowed from the circle of vision of a shepherdess. Now the king derives them from the sphere of his own experience as the ruler of a kingdom. She who has eyes like doves is in form like a born queen.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

(3) Speech.Rather, mouth, as the parallelism shows.

Thy temples . . .Rather, like a piece of pomegranate thy cheeks behind thy veil. (See Note to Son. 4:1.) The pomegranate brings to my mind the blushes of my beloved, when her cheeks are covered with a modest resentment (Persian Ode, quoted by Ginsburg from Sir Wm. Jones). For the pomegranate see Exo. 28:34. It naturally supplied to the Eastern poet the image for which the Western poet goes to the apple. Her cheeks like apples which the sun hath rudded (Spenser).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

3. Thread Better, braid. As literal features are here named, speech might better be mouth.

Thy temples Hebrew, Thy cheeks. The pomegranate has one side of rich red blushing through its clear brown. Such are the cheeks of this rustic damsel, within her veil, or visible just below its border.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Son 4:3. Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet Thy lips are like a braid of scarlet, &c. Thy temples are like a piece of pomegranatelike the section of a pomegranate, &c. See New Translation, and Bishop Lowth’s Prelections.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Son 4:3 Thy lips [are] like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech [is] comely: thy temples [are] like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

Ver. 3. Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet. ] Which hath two comely properties, small and ruddy. A thin lip is a sign of eloquence; Job 12:20 Pitho sits upon it. As, on the other side, a thick lip is an uncircumcised lip, Exo 6:12 a polluted lip. Isa 6:5 Scarlet or coralline lips are counted a great grace, as white, black, bluish lips are held no small deformity. The Church’s lips are her Christian confessions, whether to God or men. To God, when she acknowledgeth his favours (and so covereth his altar with the calves of her lips), or confesseth her sins with all the aggravations, bringing them forth as they did the vessels of the sanctuary, Ezr 8:34 by tale and by weight, bewailing and begging pardon for all their transgressions in all their sins, as the words are. Lev 16:21 To man she confesseth when she makes a wise and bold profession of the truth; not “afraid with any amazement,” 1Pe 3:6 but ready to “resist even unto blood.” Heb 12:4 The tabernacle was covered over with red (and the scarlet whore would fain persuade us that she takes up that colour for the same intent), to note that we must stand to the profession of the truth, even to effusion of blood. This confession of the mouth Rom 10:10 is set forth here by lips red as scarlet, because it must be lively, not fady or frigid, but full of faith, and dyed in Christ’s blood. It is also described by a thread of scarlet, because, as a thread, it must be drawn out to the full length, and not cut off, so long as life lasteth, for any fear or other by respect whatsoever. Surely, as Augustine said of the feast of Pentecost, Gaudet produci haec solennitas; so may we say of Christian confession, It rejoiceth to be held out to the last breath. And as the silk worm stretcheth forth herself before she spin, and ends her life in her long wrought clue, so it is with the faithful confessor.

And thy speech is comely. ] Because grave and gracious, framed in Scripture phrase as much as may be, and therefore comely and delectable. Loquamur verba Scripturae, utamur sermone Spiritus Sancti, &c., said that incomparable man Peter Ramus; Let us speak the very words of Scripture, let us make use of the language of the Holy Ghost, and for ever abominate those logodaedali, learned asses, that profanely disdain at the stately plainness of God’s blessed book, and that think to correct the divine wisdom and eloquence with their own infancy and sophistry. It is the Church only that speaks handsomely, because holily, and as the oracles of God. 1Pe 4:11 She is, as one well saith of Basil, suaviter gravis, et graviter suavis, nihil habens affectatae loquacitatis, sweetly grave, and gravely sweet, neither troublesomely talkative nor sinfully silent; verborum parca, sententiarum dives, as another a saith of Livy, few words, but full of matter.

Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate. ] A pomegranate hath many grains within his case, and a little round circle or crown without upon his head. Now these grains being sweet in taste, and red in colour, are orderly set one by another, and point up, and as it were look up altogether unto the crown; to intimate thus much, say Beda and Haimo, that the children of the Church must grow on still toward the mark, not only when they enjoy the sweet taste of pleasant prosperity, but also when they bear the red colour of bloody persecution; and, consenting in a kind of conformity and perfect peace, they must point up altogether with the finger of faith to Christ, and look up continually with the eye of love to their head, Christ, who, being first crossed, is now come to be crowned with honour and glory. Some do explain this “piece of a pomegranate,” when it is cut, to signify the reverend and modest countenance of tbe Church, as fearing and taking heed lest she should speak or do amiss, or blushing, if she hath failed. Others expound it of the good works of God’s people – compared to an “orchard of pomegranates” Son 4:9 – beautiful and comely, but yet imperfect; like as there is no pomegranate that hath not one rotten grain in it.

a Casaub.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

thread = braid.

speech = mouth.

temples = cheeks.

piece = part.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

lips: Son 4:11, Son 5:13, Son 5:16, Son 7:9, Psa 37:30, Psa 45:2, Psa 119:13, Pro 10:13, Pro 10:20, Pro 10:21, Pro 16:21-24, Mat 12:35, Luk 4:22, 2Co 5:18-21, Eph 4:29, Col 3:16, Col 3:17, Col 4:6

scarlet: Lev 14:4, Lev 14:6, Lev 14:49-52, Num 4:8, Num 19:6, Jos 2:18, Pro 31:26, Heb 9:19

thy temples: Son 6:7, Gen 32:10, Ezr 9:6, Eze 16:63

Reciprocal: Exo 28:34 – General Exo 39:26 – pomegranate

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge