Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Song of Solomon 5:11
His head [is as] the most fine gold, his locks [are] bushy, [and] black as a raven.
11. bushy ] Heb. taltallm occurs in the O.T. only here, and is a derivative from tlal or tal = ‘to hang loosely down,’ and then ‘to throw down,’ but its exact meaning is uncertain. The A.V. margin gives the translation ‘curled’ or ‘curling,’ but it probably represents the view that the word means ‘hills’ or ‘undulations,’ as some Rabbinical writers understand it. (Cp. Midrash Rabba on Levit. 19, and Talmud, Tract. Nedarim, fol. 9 b.) In that case the meaning would be, that his locks were undulating. The LXX however translate = ‘palm buds,’ or the sheaths of the palm bud, which Schleusner says denotes “curls like those which the spathes of the palm form when they burst to let the fruit appear,” when they hang down in ringlets. Others get the same meaning by taking taltallm for the pendant parts of the vine, the tendrils.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
His head is as the most fine gold – Perhaps in the sense of noble and precious as the finest gold. Lam 4:2.
Bushy – Waving like branches of the palm.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. His head is as the most fine gold] He has the most beautiful head, fine and majestic. Gold is here used to express excellence.
His locks are bushy] Crisped or curled. This may refer to his mustachios.
Black as a raven.] His hair is black and glossy.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
His head is as the most fine gold; it shines like gold, not in respect of the hair, which is black, as it followeth, but by reason of his crown of pure gold upon his head, Rev 14:14; whereby she implies that her Bridegroom was a King, which she declared above, Son 5:11.
His locks; in which a part of mans beauty consists. I shall not trouble my reader with a distinct application of this and the following particulars unto some special part or excellency of Christ, because such things are mere conjectures without any solid grounds, and the only design of this description seems to be this, to set forth the beauty of Christ under the notion of a most complete and amiable person, in whom there is no defect nor blemish, from the crown of his head to the sole of his feet.
Black as a raven; which is mentioned, partly because this was esteemed a beauty, and partly because it was an evidence of his youth and rigour, as grey hairs are characters of age and infirmity, Hos 7:9.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. head . . . goldtheGodhead of Jesus Christ, as distinguished from His heel,that is, His manhood, which was “bruised” by Satan; bothtogether being one Christ (1Co11:3). Also His sovereignty, as Nebuchadnezzar, the supreme kingwas “the head of gold” (Dan 2:32-38;Col 1:18), the highest creature,compared with Him, is brass, iron, and clay. “Preciousness”(Greek, 1Pe 2:7).
bushycurled,token of Headship. In contrast with her flowing locks (So4:1), the token of her subjection to Him (Psa 8:4-8;1Co 11:3; 1Co 11:6-15).The Hebrew is (pendulous as) the branches of a palm,which, when in leaf, resemble waving plumes of feathers.
blackimplying youth;no “gray hairs” (Psa 102:27;Psa 110:3; Psa 110:4;Hos 7:9). Jesus Christ wascrucified in the prime of vigor and manliness. In heaven, on theother hand, His hair is “white,” He being the Ancient ofdays (Da 7:9). These contrastsoften concur in Him (So 5:10),”white and ruddy”; here the “raven” (So5:12), the “dove,” as both with Noah in the ark (Ge8:11); emblems of judgment and mercy.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
His head [is as] the most fine gold,…. Here the church enters into a particular description and commendation of her beloved, which continues to the end of the chapter; and she begins with his “head”, which she compares to the most fine gold. Some think that some ornament of the head is meant, as a diadem or crown of gold; or else the hair of the head, which, though afterwards said to be black, yet being powdered with gold dust, looked of the colour of gold, especially in the rays of the sun upon it; as did the hair of Solomon’s youths that attended him, being thus decorated, as Josephus u relates; and which custom of powdering the hair with gold dust was used by some of the Roman emperors w. The gold here is called “gold of Phaz”, or “Uphaz”, as in Da 10:5. “Fez”, with the Arabs, signifies gold; the city of Fez had its name from hence; in a place where it was built, a quantity of gold was found in it, which gave it its name x: according to Schultens y, gold is called “phaz”, from its leaping as it were out of the clods of the earth, and shining forth and glistering after a shower of rain falling on the earth, where there is a mine of it, by which means it is discovered; and of such gold, as the finest and purest, Diodorus Siculus z speaks, as found in Arabia; and which, from the purity of it, was called “apyron”, because it needed no purifying by fire: and this being the best and finest, is used to express the superlative excellence of Christ; for it may be rendered, “the gold of gold” a, there is none like it. By Christ’s “head” some understand the Father of Christ, said to be the Head of Christ,
1Co 11:3 not as Christ is a divine Person, but as man and Mediator; who, as such, was subject to his Father, supported and upheld by him; and who, for his excellent glory, is compared to the most fine gold, there being no glory like his. Or else the divine nature in Christ may be meant, which is the head, the chief and principal nature in him; which puts a glory on him, and an efficacy in all he did and suffered; and which is like pure, fine, shining gold, in which all the perfections of deity shine resplendently. Or rather the headship of Christ over his church is meant; as Nebuchadnezzar’s monarchy is represented by a head of gold, Da 2:32; so Christ’s, because his kingdom is great and glorious, pure and spiritual, solid and substantial, lasting and durable, yea, everlasting;
his locks [are] bushy, [and] black as a raven; which figures are used to set forth the beauty and comeliness of Christ: thick, bushy, well set hair, or “pendulous” b, as some render the word, hanging down upon the forehead and cheeks in a beautiful manner, makes very comely; and black hair was reckoned comely c; and the blackness of a raven is accounted a very fine black: and naturalists d say, that the eggs, brains, and blood of ravens, have been used to make the hair black. By these “bushy [and] black locks” of Christ some understand the thoughts and purposes of God, the Head of Christ; which, like hair, and like black bushy hair, are intricate, dark, and obscure, unsearchable and incomprehensible; and yet, so far as known, are beautiful and delightful; especially as they appear in the scheme of salvation, drawn in the eternal mind: or rather, as by others, believers in Christ are meant, for their numbers, dependence on Christ, and nourishment from him; [See comments on So 4:1]; and, being like “locks” of hair beautifully set, as when congregated and united together in Gospel order, are an ornament to Christ the Head, and afford a delightful sight to spectators, Col 2:5; and these being like “crisped” or “curled” hair e, as some render the word, may denote the hardiness and strength of believers, to perform duty, withstand enemies, and endure hardness, as good soldiers of Christ; curled hair being the hardest and strongest f. But it seems best to understand by them the administrations of Christ’s kingly office; which are executed with the utmost prudence, vigour, and strength; for curled hair is a sign of a dry brain g, which produces acuteness and sharpness of wit, as well as of vigour, strength, and courage; and which, how dark and obscure they may seem to be, and to carry in them severity to enemies; yet being managed with wisdom, as before observed, and also according to the rules of justice and equity, look very beautiful when made manifest, and are admired by the saints, Re 15:3.
u Antiqu. l. 8. c. 7. s. 3. w Vid. Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 9. col. 154. x Leo African. Descript. Africae, l. 3. p. 273. y Comment. in Prov. viii. 19. xxi. 5. z Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 133. & l. 3. p. 179. a “aurum auri”, Mercerus. b “penduli”, Arabic, Bochart, so Jarchi. c “Spectandum—-nigroque capillo”, Horat. de Arte Poet. v. 37, “nigroque crine decorum”, ib. Sermon. l. 1. Ode 32. v. 11. d Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 29. c. 6. Aelian de Animal. l. 1. c. 48. e “Crispi”, Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Cocceius “crispaturae”, Buxtorf. Marckius. f Aristot. de Gen. Animal. l. 5. c. 3. g Ibid.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
11 His head is precious fine gold,
His locks hill upon hill,
Black as the raven.
The word-connection , occurring only here, serves as a designation of the very finest pure gold; for (hiding, then that which is hidden), from , R. ( vid., concerning the words appertaining to this root, under Psa 87:6), is the name of fine gold, which was guarded as a jewel (cf. Pro 25:12), and (with long a ), is pure gold freed from inferior metals, from , to set free, and generally violently to free (cf. zahav muphaz , 1Ki 10:18, with zahav tahor , 2Ch 9:17). The Targ. to the Hagiog. translate by ( e.g., Psa 119:127), or ( e.g., Psa 19:11), , i.e., gold which has stood the fire-proof ( obrussa ) of the cupel or the crucible. Grammatically regarded, the word-connection kethem paz is not genit., like kethem ophir , but appositional, like narrah bethulah , Deu 22:28, zevahim shelamim , Exo 24:5, etc. The point of comparison is the imposing nobility of the fine form and noble carriage of his head. In the description of the locks of his hair the lxx render by , Jerome by sicut elatae palmarum , like the young twigs, the young shoots of the palm. Ewald regards it as a harder parall. form of , Isa 18:5, vine-branches; and Hitzig compares the Thousand and One Nights, iii. 180, where the loose hair of a maiden is likened to twisted clusters of grapes. The possibility of this meaning is indisputable, although (Arab.) taltalat , a drinking-vessel made of the inner bark of palm-branches, is named, not from taltalah , as the name of the palm-branch, but from taltala , to shake down, viz., in the throat. The palm-branch, or the vine-branch, would be named from , pendulum esse , to hang loosely and with a wavering motion, the freq. of , pendere . The Syr. also think on , for it translates “spread out,” i.e., a waving downward; and the Venet., which translates by . The point of comparison would be the freshness and flexibility of the abundant long hair of the head, in contrast to motionless close-lying smoothness. One may think of Jupiter, who, when he shakes his head, moves heaven and earth. But, as against this, we have the fact: (1) That the language has other names for palm-branches and vine-branches; the former are called in the Son 7:9, sansinnim . (2) That , immediately referred to the hair, but not in the sense of “hanging locks” (Bttch.), is still in use in the post-bibl. Heb. ( vid., under Son 5:2); the Targ. also, in translating , cumuli cumuli , thinks = , Menachoth 29 b. A hill is called , (Arab.) tall, from , prosternere , to throw along, as of earth thrown out, sand, or rubbish; and , after the form , in use probably only in the plur., is a hilly country which rises like steps, or presents an undulating appearance. Seen fro his neck upwards, his hair forms in undulating lines, hill upon hill. In colour, these locks of hair are black as a raven, which bears the Semitic name from its blackness ( ), but in India is called karava from its croaking. The raven-blackness of the hair contrasts with the whiteness and redness of the countenance, which shines forth as from a dark ground, from a black border. The eyes are next described.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(11) Bushy.Marg., curled; Heb., taltallm=flowing in curls, or heaped up, i.e., thick, bushy, according as we derive from talah or tel. The LXX. (followed by the Vulg.) take taltallm for another form of zalzallm (Isa. 18:5, sprigs of the vine), and render palm-leaves.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. His head, etc. Literally, His head is gold, gold; the repetition of the original giving emphasis. The idea is, that his head is among men as gold among metals, kingly and grand.
His locks Literally, his curls. A pure, soft, black hair was much admired by ancient poets next to the colour of sunbeams, the gold-yellow hair of Moses and Apollo, “the rare gift of the gods.” A beautiful woman is called “a bird of raven wing and snowy breast.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Son 5:11. His head is as the most fine gold A metaphorical expression, to denote consummate excellence in beauty.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
The Church now having given as before a general idea of her Lord, here begins to descend into particulars. And as Jesus in the preceding Chapter had been commending the beauty of his Church, she now holds forth in the best manner she is able, the surpassing grace and loveliness of her Lord. And first, she describes his head: perhaps alluding to God the Father: for the Apostle saith, that the head of Christ is God. 1Co 11:3 . And as Christ in his divine nature is one with the Father over all, God blessed forever; perhaps also the expression might allude to the divine nature of Christ, and his headship over his Church and people. And in this sense the locks of Christ may refer, in relation to the numberless hairs of the head, to the multitude of believers.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Son 5:11 His head [is as] the most fine gold, his locks [are] bushy, [and] black as a raven.
Ver. 11. His head is as the most fine gold. ] Here she begins her particular praise of his various parts; and here she may seem to speak with the tongues of men and of angels, performing, as lovers used to do, that for him which he had done for her before, Son 4:1-4 , &c. though all she could say falleth far short of him; and well she might say after all, as Nazianzen sometime said of Basil, ‘There wants but his own tongue to commend him with’; Loquimur de Deo non quantum debemus, sed quantum possumus. In speaking of Christ’s excellencies, men may speak what they can; they cannot possibly speak so much as they ought, they cannot hyperbolise. If any shall think the Church doth here, he must needs be of those that either know him not, or are not able to judge aright of his worth, as once Cicero a said of Crassus and Antony, the orators. Nusquam Origines non ardet, sed nusquam est ardentior, &c., saith Erasmus. b Origen is never but earnest; howbeit he is never more earnest than when he discourseth about Christ; in other things he may seem to excel others, but in this he excelleth himself. The same we may well say of the Church in this place, in setting forth the surpassing purity and perfection of her spouse: Quem manibus propriis finxit cordata Minerva. And first she makes his head to be of the finest and firmest gold – Fess – gold, so the Arabic, from the Hebrew, calleth it; and the land of Fess seemeth to be named of such gold there. David’s Michtam, or Golden Psalm, comes from one of the words here used; for in the original thus it is, “His head is most glistering gold, yea, most solid gold”; c that is, his deity which dwells in him is most pure and glorious – for “the head of Christ is God” 1Co 11:3 – and that fulness of grace which is communicated to his human nature is wondrously beautiful, and so sets it forth as black curled locks do a fresh countenance.
“ Spectandus nigris oculis, nigroque capillo est. ”
a Tull. de Orator.
b Erasmus in Praef. ad Orig. Opera.
c Or, He is the gold of gold, as Athens was the Greece of Greece.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
bushy = flowing, waving, or curled.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
head: Dan 2:37, Dan 2:38, Eph 1:21, Eph 1:22
his locks: Son 7:5, Dan 7:9, Rev 1:14
bushy: or, curled
Reciprocal: Lev 13:40 – hair is fallen off his head Son 4:1 – thy hair
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
5:11 His {i} head [is as] the most fine gold, his locks [are] bushy, [and] black as a raven.
(i) She describes Christ to be of perfect beauty and comeliness.