Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Song of Solomon 8:2
I would lead thee, [and] bring thee into my mother’s house, [who] would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.
2. The bride thinks with delight of the close familiar intercourse she would in that case have had with him.
who would instruct me ] The verb here may be either 3rd pers. sing. fem. as the A.V. takes it, or 2nd pers. sing. masc. as the Vulgate and Targum take it. In the latter case the translation would be, ‘thou wilt instruct me,’ or as R.V. margin, ‘that thou mightest instruct me.’ If we adopt the former view, the meaning must be that the Shulammite’s mother would instruct her how to play a maiden’s part to her betrothed lover; if the latter, that her lover would be able to impart to her his wisdom. But in both cases the wish that he had been her brother must be understood to have been given up, or lost sight of; and in the latter it may be doubted whether this exaltation of the wisdom of the beloved is an Eastern trait at all, unless the instruction is instruction in agriculture, as Oettli suggests, comparing Isa 28:23-28 and ch. Son 7:12. That is surely too prosaic. But in ch. Son 3:4 the clause “until I had brought him into my mother’s house” is followed by the words, “and into the chamber of her that conceived me,” and the LXX and the Syriac actually have these words here in place of who would instruct me. This reading would keep the whole clause in harmony with the wish in Son 8:1, and probably should be accepted.
of the juice of my pomegranate ] Rather, my new pomegranate wine. ss is the juice of grapes or other fruit, trodden out in the wine-press and fermented quickly; cp. Isa 49:26, “As with ’ss they shall be drunk with their own blood”; Joe 1:5; Joe 3:18; Amo 9:13. Tristram ( Nat. Hist. p. 388) says of the pomegranate, “The juice was and still is expressed for a cooling drink, or sherbet, and sometimes also fermented into a light wine. It is now commonly used in the East with sugar or spices, and then strained before being fermented. The wine of the pomegranate does not keep long and is very light.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Who would instruct me – Or, thou shouldest teach me Isa 54:13. Some allegorists make the whole passage Cant. 7:118:2 a prayer of the synagogue for the Incarnation of the Word, like Son 1:2 (see note). Others, a prayer of the Church under both covenants for that complete union with the Incarnate Godhead which is still future.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. Would – bring thee into my mother’s house, who would instruct me] She would teach me how to conduct myself towards thee, as she would how to nurse a young child.
To drink of spiced: wine] Wine rendered peculiarly strong and invigorating. The bride and bridegroom on the wedding day both drank out of the same cup, to show that they were to enjoy and equally bear together the comforts and adversities of life.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Bring thee, with joy and triumph, as the bridegroom was usually brought to the brides house. See Psa 45:14,15.
Into my mothers house; either,
1. My mothers-inlaw, my husbands mother, as the custom was, Gen 24:61; Jdg 12:9. Or,
2. My own mothers, to show her extraordinary respect and affection to him. In the mystical sense both come to one; for the universal church was in some sort both his and her mother.
Who would instruct me, to wit, how I should behave myself towards thee. Or, where she did instruct or educate me.
I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate; I would give thee the best entertainment which the house affords. My gifts and graces should all be employed to serve and glorify thee.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. Her desire to bring Him intoher home circle (Joh 1:41).
who would instruct merather,”thou wouldest instruct me,” namely, how I might bestplease thee (Isa 11:2; Isa 11:3;Isa 50:4; Luk 12:12;Joh 14:26; Joh 16:13).
spiced wineseasonedwith aromatic perfumes. Jesus Christ ought to have our choicestgifts. Spices are never introduced in the song in His absence;therefore the time of His return from “the mountain of spices”(So 8:14) is contemplated. Thecup of betrothal was given by Him at the last supper; the cup ormarriage shall be presented by her at His return (Mt26:29). Till then the believer often cannot feel towards, orspeak of, Him as he would wish.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I would lead thee, [and] bring, thee into mother’s house,…. The general assembly and church of the firstborn is mother to the church visible, to particular churches and believers, where they are born, educated, and brought up; for which they have a great affection, as persons usually have for the place of their nativity and education. And here the church desires to have Christ with her; either to consummate the marriage between them, Ge 24:67; or to have the knowledge of him spread among her relations, those of her mother’s house, who belonged to the election of grace; or to enjoy his presence there, with great delight and pleasure: the act of “leading” thither shows great familiarity with him, great love and respect for him, a hearty welcome to her mother’s house; and was treating him becoming his majesty, great personages being led, Isa 60:11; all which is done by prayer, in the exercise of faith: and the act of “bringing” denotes on her part the strength of faith in prayer; and on his part great condescension; see So 3:4. Her end in all was, as follows,
[who] would instruct me; meaning her mother; the allusion may be to a grave and prudent woman, who, taking her newly married daughter apart, teaches her how to behave towards her husband, that she may have his affections, and live happily with him: the house of God is a school of instruction, where souls are taught the ways of Christ, the doctrines of the Gospel, and the duties of religion; nor are the greatest believers above instruction, and the means of it. Some render the words, “thou shalt”, or “thou wouldest teach me” u; meaning Christ, who teaches as none else can; he teaches by his Spirit, who leads into all truth; by the Scriptures, which are profitable for instruction; by his ministers, called pastors and teachers; and by his ordinances administered in his house; where the church desired the presence of Christ; and might expect instruction from him, being in the way of her duty; and to hear such marriage precepts, as in Ps 45:10. In return, the church promises Christ,
I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate; or, “wine of my pomegranate” w; of which mention is made in Jewish writings x and by other authors y: there was a city in the tribe of Dan, called “Gathrimmon”, Jos 21:24; the winepress of the pomegranate, or where they made pomegranate wine. Spiced wine was much used by the ancients, and in the eastern countries: so Phoenician wine, or wine of Byblis, is said to be odoriferous z; so the wine of Lebanon, Ho 14:7; the Babylonians had a wine they called nectar a: spiced wine was thought less inebriating b, and therefore the ancients sometimes put into their wine myrrh and calamus, and other spices c; sometimes it was a mixture of old wine, water, and balsam; and of wine, honey, and pepper d. Now these sorts of wine being accounted the best and most agreeable, the church proposes to treat Christ with them; by which may be meant the various graces of the Spirit, and the exercise of them in believers; which give Christ pleasure and delight, and are preferred by him to the best wine; see So 4:10. With the Hebrew writers, pomegranates are said to be a symbol of concord e: the pomegranate was a tree of Venus f.
u “docebis me”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, alii “doceres me”, Brightman, Michaelis. w “de vino dulci mali granati mei”, Montanus. x T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 143. 2. Maimon. Hilch. Maacolot Asurot, c. 7. s. 7. y Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 14. c. 16. z Theocrit. Idyll. 14. v. 15, 16. a Athenaei Deipnosophist. l. 1. c. 95. p. 32. b Ibid. l. 11. c. 3. p. 464. c Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 14. c. 13, 16. Plauti Persa, Act. 1. Sc. 3. v. 7, 8. d Munster. Dictionar. Chaldaic. p. 22, 27. e Apud Chartar. de Imag. Deorum, p. 139. f Athenaeus, ut supra (Deipnosophist.), l. 3. c. 8. p. 84.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(2) Juice of my pomegranate.The Orientals, says Dr. Kitto, indulge largely in beverages made of fresh juice of various kinds of fruits. Among these, sherbet made of pomegranate juice is particularly esteemed; and from its agreeable and cooling acidity, the present writer was himself accustomed to prefer it to any other drink of this description. The meaning of the verse is explained by Son. 1:2; Son. 5:1; Son. 7:9.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. I would lead thee That is, from the street.
Who would instruct me Hebrew, Thou shouldst be my teacher. There should be a pause between spiced wine and of the juice of my pomegranate, as they refer to entirely distinct things.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Son 8:2. Who would instruct me literally, Thou shouldest be constantly with me: so Houbigant. The next clause refers to the Hebrew custom of mixing aromatic drugs with their wine. Russel in one place observes, that there are three sorts of pomegranates at Aleppo, the sour, the sweet, and another betwixt both; and in another place, that they are wont to give a graceful acidity to their sauces by pomegranate or lemon-juice. Liquors of the kind above, mentioned, leaving out the wine, which the Mahommedan religion forbids, are very common in the East to this day. See Observations, p. 193.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother’s house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.
And then, saith the Church, (still following up the same subject of her address to her brother and her Lord,) I would assume the freedom wherewith the Lord makes his people free, and lead thee into my mother’s house, and cause thee to drink of my poor offering. Reader, here is a beautiful verse, well worthy the closest attention. We meet in scripture with numberless passages of the Lord’s leading his people, and very earnest prayers that he would fulfill his promises in doing so; but here it is the Church leading her Lord. See Deu 32:12 ; Psa 43:3Psa 43:3 . But I humbly conceive that this scripture is designed to teach a believer in Jesus, what powerful effects are in faith, when the Lord gives out large supplies of this blessed principle. Remember the state the Church was now in. She was looking to Jesus as a brother. And what may we not hope to do with a brother such as Jesus; one purposely born for adversity, and that loveth at all times, and sticketh closer than a brother? Pro 17:17 . And, Reader, do not forget also what Jesus himself hath said; If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you. Joh 15:17 . Oh! the condescension of our adorable Lord! Then, blessed Lord, may a believer hope, that thus living in thee, and thou in him, a poor sinner may lead Jesus into his closet, into his retirement, and there pour out his soul before him, an offering more precious to Jesus than all the spiced wine of the juice of the pomegranate.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Son 8:2 I would lead thee, [and] bring thee into my mother’s house, [who] would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.
Ver. 2. I would lead thee and bring thee. ] With solemnity and joy. She speaks it twice, as fully resolved to do it; and hereby to bind herself more straitly to a performance, I would not only kiss thee at the door, but bring thee into the house. Many are strict abroad and in company, but much too loose at home and in their own houses; follow these stage players to their dressing rooms, where they disrobe themselves, and you shall soon see what they are. Heed must be taken, say the very heathen, Aedibus in propriis quae prava aut recta gerantur. Religion admits not of that distinction between a good man and a good governor. If you will be for the public, be good in private; bear your own fruit, work in your own hives, reform your own hearts and houses, man your own oars, and make good your own standing. Cato could say that he could pardon all men’s faults but his own. a And Augustus, going about to redress some abuses in the state, was upbraided with his own domestic disorders. Abraham had a well ordered family; so had Joshua, Jos 24:15 David. Psa 101:1-8 And although his house were not so with God, yet that was all his desire. 2Sa 23:5 And he well knew that it was the care, not the cure, of his charge that he stood charged with. b Noah may bring the Lord Christ into his house, and labour to set him up in the hearts of his children, speaking persuasively to that purpose; but when all is done, God must “persuade Japheth,” and speak to his heart. Now this the Lord doth, Monendo potius quam minando, docendo quam ducendo. Hence the Church in the next words cries out,
Thou shalt instruct me.
I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine.
a Plut.; Dio.
b Curam exegeris, non curationem. – Bern.
c Y . Joh 6:45
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
would lead thee = would fain lead thee thence [in triumph].
who would = thou wouldest, or she would.
spiced wine = the aromatic [wine]. Hebrew. rekah.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
bring: Son 3:4, Gal 4:26
who: Luk 16:29-31, Joh 5:39, Joh 5:46, Joh 5:47, Act 17:11, Act 17:12, 2Ti 3:15, 1Pe 1:10-12, 2Pe 1:19, Rev 19:10
I would cause: Son 4:10-16, Son 5:1, Son 7:9, Son 7:12
spiced: Pro 9:2
Reciprocal: Gen 24:67 – his mother Exo 28:34 – General Son 1:2 – thy love Son 4:13 – are
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Son 8:2-3. I would lead and bring thee With joy and triumph, as the bridegroom was usually brought to the brides house; into my mothers house, who would instruct me How I should behave myself toward thee: or, as the clause may be rendered, where she did instruct, or educate me. I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, &c. I would give thee the best entertainment the house affords. My gifts and graces should all be employed to serve and glorify thee. His left hand, &c. The same expressions are used Son 2:6. The sense is, He would not despise me for my forwardness in my affection to him, but would kindly accept of my love, and return it.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Here the wife pictures herself playfully leading her husband as an older sister or mother would lead a younger brother or son. Solomon and the Shulammite were close friends as well as lovers (cf. Son 5:1; Son 5:16). As his wife she desired his caresses (Son 8:3).
"Pomegranates are not to be thought of as an erotic symbol; they are named as something beautiful and precious." [Note: Delitzsch, p. 139.]