Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Song of Solomon 8:9
If she [be] a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she [be] a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
9. If she be a wall ] i.e. if she resist attacks and preserve her innocence, they will reward her by building upon her a battlement or turret of silver, i.e. they will adorn her, perhaps for her marriage, as the bride in ancient times wore a crown.
and if she be a door ] i.e. if she be ready to permit an enemy to pass her defences, then they will fasten her up with a plank of cedar. The meaning is, that as men prevent a door from opening by fastening a plank across so that it cannot move, so they will take measures to prevent her from yielding to her weakness. The Heb. deleth means always strictly a door, never a doorway, which is pethach.
cedar ] The plank is to be of cedar, because the wood of that tree is specially tough and indestructible, not at all like the soft red American cedar.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 9. If she be a wall] All these expressions, says Calmet, show that it was necessary to provide a husband for this young sister. For a woman without a husband is like a wall without towers, and without defense; is like a gate or door without bar or lock; and like a city without walls. They must therefore provide for their sister a rich, powerful, and illustrious man; qualities here figured by towers or palaces of silver, and doors of cedar. As it is customary to build towers upon a wall, and to put bolts and bars upon a door in order to secure it, so the expressions may point out the defense, protection, and guardianship which they imagined this young woman to require.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This seems to be Christs answer to the foregoing question of the Jewish church concerning their sister church of the Gentiles, for which they were very solicitous. Christ therefore engageth himself to take care of her, and to provide for her, as the matter doth require, and as suits best with her condition. If the Gentiles, when they are converted, shall be like a
wall, strong and firm in faith, stedfast against all assaults and temptations, for a wall in Scripture use signifies strength, Isa 26:1; Jer 15:20, and elsewhere,
we, my Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost, as the principal builders, and my ministers as workers with and under us,
will build upon her a palace of silver; will add more strength and beauty to her, will enlarge and adorn her, make her more amiable in mine eyes, and more visible and glorious in the eyes of the world.
And if she be as a door, which is weaker than a wall, and where the enemy doth or may break in upon her; if she be weak in faith, and sometimes overcome by the tempter, yet we will not therefore reject and forsake her, but
we will enclose, or (as many others render the word) strengthen, or fortify, her with boards of cedar, which are not only beautiful, but also strong and durable. If she be sincere, and open the door of her heart to me, though she be weak, I will come in to her, and make her stronger.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. wall . . . doorthe veryterms employed as to the Gentile question (Act 14:27;Eph 2:14). If she be a wall inZion, founded on Jesus Christ (1Co3:11), we will not “withstand God” (Act 11:17;Act 15:8-11). But if so, wemust not “build” (Ac15:14-17) on her “wood, hay, stubble” (1Co3:12), that is, Jewish rites, c., but “a palace of silver,”that is, all the highest privileges of church communion (Gal 2:11-18Eph 2:11-22). Image from thesplendid turrets “built” on the “walls” ofJerusalem, and flanking the “door,” or gateway. The GentileChurch is the “door,” the type of catholic accessibleness(1Co 16:9); but it must be nota mere thoroughfare but furnished with a wooden framework, so as notmerely to admit, but also to safely enclose: cedar is fragrant,beautiful, and enduring.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
If she [be] a wall,…. Built upon a sure foundation; and firmly established in her faith on Christ, and love to him; and is constant therein, and stands as a wall against the attacks of enemies b;
we will build upon her a palace of silver; though at first but as a side wall, yet should become a complete habitation, even a palace for Christ, the King of kings, and, being designed for so illustrious an inhabitant, should be a “silver” one, denoting its worth, value, and splendour; the builders of it are the church and her ministers; though Christ is the principal builder, Zec 6:12. Or, “a tower of silver” c, signifying, that she should be well fortified, and be put into a posture of defence against her enemies: the Gentile church at first had but a very small appearance of a building, a foundation just laid, a side wall erected; but, in a short time, a noble structure, a stately tower, a silver palace, were built for God;
and if she [be] a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar; if the door of the Gospel was opened among the Gentiles, it should be succeeded to the building a holy temple to the Lord; which should be not only ornamented, but so well fenced, that it should not be in the power of their enemies to deface and demolish it: or if the door of their hearts was opened, to receive Christ, and his glorious train of grace, they should be adorned and beautified with a larger measure of them; or if being come into a church state, and the door of it was set open to receive good men, and exclude bad men, this would be to their honour comfort and safety: or this phrase is expressive of the finishing of the building, the gate or door being set up; though it rather seems to intend the low and mean estate of the Gentile church at first, when there was but little appearance of a building, only a door set up; which afterwards grew up into a stately and magnificent palace, like that of Solomon’s, built of cedar boards of the wood of Lebanon; which may denote her fragrancy, perpetuity, and incorruptibleness.
b So Ajax is called the wall of the Grecians, Homer. Iliad. 6. v. 5. 7. v. 211. c “propugnaculum argenteum”, Tigurine version “arcem argenteam”, Mercerus; “castellum argenti”, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
9 If she be a wall,
We will build upon her a pinnacle of silver;
And if she be a door,
We will block her up with a board of cedar-wood.
The brothers are the nearest guardians and counsellors of the sister, and, particularly in the matter of marriage, have the precedence even of the father and mother, Gen 24:50, Gen 24:55; Gen 34:6-8.. They suppose two cases which stand in contrast to each other, and announce their purpose with reference to each case. Hoelem. here affects a synonymous instead of the antithetic parallelism; for he maintains that ( ) … nowhere denotes a contrast, but, like sive… sive , essential indifference. But examples such as Deu 18:3 ( sive bovem, sive ovem ) are not applicable here; for this correl. … , denoting essential equality, never begins the antecedents of two principal sentences, but always stands in the component parts of one principal sentence. Wherever … commences two parallel conditional clauses, the parallelism is always, according to the contents of these clauses, either synonymous, Gen 31:50; Amo 9:2-4; Ecc 11:3 (where the first signifies ac si , and the second sive ), or antithetic, Num 16:29 f.; Job 36:11 f.; Isa 1:19 f. The contrast between (from , Arab. haman , Modern Syr. chamo , to preserve, protect) and (from , to hang loose, of doors, Pro 26:14, which move hither and thither on their hinges) is obvious. A wall stands firm and withstands every assault if it serves its purpose (which is here presupposed, where it is used as a figure of firmness of character). A door, on the contrary, is moveable; and though it be for the present closed ( is intentionally used, and not , vid., Gen 19:6), yet it is so formed that it can be opened again. A maiden inaccessible to seduction is like a wall, and one accessible to it is like a door. In the apodosis, Son 8:9, the lxx correctly renders by ; Jerome, by propugnacula . But it is not necessary to read . The verb , cogn. , signifies to surround, whence tirah (= Arab. duar ), a round encampment, Gen 25:16, and, generally, a habitation, Psa 69:25; and then also, to range together, whence , a rank, row (cf. Arab. thur and daur , which, in the manifoldness of their meanings, are parallel with the French tour ), or also tirah , which, Eze 46:23 ( vid., Keil), denotes the row or layer of masonry, – in the passage before us, a row of battlements (Ew.), or a crown of the wall (Hitz.), i.e., battlements as a wreath on the summit of a wall. Is she a wall, – i.e., does she firmly and successfully withstand all immoral approaches? – then they will adorn this wall with silver pinnacles (cf. Isa 54:12), i.e., will bestow upon her the high honour which is due to her maidenly purity and firmness; silver is the symbol of holiness, as gold is the symbol of nobility. In the apodosis 9b, is not otherwise meant than when used in a military sense of enclosing by means of besieging, but, like Isa 29:3, with the obj.-accus., of that which is pressed against that which is to be excluded; here means, forcibly to press against, as , Gen 2:21, to unite by closing up.
is a board or plank (cf. Eze 27:5, of the double planks of a ship’s side) of cedar wood (cf. Zep 2:14, , cedar wainscot). Cedar wood comes here into view not on account of the beautiful polish which it takes on, but merely because of its hardness and durability. Is she a door, i.e., accessible to seduction? They will enclose this door around with a cedar plank, i.e., watch her in such a manner that no seducer or lover will be able to approach her. By this morally stern but faithful answer, Shulamith is carried back to the period of her own maidenhood, when her brothers, with good intention, dealt severely with her. Looking back to this time, she could joyfully confess:
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(9) If she be a wall.The wall and door are emblems of chastity and its opposite. The palace of silver some commentators explain by reference to the custom (among the Druses) of wearing an ornament like a horn on the head. But this is unlikely. The metaphors of the wall and door are naturally expanded. If the maiden grows up virtuous and inaccessible to seduction we will build upon her a palace of silver, i.e., we will so provide for her in marriage that from her may spring an illustrious house; but if otherwise, we will enclose her with boards of cedar, i.e., the strongest precautions shall be taken to guard her honour. This passage is one of the strongest arguments for the theory that chaste wedded love is the theme of this book, the poet going on in Son. 8:10 to put into the heroines mouth a protestation of purity; and by which virtuous disposition, even more than by her beauty, she had won her husbands love: I have grown up to virtuous womanhood, and I have found favour in his eyes.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. If she be a wall This implies stability and fidelity of character.
A palace of silver Better, a turret of silver. Among the Druses of Mount Lebanon an unmarried girl wears upon the crown of her head a silver horn, often studded with jewels. Possibly a beautiful gift of this sort is contemplated as a reward for her maintenance of the honour of their family.
And if she be a door That is, “swinging to and fro,” “fickle.” Cedar is a strong wood, and the idea of enclosing her in boards of cedar is that of close, strict custody. If she show herself accessible to seductive arts, she shall be guarded with the greater vigilance.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Son 8:9. If she be a wall, &c. If she be a wall, we will build upon her two silver towers. The meaning of the passage is, “We will take care of her in proportion as she is capable of receiving or profiting by our bounty, like as men are accustomed to build upon good foundations.” The orientals delight thus to express themselves by parables or comparisons.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Son 8:9 If she [be] a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she [be] a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
Ver. 9. If she be a wall, we will build upon her, &c. ] Christ answers, If she be, as she ought to be, strong and well grounded in the faith, able to bear a good weight laid upon her, as a wall, pillar, and ground of truth, not sinking or fainting under the heaviest burden of these light afflictions, which are but for a moment, but patient and perseverant in the faith unto the death, then will I do all for her that may be done, to make her happy. This speech is somewhat like that of Solomon concerning Adonijah, “If he show himself a worthy man,” &c. 1Ki 1:52
We will build upon her a palace of silver.
And if she be a door, &c.
a Jac. Revius, De Vit. Pontif., p. 229.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
If she be a wall. Spoken by another brother: i.e. like a wall that keeps out all intruders.
palace = turret, or battlement.
a door: i.e. accessible to any one.
boards = planks, or panels.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
a wall: Son 2:9, Rev 21:12-19
we will: Isa 58:12, Isa 60:17, Isa 61:4, Zec 6:12-15, Mat 16:18, Act 15:16, 1Co 3:10-12, Eph 2:20-22
a door: Act 14:27
Reciprocal: Psa 144:12 – the similitude Son 1:11 – General Son 1:17 – beams Son 8:10 – a wall Eze 16:61 – when
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Son 8:9. If she be a wall, &c. This and the following verse are certainly very obscure, and it is, perhaps, impossible to ascertain the precise signification of each of the terms or clauses used in them. The general meaning, however, of this verse is thought to be, that Christ engages himself to provide for her, in a way which should best suit with her condition. If the Gentiles, when they are converted, shall be like a wall, strong and firm in faith; we my Father and I, as the principal builders, and my ministers, as workers with and under us, will build upon her a palace of silver Will add more strength and beauty to her, will enlarge and adorn her; and if she be as a door Which is weaker than a wall; if she be weak in faith, yet we will not therefore reject her, but we will enclose, or (as many others render the word) strengthen, or fortify her with boards of cedar Which are not only beautiful, but also strong and durable. In other words, We will take care of her, in proportion as she is capable of receiving or profiting by our bounty, like as men are wont to build on good foundations. The eastern people delight thus to express themselves by parables, or comparisons. The brides answer in the next verse is thought to show that the bridegroom alludes to the sisters degree of growth.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
8:9 {f} If she [is] a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she [is] a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
(f) If she is sure and fast, she is fit for her husband to dwell in.