Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Song of Solomon 7:7
This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters [of grapes].
7. This thy stature ] or as we should say, this form of thine.
is like to a palm tree ] This is a very favourite figure with Oriental poets, graceful slenderness and tall stature being specially admired. Hence Tamar = ‘palm’ was a frequent woman’s name.
clusters of grapes] Heb. ashklth, not necessarily of grapes. Cp. ch. Son 1:14, where we have a cluster of henna, and here the clusters of ripe dates hanging from the palm are evidently meant. Oettli thinks their sweetness, not their form, the point of the comparison.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Chap. Son 7:7 Chap. Son 8:4. The King and the Shepherdess the last Assault
We may suppose that after her attendants have completed the Shulammite’s adornment, and have finished their fulsome praises of her beauty, she receives a new visit from the king. In Son 7:7-9 he gives utterance to his admiration in more sensuous terms than ever, and in Son 7:9 b she turns his talk aside, and dwells upon her lover. In Son 7:10 she gives her final answer in the exclamation that she belongs to him alone. The king then withdraws, and in Son 7:11-13 she lets her heart go out to her absent lover, and calls upon him to go back with her into their obscure but happy country life. In Son 8:1-3 she expresses a wish that he were her brother, so that she might love him without reproach, and concludes in Son 7:4 with a modification of the adjuration in Son 2:7 and Son 3:5.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 7. Like to a palm tree] Which is remarkably straight, taper, and elegant.
And thy breasts to clusters of grapes.] Dates are the fruit of the palm tree; they grow in clusters; and it is these, not grapes, which are intended.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Like to a palm tree, tall and straight, or upright, as a tree. And he seems to mention the palm tree rather than any other, partly because it grows more directly upward than other trees; and partly because it is constantly green and flourishing, and groweth upward in spite of all pressures, and therefore was used in festival solemnities, Lev 23:40; Joh 12:13, and was a symbol of victory, Rev 7:9; in all which respects it fitly represents the state of believers.
Clusters, large, and round, and full of juice. See Poole “Son 7:3“. This particular is added as an evidence of her maturity and married estate, and of her fruitfulness.
Grapes; which word may easily be supplied out of the next verse. Although the fruit of the palm tree also is said to grow in clusters.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. palm tree (Ps92:12). The sure sign of water near (Exo 15:27;Joh 7:38).
clustersnot of dates,as MOODY STUARTthinks. The parallelism (So 7:8),”clusters of the vine,” shows it is here clusters ofgrapes. Vines were often trained (termed “wedded”) on othertrees.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
This thy stature is like to a palm tree,…. Made up of the above parts commended, and others had in view, as appears from the relative “this”. The word for “stature” properly signifies height, tallness, and erectness; and which were reckoned agreeable in women, as well as men; [See comments on 1Sa 9:2]; hence methods are often made use of to make them look taller, as by their head dresses, their shoes, and by stretching out their necks, Isa 3:16; and the simile of a tree is not an improper one: and so Galatea is, for height and tallness, compared to an alder and to a plane tree h; and Helena, to a cypress tree in a garden i, on the same account; and here the church to a palm tree: the Egyptian palm tree is said to be the best k; and if Solomon here has any reference to Pharaoh’s daughter, his wife, he might think of that, which is described
“of body straight, high, round, and slender l,”
and fitly expresses a good shape and stature. The church’s stature is no other than the “stature of the fulness of Christ”, Eph 4:13; which will be attained unto when all the elect are gathered in, and every member joined to the body, and all filled with the gifts and graces of the spirit designed for them, and are grown up to a just proportion in the body; and in such a state Christ seems to view his church, and so commends her by this simile: saints are oftentimes compared to palm trees in Scripture on other accounts; see Ps 92:12;
and thy breasts to clusters [of grapes]; on a vine which might be planted by and run up upon a palm tree, as Aben Ezra suggests: though rather clusters of dates, the fruit of the palm tree, are designed, since this fruit, as Pliny m observes, grows in clusters; and to clusters of the vine the church’s breasts are compared in So 7:8. And by these “breasts” may be meant either the ministers of the Gospel, who communicate the sincere milk of the word to souls; and may be compared to clusters for their numbers, when there is plenty of them, which is a great mercy to the church; and for their unity, likeness, and agreement in their work, in their ministrations, and in the doctrine they preach, though their gifts may be different; or else the two Testaments, full of the milk of the word; and comparable to “clusters” of grapes or dates, because of the many excellent doctrines and precious promises in them; which, when pressed by hearing, reading, meditation, and prayer, yield both delight and nourishment to the souls of men. Some think the two ordinances of the Gospel, baptism and the Lord’s supper, are intended, which are breasts of consolation; and, when the presence of Christ, and the manifestations of his love, are enjoyed in them, they afford much pleasure and satisfaction; and as those breasts are full in themselves, they are beautiful in the eye of Christ, and as such commended; [See comments on So 4:5].
h Ovid. Metamorph. l. 13. Fab. 8. i Theocrit. Idyll. 18. v. 30. k A. Gellii Nect. Attic. l. 7. c. 16. Vid. Strabo. Geograph. l. 17. p. 563. l Sandys’s Travels, l. 2. p. 79. m Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When Solomon now looks on the wife of his youth, she stands before him like a palm tree with its splendid leaf-branches, which the Arabians call ucht insn (the sisters of men); and like a vine which climbs up on the wall of the house, and therefore is an emblem of the housewife, Psa 128:3.
7 Thy stature is like the palm tree;
And thy breasts clusters.
8 I thought: I will climb the palm,
Grasp its branches;
And thy breasts shall be to me
As clusters of the vine,
And the breath of thy nose like apples,
Shulamith stands before him. As he surveys her from head to foot, he finds her stature like the stature of a slender, tall date-palm, and her breasts like the clusters of sweet fruit, into which, in due season its blossoms are ripened. That (thy stature) is not thought of as height apart from the person, but as along with the person (cf. Eze 13:18), scarcely needs to be remarked. The palm derives its name, tamar , from its slender stem rising upwards ( vid., under Isa 17:9; Isa 61:6). This name is specially given to the Phoenix dactylifera, which is indigenous from Egypt to India, and which is principally cultivated ( vid., under Gen 14:7), the female flowers of which, set in panicles, develope into large clusters of juicy sweet fruit. These dark-brown or golden-yellow clusters, which crown the summit of the stem and impart a wonderful beauty to the appearance of the palm, especially when seen in the evening twilight, are here called (connecting form at Deu 32:32), as by the Arabians ‘ithkal , plur. ‘ithakyl ( botri dactylorum). The perf. signifies aequata est = aequa est ; for , R. , means, to make or to become plain, smooth, even. The perf. , on the other hand, will be meant retrospectively. As an expression of that which he just now purposed to do, it would be useless; and thus to notify with emphasis anything beforehand is unnatural and contrary to good taste and custom. But looking back, he can say that in view of this august attractive beauty the one thought filled him, to secure possession of her and of the enjoyment which she promised; as one climbs ( with , as Psa 24:3) a palm tree and seizes ( , fut. , and with , as at Job 23:11) its branches ( , so called, as it appears,
(Note: Also that is perhaps equivalent to ( , ), to wave hither and thither, comes here to view.)
after the feather-like pointed leaves proceeding from the mid-rib on both sides), in order to break off the fulness of the sweet fruit under its leaves. As the cypress ( sarwat), so also the palm is with the Moslem poets the figure of a loved one, and with the mystics, of God;
(Note: Vid., Hfiz, ed. Brockhaus, II p. 46.)
and accordingly the idea of possession is here particularly intended. denotes what he then thought and aimed at. Instead of , Son 7:9, the punctuation is undoubtedly to be preferred. The figure of the palm tree terminates with the words, “will grasp its branches.” It was adequate in relation to stature, but less so in relation to the breasts; for dates are of a long oval form, and have a stony kernel. Therefore the figure departs from the date clusters to that of grape clusters, which are more appropriate, as they swell and become round and elastic the more they ripen. The breath of the nose, which is called , from breathing hard, is that of the air breathed, going in and out through it; for, as a rule, a man breathes through his nostrils with closed mouth. Apples present themselves the more naturally for comparison, that the apple has the name (from , after the form ), from the fragrance which it exhales.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(7) This thy stature.Comp. Sir. 24:14. Not only was the tall and graceful palm a common figure for female beauty, but its name, tamar, was common as a womans name (Gen. 38:6; 2Sa. 13:1, &c).
Clusters of grapes.The italics were probably added by the English Version to bring the verse into agreement with clusters of the vine in the next verse; but no doubt the rich clusters of dates are at the moment in the poets thought.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Palm tree The palm, rising majestically to a lofty height, and wearing its crown of verdure visible from a distance, is the most striking in its appearance of all the trees of the East. An Indian prince, visiting London, came upon a palm in a royal greenhouse, and clasping it as a dear fellow-stranger and countryman, burst into tears. So in the medals representing Judea captured by Titus, the country is represented by a female sitting mournfully beneath a palm tree.
Clusters The word may mean clusters of any kind, but here evidently clusters of dates, which are a well-known fruit, bright, fragrant, and delicious.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Son 7:7. Clusters of grapes Dates are the fruit of the palm-tree. They grow in clusters, and should be read here instead of grapes. See Brown’s Observations, and the New Translation.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Son 7:7 This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters [of grapes].
Ver. 7. This thy stature is like to a palm tree. ] This thy whole stature and feature of body, that hath been already portrayed and described particularly and piecemeal, is “like to a palm tree,” strong and straight, fresh and flourishing, so that thou mayest say with the palm in the emblem, Nec premor, nec perimor. Pliny, Aristotle, Plutarch, and Gellius have written of the palm tree, that it is always green, bearing pleasant fruit; and that it will not bow downward or grow crooked, though heavy weights be hanged upon it. The Church is all this and more; ever green, even in the winter of affliction, when the oak loseth her leaves See Trapp on “ Son 1:16 “ full of the “fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” Php 1:11 See Trapp on “ Php 4:14 “ See Trapp on “ Php 4:11 “ Neither can she be long kept under by any pressure of persecution or heavy affliction, Premi potest, opprimi non potest. As Paul, when stoned, started up with Sic petitur caelum, sic, sic oportet intrare. Tyrants might curse the saints, as he did that cried out to those ancient confessors, O miseri, num vobis desunt restes et rupes? O wretches, cannot you hang or drown yourselves, but that I must be thus troubled with you to put you to death? – but crush them they never could. The valour of the patients, the savageness of the persecutors, have striven together, till both, exceeding nature and belief, bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and readers. Hence Trajan forbade Pliny to seek after Christians; but if any were brought to him, to punish them. Antoninus Pius set forth an edict in Asia, that no Christian should be persecuted; for, said he, it is their joy to die – they are conquerors, and do overcome you, &c.
Trucidabantur et multiplicabantur, saith Augustine of the ancient martyrs: they were martyred, and yet they were multiplied. Plures efficimur quoties metimur, saith Tertullian, the more we are cropped, the more we are increased; as the lily is increased by its own juice that flows from it. a Hence Rev 7:9 the saints that by their victorious faith overcame the world, are brought in with palm branches in their hands, in token of victory. Plutarch tells us that the Babylonians made three hundred and sixty commodities of the palm tree, and did therefore very highly honour it. The world hath a great deal of benefit by the Church, could they but see it; for absque stationlbus non staret mundus, were it not for the saints, “a short work would the Lord make upon the earth, and cut it short in righteousness.” Rom 9:28 And great is the gain of godliness, even a hundredfold here, and life eternal hereafter. Who would not then turn spiritual merchant? who would not pass from strength to strength, and “flourish in God’s house like a palm tree,” Psa 92:12 till he attain to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ? Eph 4:13
And thy breasts to clusters of grapes.
a Plin.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
thy stature: Psa 92:12, Jer 10:5, Eph 4:13
thy breasts: Son 7:3, Son 7:8, Son 1:13, Son 4:5, Son 8:8, Isa 66:10, Eph 3:17
Reciprocal: Son 8:10 – my Eze 40:26 – palm trees Joe 1:12 – the pomegranate
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Son 7:7-8. Thy stature is like to a palm-tree Tall and straight, or upright. And he seems to mention the palm-tree rather than any other, because it is constantly green and flourishing, and grows upward in spite of all pressures. I said Within myself, I resolved; I will go up to the palm tree Climb up, that so I may take hold of the boughs, which do not grow out of the sides, as in other trees, but only at the top of it. I will take hold, &c. Partly to prune and dress them, and partly to gather the fruit. The smell, &c. Of thy breath; which is often called the breath of a mans nostrils.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2. The husband’s desires 7:7-9
Even today we speak of "graceful palm trees." Son 7:9 b voices the wife’s eager response. All these verses reflect the increased freedom in sexual matters that is a normal part of the maturation of marital love. A husband has the freedom to enjoy his wife’s body (cf. Son 5:10-16; cf. 1Co 7:3-5), though not to abuse this privilege, of course.