Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Song of Solomon 8:13
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear [it].
13. Here the bridegroom calls upon the Shulammite to let his companions, i.e. his friends who have come to congratulate him on his bride’s safe return, hear her voice.
Thou that dwellest in the gardens ] She must be supposed to have gone into the garden. That was her chosen spot formerly, and it has become so again. Grtz would read, and probably rightly, instead of chabrm, chabra = ‘my companions.’ The absence of the article is anomalous with the former, while the m might easily arise from a doubling of the initial m of the next word.
hearken to thy voice ] Rather, as R.V., for thy voice.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The poem having opened with the song of a chorus in praise of the king Son 1:2-4, concludes with a versicle recited by the bride, repeating the last words of her former strain Son 2:17, with one significant change. She no longer thinks of the possibility of separation. The Mountains of Bether (division) of Son 2:17, are now Mountains of Besamim (spices). His haunts and hers are henceforth the same (compare Son 4:6).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Son 8:13
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause Me to hear it.
The Bridegrooms parting word
The Song is almost ended: the bride and Bridegroom have come to their last stanzas, and they are about to part for a while. They utter their adieux, and the Bridegroom says to his beloved, Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause hie to hear it. In other words–when I am far away from thee, fill thou this garden with My Name, and let thy heart commune with Me. She promptly replies, and it is her last word till He cometh, Make haste, my Beloved, and be Thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices. These farewell words of the Well-beloved are very precious to His chosen bride. Last words are always noticed: the last words of those who loved us dearly are much valued; the last words of one who loved us to the death are worthy of a deathless memory.
I. We notice, first of all, an appointed residence. The Bridegroom speaking of His bride, says, Thou that dwellest in the gardens. This title is given to believers here on earth, first, by way of distinction–distinction from the Lord Himself. He whom we love dwelleth in the ivory palaces, wherein they make Him glad: He has gone up into His Fathers throne, and has left these gardens down below. He Himself is an inhabitant of the palaces, for there He best accomplishes the eternal purposes of love; but His Church is the inhabitress of the gardens, for there she best fulfils the decrees of the Most High. Here she must abide a while until all the will of the Lord shall be accomplished in her and by her, and then she also shall be taken up, and shall dwell with her Lord above. The title is given by way of distinction, and marks the difference between her condition and that of her Lord. Next, it is given by way of enjoyment. She dwells in the gardens, which are places of delight. Your portion is with the Lords saints, yea, with Himself; and what can be a better portion? Is it not as the garden of the Lord? You dwell where the great Husbandman spends His care upon you and takes a pleasure in you. You dwell where the infinite skill and tenderness and wisdom of God manifest themselves in the training of the plants which His own right hand has planted; you dwell in the Church of God, which is laid out in due order, and hedged about and guarded by heavenly power; and you are, therefore, most fitly said to dwell in the gardens. Be thankful: it is a place of enjoyment for you: awake and sing, for the lines have fallen unto you in pleasant places. The title is also used by way of employment as well as enjoyment. If we had not our daily tasks to fulfil, rest would corrode into rust, and recreation would soon gender corruption. You and I are set in the garden of the Church because there is work for us to do which will be beneficial to others and to ourselves also. Some have to take the broad axe and hew down mighty trees of error; others of a feebler sort can with a childs hand train the tendril of a climbing plant, or drop into its place a tiny seed. One may plant and another may water: one may sow and another gather fruit. One may cut up weeds and another prune vines. God hath work in His Church for us all to do, and He has left us here that we may do it. O thou that dwellest in the gardens! The title sets forth employment constant and engrossing. It means also eminence. It speaks with emphasis to those who dwell where sweet spiritual fruits are plentiful, where odours and perfumes load the air, where the land floweth with milk and honey. If any of you happen to dwell where Christ is set forth evidently crucified among you, and where your hearts do leap for very joy because the King Himself comes near to feast His saints and make them glad in His presence, then it is to you that my text hath a voice and a call: Thou that dwellest in the gardens, in the choicest places of all Immanuels land, let Me hear thy voice. Yet one more word. The title here employed is not only for eminence but for permanence. O thou that dwellest in the gardens. If you are only permitted to enjoy sound gospel teaching now and again, and then are forced to cry, It may be another twelve months before I shall be again fed on royal dainties. Then you are in a trying case, and you need to cry to God for help: but blessed are those who dwell in the good land, and daily fill their homers with heavenly manna. Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house: they will be still praising Thee. No spot on earth is so dear to the Christian as that whereon he meets his Lord. Beloved, if you dwell in the gardens you have a double privilege, not only being found in a fat and fertile place, but in living there continually. You might well forego a thousand comforts for the sake of this one delight, for under the Gospel your soul is made to drink of wines on the lees well refined.
II. Secondly, let us note the recorded converse: Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice. She was in the gardens, but she was not quiet there, and why should she be? God gives us tongues on purpose that they should be used. Now, observe that evidently the spouse held with her companions frequent intercourse,–The companions hearken to thy voice. There should be among those who are children of the common Father a mutual love, and they should show this by frequent commerce in their precious things, making a sacred barter with one another. Such converse ought to be as usual as the talk of children of one family. And next, it should be willing and influential; for if you notice, it is put here: Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice. They do not merely hear it, and say to themselves, I wish she would be quiet, but they hearken, they lend an ear, they listen gladly. The converse of the bride in the gardens was constant, and it was greatly esteemed by those who enjoyed it. I gather from the text, rather by implication than otherwise, that the converse was commendable; for the Bridegroom does not say to the spouse, Thou that dwellest in the gardens, thy companions hear too much of thy voice. No; He evidently mentions the fact with approval, because He draws an argument from it why He also should hear that selfsame voice. Brothers, I leave it to yourselves to judge whether your communications with one another are always such as they should be. Are they always worthy of you? Brethren, make your conversation, such that it may be commended by Christ Himself. These communications were, no doubt, very beneficial. As iron sharpeneth iron, so does a mans countenance his friend. In fact, our communications with one another ought to be preparatory to higher communications still. The converse of saints on earth should be a rehearsal of their everlasting communion in heaven.
III. Now comes the pith of the text: invited fellowship–The companions hear thy voice: cause Me to hear it: Now, I note concerning this invitation, first of all, that it is very loving and condescending to us that the Lord should wish to hear our voice. Is it not marvellous that He, the infinitely blessed, should want to hear our voices when all that He hath heard from us has been begging, sighing, and a few poor broken hymns? It is condescending and gracious, and yet how natural it is! How like to Christ! Love ever seeks the company of that which it loves. We may truly add, that this invitation to fellowship is a blessed and profitable request. We shall find it so if we carry it out, especially those of us who are called by God to use our voices for Him among the crowds of our companions. We shall never fitly handle the word of God without prayer. When we pray we are taught how to speak the words to others. Salvation and supplication are a blessed pair. Put the two together, so that, when you speak to others about salvation, you do it after having baptized your own soul into supplication The companions hear thy voice; cause Me to hear it; before thou speakest with them speak to Me; whilst thou art still speaking with them still speak with Me; and when thy speaking to men is done, return unto thy rest and again speak with Me. This invitation is a many-sided one; for when the Bridegroom says, Cause Me to hear it, He means that she should talk to Him in all sorts of ways. Frequently we should be heard in praise. Oh, let the Lord hear your voice! Get up early to be alone with Him. So let it be with all your complaints and petitions; let them be for Jesus only. Speak with Jesus Christ, in little broken accents, by way of frequent ejaculation. The best of Christian fellowship may be carried on in single syllables. When in the middle of business you can whisper, My Lord and my God! You can dart a glance upward, heave a sigh, or let fail a tear, and so will Jesus hear your voice!
IV. I find according to the Hebrew that the text has in it a requested testimony. According to learned interpreters the Hebrew runs thus: Cause to hear Me. Now, that may mean what I have said, Cause Me to hear; but it may also mean, Cause them to hear Me. Now hearken; you that are in Christs garden: make those who dwell in that garden with you to hear from you much about Him. In the Church every one has a right to talk about the Head of the Church. In the garden, at any rate, if not in the wild wilderness, let the Rose of Sharon be sweetly spoken of. Let His name be as ointment poured forth in all the Church of God. Again, you, according to the text, are one that can make people hear, so that the companions hearken to thy voice; then make them to hear of Jesus. If you do not speak about Christ to strangers, do speak to your companions. They will hearken to you; therefore let them hearken to the word of the Lord. Oh, cause Christ to be heard. Hammer on that anvil always: if you make no music but that of the harmonious blacksmith it will suffice. Ring it out with sturdy blows–Jesus, Jesus, Jesus crucified. Hammer away at that. Now you are on the right string, man, said the Duke of Argyle, when the preacher came to speak upon the Lord Jesus. It needed no duke to certify that. Harp on that string. Make Jesus to be as commonly known as now He is commonly unknown. So may God bless you as long as you dwell in these gardens, till the day break and the shadows flee away. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 13. Thou that dwellest in the gardens] This is supposed to refer to the bridegroom asking permission of his spouse early in the morning to retire, as was his usual custom. He intimates the companions were waiting to hear, and he wished to hear it in the way of permission to depart.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thou that dwellest: the Hebrew word is of the feminine gender, which plainly showeth that Christ speaks hero to his spouse, being about to depart from her for a season, as the next verse showorb.
In the gardens; not in the wilderness of the world, for believers are chosen or called out of the world, Joh 15:19; but in the church, the garden of God, which God hath fenced and appropriated to himself. He saith gardens, because of the many particular congregations into which the church is divided.
The companions, the friends of the bride and Bridegroom,
hearken to thy voice; diligently observe all thy words and carriages towards me, and all the transactions between thee and me.
Cause me to hear it; when I am gone from thee, let me hear thy prayers, and praises, and the preaching of my gospel in the world.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. Jesus Christ’s address toher; now no longer visibly present. Once she “had not kept”her vineyard (So 1:6); now she”dwells” in it, not as its owner, but its superintendentunder Jesus Christ, with vinedressers (“companions”), forexample, Paul, c. (Act 15:25Act 15:26), under her (Son 8:11;Son 8:12); these ought to obeyher when she obeys Jesus Christ. Her voice in prayer and praise is tobe heard continually by Jesus Christ, if her voice before men is tobe effective (So 2:14, end;Act 6:4; Act 13:2;Act 13:3).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou that dwellest in the gardens,…. These are the words of Christ to the church, describing her by her habitation, and may be rendered, “O thou, inhabitress of the gardens” i; the word used being in the feminine gender, which determines the sense of it, as belonging to the church: but the Septuagint version renders it by a word in the masculine gender; and so Ambrose k, who interprets the words as spoken by the church to Christ; though he observes that Symmachus and Aquila interpret them as the words of Christ to the church. By the “gardens” are meant particular congregations, the dwelling places of the church, and where she has work to do by her ministers, to plant, water, prune, and dress the gardens; and of particular believers, whose business it is to attend on the ministry of the word, and other ordinances; and dwelling here may denote diligence and constant attendance here, and which is approved of by Christ, and well pleasing to him: and it is honourable, as well as profitable and delightful, to have a place in these gardens, and especially an abiding one; and indeed those, to whom Christ gives a place and a name here, are in no danger of being turned or driven out, as Adam was from Eden;
the companions hearken to thy voice; meaning either the divine Persons, the Father and the Holy Ghost, as Piscator; the companions of Christ, of the same nature, perfections, and glory with him; who listen to what the church and true believers say to them and to one another, Mal 3:16; or the angels, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra, the friends of Christ and his people, who hearken to the conversation of believers, in private and public; and especially to the Gospel, preached in the assembly of the saints, Eph 3:10; or rather the daughters of Jerusalem, who all along attend the bride in this Song, and are the virgins her companions, Ps 45:14; and it is a title that belongs to all truly gracious souls, Ps 122:8; who hearken to the voice of the church, to the Gospel, preached by her ministers; which is a joyful sound, and gives great delight and pleasure;
cause me to hear [it]; that is, her voice; so sweet and charming to him, as in So 2:14; her voice in prayer and praise; in speaking of him, his person, offices, and grace, to others, and confessing his name before men. Some render the words, “preach me” l; and then the sense is, seeing the companions flock unto thee, and listen with great attention and pleasure to thy voice, take the opportunity of preaching me unto them; let my person, righteousness, and grace, be the subject of thy ministry: and which was done in the first times of the Gospel, by the apostles; has been, more or less, ever since, by faithful ministers; and will be continued until the second coming of Christ, prayed for in So 8:14.
i “quae habitas”, V. L. Pagninus, Brightman, Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Mercerus, Michaelis “quae sedes”, Cocceius. k Enarrat. in Psal. lxxii. octon. 22. p. 1068. l “in praedica me”, Junius & Tremellius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The king who seems to this point to have silently looked on in inmost sympathy, now, on being addressed by Shulamith, takes speech in hand; he does not expressly refer to her request, but one perceives from his words that he heard it with pleasure. He expresses to her the wish that she would gratify the companions of her youth who were assembled around her, as well as himself, with a song, such as in former times she was wont to sing in these mountains and valleys.
13 O thou (who art) at home in the gardens,
Companions are listening for thy voice;
Let me hear!
We observe that in the rural paradise with which she is surrounded, she finds herself in her element. It is a primary feature of her character which herein comes to view: her longing after quietness and peace, her love for collectedness of mind and for contemplation; her delight in thoughts of the Creator suggested by the vegetable world, and particularly by the manifold soft beauty of flowers; she is again once more in the gardens of her home, but the address, “O thou at home in the gardens!” denotes that wherever she is, these gardens are her home as a fundamental feature of her nature. The are not Solomon’s companions, for she has come hither with Solomon alone, leaning on his arm. Also it is indicated in the expression: “are listening for thy voice,” that they are such as have not for a long time heard the dear voice which was wont to cheer their hearts. The are the companions of the former shepherdess and keeper of a vineyard, Son 1:6 f., the playmates of her youth, the friends of her home. With a fine tact the poet does not represent Solomon as saying nor : the former would be contrary to the closeness of his relation to Shulamith, the latter contrary to the dignity of the king. By there is neither expressed a one-sided reference, nor is a double-sided excluded. That “for thy voice” refers not to her voice as speaking, but as the old good friends wish, as singing, is evident from in connection with Son 2:14, where also is to be supplied, and the voice of song is meant. She complies with the request, and thus begins:
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Mutual Love of Christ and the Church; Expectation of the Glory to Be Revealed. | |
13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it. 14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.
Christ and his spouse are here parting for a while; she must stay below in the gardens on earth, where she has work to do for him; he must remove to the mountains of spices in heaven, where he has business to attend for her, as an advocate with the Father. Now observe with what mutual endearments they part.
I. He desires to hear often from her. She is ready at her pen; she must be sure to write to him; she knows how to direct (v. 13): “Thou that, for the present, dwellest in the gardens, dressing and keeping them till thou remove from the garden below to the paradise above–thou, O believer! whoever thou art, that dwellest in the gardens of solemn ordinances, in the gardens of church-fellowship and communion, the companions are so happy as to hear thy voice, cause me to hear it too.” Observe, 1. Christ’s friends should keep a good correspondence one with another, and, as dear companions, speak often to one another (Mal. iii. 16) and hearken to one another’s voice; they should edify, encourage, and respect one another. They are companions in the kingdom and patience of Christ, and therefore, as fellow-travellers, should keep up mutual freedom, and not be shy of, nor strange to, one another. The communion of saints is an article of our covenant, as well as an article of our creed, to exhort one another daily, and be glad to be exhorted by another. Hearken to the voice of the church, as far as it agrees with the voice of Christ; his companions will do so. 2. In the midst of our communion with one another we must not neglect our communion with Christ, but let him see our countenance and hear our voice; he here bespeaks it: “The companions hearken to thy voice; it is a pleasure to them; cause me to hear it. Thou makest thy complaints to them when any thing grieves thee; why does thou not bring them to me, and let me hear them? Thou art free with them; be as free with me; pour out thy heart to me.” Thus Christ, when he left his disciples, ordered them to send to him upon every occasion. Ask, and you shall receive. Note, Christ not only accepts and answers, but even courts his people’s prayers, not reckoning them a trouble to him, but an honour and a delight, Prov. xv. 8. We cause him to hear our prayers when we not only pray, but wrestle and strive in prayer. He loves to be pressingly importuned, which is not the manner of men. Some read it, “Cause me to be heard; thou hast often an opportunity of speaking to thy companions, and they hearken to what thou sayest; speak of me to them; let my name be heard among them; let me be the subject of thy discourse.” “One word of Christ” (as archbishop Usher used to say) “before you part.” No subject is more becoming, or should be more pleasing.
II. She desires his speedy return to her (v. 14): Make haste, my beloved, to come again, and receive me to thyself; be thou like a roe, or a young hart, upon the mountains of spices; let no time be lost; it is pleasant dwelling here in the gardens, but to depart, and be with thee, is far better; that therefore is what I wish, and wait, and long for. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Observe, 1. Though Jesus Christ be now retired, he will return. The heavens, those high mountains of sweet spices, must contain him till the times of refreshing shall come; and those times will come, when every eye shall see him, in all the pomp and power of the upper and better world, the mystery of God being finished and the mystical body completed. 2. True believers, as they are looking for, so they are hastening to, the coming of that day of the Lord, not that they would have him make more haste than good speed, but that the intermediate counsels may all be fulfilled, and then that the end may come–the sooner the better. Not that they think him slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but thus they express the strength of their affections to him and the vastness of their expectations from him when he comes again. 3. Those only that can in sincerity call Christ their beloved, their best beloved, can, upon good grounds, desire him to hasten his second coming. As for those whose hearts go a whoring after the world, and who set their affections on the things of the earth, they cannot love his appearing, but dread it rather, because then the earth, and all the things of it which they have chosen for their portion, will be burnt up. But those that truly love Christ long for his second coming, because it will be the crown both of his glory and their bliss. 4. The comfort and satisfaction which we sometimes have in communion with God in grace here should make us breathe the more earnestly after the immediate vision and complete fruition of him in the kingdom of glory. The spouse, after an endearing conference with her beloved, finding it must break off, concludes with this affectionate request for the perfecting and perpetuating of this happiness in the future state. The clusters of grapes that meet us in this wilderness should make us long for the full vintage in Canaan. If a day in his courts be so sweet, what then will an eternity within the veil be! If this be heaven, O that I were there! 5. It is good to conclude our devotions with a joyful expectation of the glory to be revealed, and holy humble breathings towards it. We should not part but with the prospect of meeting again. It is good to conclude every sabbath with thoughts of the everlasting sabbath, which shall have no night at the end of it, nor any week-day to come after it. It is good to conclude every sacrament with thoughts of the everlasting feast, when we shall sit down with Christ at his table in his kingdom, to rise no more, and drink of the wine new there, and to break up every religious assembly in hopes of the general assembly of the church of the first-born, when time and days shall be no more: Let the blessed Jesus hasten that blessed day. Why are his chariot-wheels so long a coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
CONCLUDING WORDS OF SHEPHERD AND SHULAMITE
Verse 13 expresses the shepherd’s view that his bride now “dwells’ (resides permanently) in the gardens and the companions who assembled for the celebration (Son 6:13) hearken (give heed) to what she has to say. He also reminds her that he personally loves to hear her voice often (Son 2:14).
Verse 14 expresses her immediate response, urging him to make haste in exercising the privileges of love to which they are happily committed.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(13) Thou that dwellest.In Son. 8:13 we have another brief reminiscence of the early days of courtship, when the lover envied every one near the maiden, the companions who could see and hear her, and sighed for tokens of affection which she lavished on them.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. The Beloved addresses her in this verse, and urges the gladsome utterance that shall fix the nuptial hour.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Song Ends As It Began With The Young Woman, Now His Wife, Offering Herself To Him To Be His Completely.
The song now finishes with the young woman, who is now his beloved wife, calling on her beloved, (as she had at the beginning – Son 1:2-4), and telling him that ‘the companions’ (the young shepherds – Son 1:7) are listening for his voice, (compare ‘the virgins love you — we will run after you’ in Son 1:3-4 a) but that she expects him to call her in such a way that she alone hears him (compare ‘draw me’ – Son 1:4 a). His reward will be that he will be able to behave like a roe-deer or young hart (which are eager for love – Son 2:8-9; compare Pro 5:19) on the mountains of spices (their royal bed with its cushions – compare Son 4:6; Son 4:16).
“You who dwell in the gardens, The companions listen for your voice, Cause me to hear it. Make haste, my beloved, And be you like a roe deer or a young hart, On the mountains of spices.”
As a result of what we have already seen we can here solve the clues that enable us to interpret these words. ‘The gardens’ represent the sphere of the king’s activities (compare Son 6:2), the ‘companions’ are the young shepherds/courtiers who attend him (Son 1:7). Their ‘listening to his voice’ parallels the situation in Son 1:3-4 a where the young women were responsive to his charms. These companions are always alert for the king’s call. The young wife’s words ‘cause me to hear it’ parallel her call in Son 1:4 a, ‘draw me’. She is still concerned that he demonstrate that to him she is unique, and that he wants her above all else, because she is his woman. And she tells him to hurry, because she does not want to have to wait. For she wants him to reveal his prowess, like a young roe-deer or hart eager for love (compare Pro 5:19), ‘on the mountains of spices’. Compare how in Son 4:16 the spices represent her sexual attractions, while in Son 4:6 ‘the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense’ may well indicate his bed. Thus one significance of the mountains of spices here is probably the royal bed with its perfumed cushions.
So while the young Solomon before his marriage (in Son 1:1-4) was surrounded by, and taken up with young women (the daughters of Jerusalem), now that he is married and satisfied, he is taken up with his male courtiers and shepherds. For now his true ‘love’ is the only love in his life. And she does not want it to be long before they are once again enjoying each other to the full.
However, as we have seen throughout, the song has dual application, and in the second application, the application to Israel, ‘the mountains of spices’ can be seen as indicating the mountains on which Jerusalem was built, and especially as indicating the Temple Mount on which incense was offered, with the idea that God is awaiting all Israel on the Temple Mount in order to reveal His love if only they will respond to Him truly.
Its final application is, however, for us who are His people today. Our cry to Him must be that He will summon us (cause us to hear) so that we may be able to come alone with Him and spend time in His presence with Him in the new Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12:22-23), and enjoy our glorious position as those who are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph 2:6), in the heavenly mountains of spices, prior to that final call when we will share for ever with our Beloved in His glory (Col 3:4; Rev 21:23; Rev 22:5).
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.
These are the words of Christ to his Church, in which he calls her the inhabitress of the gardens, his Churches; and it is a love-call of the Lord, that as she is heard by her companions, and is frequently speaking of him, and concerning him, he desires that she will speak to him also. Reader! it is blessed to speak of Christ, but infinitely more so to speak to Christ. Communion with the saints is like heaven below; but communion with the Lord of the saints is like heaven above! Reader! do not overlook the tenderness of Jesus in thus seeking fellowship with his people.
Son 8:13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear [it].
Ver. 13. Thou that dwellest in the gardens, ] i.e., O thou Church universal, that dwellest in the particular churches, frequently called gardens in this book. The French Protestants at Lyons called their meeting house paradise.
The companions hearken to thy voice.
Cause me to hear it. NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Son 8:13
13O you who sit in the gardens,
My companions are listening for your voice
Let me hear it!
Son 8:13 This seems to be a final word from the man (the owner of the garden). The companions (BDB 288) are (1) wedding guests of the groom (Son 3:11) or (2) other shepherds (Son 1:7).
Let me hear it This is a Hiphil IMPERATIVE (BDB 1033, KB 1570), which refers to the maiden’s call to come to her (cf. Son 8:14; Son 2:14).
Thou that dwellest = Oh thou that dwellest. Spoken by the shepherd.
dwellest in the gardens. No longer in “the city” of Son 5:7, but now abidest permanently. Hebrew. yashab.
the companions = my companions (who were the speakers of Son 8:5).
hearken = are listening.
me, &c.: or “me [and our companions] to hear”.
31.
The Lords last word to his church
Son 8:13
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.
Nothing is more precious in the memory of a woman whose beloved husband has gone to be with the Lord than her dear husbands last words to her. How often I have sat across the room from a widow, whose husband had departed many years before, and heard her say, I can remember the last thing he said to me, as though it were just yesterday. The last words spoken by a loving companion are precious words. Even so, the last words of our Lord Jesus Christ to his believing people are words we particularly, tenderly cherish in our hearts (John 14-17).
The Song of Songs is almost ended. The chosen Bride and the Glorious Bridegroom have come to their last stanzas. They are about to part company for a while. The Lord, our Savior, our Great Bridegroom must depart this world for a season. His bodily presence must be taken from us. He must enter again into his glory. And his Bride, the Church, which he has chosen and redeemed with his own precious blood, must remain upon the earth until he comes for her. Therefore, the Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ, bids us farewell. These are the last words of our Savior to his believing people. Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.
In other words, our Lord says to each of us While I am away from you, fill this garden with my name, and let your heart commune with me. As she sees him rising up into the clouds of glory, the Bride quickly responds Make haste, my Beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices. It is as though she said I know, my Love, that you must go away for a while; but hurry back. As soon as it pleases you, when my work upon the earth is done, come to me again; and take me home to the ivory palaces of glory land.
Expedient
Even his leaving us was an act of great love and grace. In fact, it was his greatest act of love. If he had not left us and gone to the tree of his death and up to the throne of glory, we could never have been redeemed and saved, we could never have entered into glory. He said, I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you (Joh 16:7).
It was truly expedient for our Lord to go away, to suffer, die, rise again, and ascend into glory. By his going away to die for us and to live again for us in heaven, many evils were prevented from falling upon us, which otherwise would have destroyed us. He went away to save us from the heavy strokes of divine justice, the wrath, vengeance, curse, and condemnation of Gods holy law, the eternal ruin, misery and death of hell.
Our Lords going away was expedient for us, because he went away to obtain for us all the blessings of grace and eternal good for our souls: RedemptionReconciliationForgivenessRighteousnessEternal LifePeaceHeavenly Glory. When we realize what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us, we know that it is best for us that he went away for a while. He has opened for us an entrance into the holiest by the blood of his cross (Heb 10:19-22). He has taken possession of heaven and eternal glory as our Representative (Heb 6:20). He has gone to prepare a place for us in glory, in the Fathers house (Joh 14:1-3). He has gone away to appear in the presence of God for us (1Jn 2:1-2). He has gone away so that he might send his promised Spirit into the world to gather his elect from the four corners of the earth, to regenerate, sanctify, and preserve them unto his eternal glory (Gal 3:13-14).
Truly, it is best for us that our beloved Savior has gone away. Surely, then the last words of our heavenly Bridegroom must be of special interest to us. Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it. With those parting words, our blessed Savior tells us most plainly what he desires of us while we are yet upon this earth.
Our dwelling place
First, our Lord describes his Bride as one who enjoys the benefits of a blessed residence. Thou that dwellest in the gardens. The Hebrew construction of this phrase is in the feminine. Literally, the Lord is calling his Bride, his Church by this name, Thou inhabitress of the gardens. We who are born of God, we who make up the church of Christ, the body of Gods elect are addressed under this term Thou inhabitress of the gardens. It describes our residence upon the earth, the assembly of Gods saints, the congregation of the Lord.
This term distinguishes us from our Lord. He whom we love dwells in the ivory palaces. He has gone up to his Fathers throne. But he has left us in these gardens here below. He dwelt here with us for a while. But now he has finished the work that his Father gave him to do and he has returned to his throne. He is no longer physically present with us. Our Lords presence with his Church is real, true, and constant; but it is a spiritual, rather than physical presence, that we now enjoy (Mat 18:20; Joh 14:23).
Like our Savior, we must remain upon the earth, dwelling in his gardens, until our work upon the earth is done (Joh 14:12). Our Lord has gone to heaven, because he best accomplishes the purposes of God from there. He has left us upon the earth to serve him, because we best accomplish the purpose of God here.
Our place is in the Kings gardens. This is the place of our great employment. Those who serve the Lord serve him by serving his garden, the local church, the assembly of his people. Each of Gods people is placed in the garden for the good of his own soul and for the service of the Lords church. You and I are set in the garden of the church, because there is a work for us to do which will be beneficial to others and to ourselves also. (C. H. Spurgeon). It is best for us, for the glory of God and for the church of Christ that we abide here a while longer. Here ye are the lights of the world. Here ye are the salt of the earth. Here you abide as dew from the Lord in this dry and thirsty land. Have you found out what it is the Lord has for you to do in his gardens? Have you found the tender plants for which you are to care?
This is the place of our great enjoyment. This is the place where the Lord meets with us, instructs us, teaches us, refreshes us, and makes himself known to us (Son 6:2). I cannot overstress the importance of the local assembly of Gods saints in the life of a believer (Heb 10:26). The Lord himself walks in his garden. The River of the Water of Life flows through the garden. The Tree of Life is planted in the Lords garden.
This is the place of our great eminence. The greatest blessing God can ever give to you or me upon this earth is the privilege of dwelling in one of the Lords gardens. The greatest blessing God ever gave to a community of men is the establishment of a local church where the gospel is preached. And the greatest curse God ever sent to any place was withdrawing from them the witness of a gospel church.
This is the place of our great establishment. Thou that dwellest Those words imply a permanent residence, a permanent establishment. As for me and my house, we are established in the house of God, the garden of the Lord. All things are secondary to this. I am ready to give up anything before I will give up the worship of God, the fellowship of his saints, and the ministry of the Word.
How charming is the place
Where my Redeemer God
Unveils the beauties of his face,
And sheds his love abroad.
Not all the fair palaces,
To which the great resort,
Are once to be compared with this,
Where Jesus holds his court.
There is nothing more important to a believer than the blessed residence God has appointed for his people, the Garden of the Lord, the Church of God, the House of Prayer. I leave it to you to judge whether or not you have found the Church of God a garden for your soul and this garden a blessed residence in which to dwell.
I love Thy Church, O God!
Her walls before Thee stand,
Dear as the apple of Thine eye
And graven on Thy hand.
For her my tears shall fall,
For her my prayers ascend
To her my cares and toils be given
Till cares and toils shall end.
Our family
Second, our Lord speaks of the relationship which the people of God should enjoy with one another Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice. The church of God is a family. A local assembly, if it is what it should be, is a commune of pilgrims, companions whose hearts and lives are wed to one another. The church of God is his family (Mat 12:48-50). We will be wise to make it ours.
Let us endeavor to maintain the unity, peace, and joy of our family (Eph 4:3-7). One thing is essential to every family is communication. Families that get along well must talk to one another. They must know one another, encourage one another, and support one another. This blessed communication between believers is what our Lord is talking about The companions hearken to thy voice! Build your relationships with Gods people by personal conversation and pleasant communion. Like marriages, good relationships with other people do not just happen; they must be built.
Heaven will, in great measure, be an everlasting communion of saints. If we would enjoy heaven below we must commune with one another. Be sure that your conversations with others are edifying, Christ honoring, and spiritually beneficial. I do not mean that you must always talk to others about spiritual things; but I do mean that you should strive to be spiritually helpful to one another in your speech. When we come together in the house of God, we should be especially careful to assist one another in our conversations before the service and after the service. Be careful to maintain and display real, genuine interest in others. Many appear to be afraid to speak any word of praise, congratulations, or honor to another. Yet, our God tells us to give honor to those to whom honor is due. And none are more worthily honored by us than those who serve the Lord with us. Truthful and thoughtful commendation is never out of order.
Communion with Christ
Third, our Lord makes a great, tender, condescending request of us. It is a request that will prove to be for our souls good. May he give us grace ever to heed it. Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it. It is as though our Lord were saying to us I am going away for a while, and you will see me no more; but I will not forget you. My heart will always be with you. Therefore, do not forget me. Cause me to hear your voice. Though you cannot see me with your physical eye, nor audibly hear my voice, I can see you and hear you. So cause me to hear your voice.
This is a very natural request. Love seeks the company of its object. It is a request that seems to have many implications. Our Savior seems to be saying, Cause me to hear your voice in prayer, in praise, in intimate communion. Cause me to hear the voice of your heart. Our ever-gracious Christ desires to hear the inmost groans and sighs and feelings of our hearts, as well as the joy and laughter of our hearts (Heb 4:16; Php 4:6-7; 1Pe 5:6-7). He says, Cause me to hear your voice frequently, reverently, in faith and honesty. Cause me to hear your voice.
Our responsibility
There is one more thing hidden in our text. The text could be translated like this, Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: Cause them to hear me. Read this way, our Savior is saying, Since you are among them, and they hear your voice, be sure that you cause them to hear of me. Make those who dwell in the garden with you hear your voice speaking of me.
We should often speak to one another, and to those strangers who happen to come into the house of worship, and to those we meet in the streets, of Christ. The Lord has given us the gift of speech; we should use it to tell of him. Cause Christ to be heard. Use your voice to speak of his glorious person, of his wondrous works, and his amazing, saving, bounteous grace.
dwellest: Son 2:13, Son 4:16, Son 6:2, Son 6:11, Son 7:11, Son 7:12, Mat 18:20, Mat 28:20, Joh 14:21-23
the companions: Son 1:7, Son 3:7-11, Son 5:9-16, Jdg 11:38, Jdg 14:11, Psa 45:14
cause: Son 2:14, Psa 50:15, Joh 14:13, Joh 14:14, Joh 15:7, Joh 16:24
Reciprocal: Son 5:1 – come Luk 13:19 – cast Joh 10:3 – the sheep
Son 8:13. Thou that dwellest The word thus rendered, is in the feminine gender, which plainly shows that Christ speaks here to his spouse, being about to depart from her for a season, as the next verse shows; in the gardens Not in the wilderness of the world, for believers are called out of the world, (Joh 15:19,) but in the church, the garden of God, which God hath fenced and appropriated to himself. He saith, gardens, because of the many particular congregations into which the church is divided. The companions The friends of the bride and bridegroom; hearken to thy voice Diligently observe all thy words, and thy whole conduct toward me, and all the transactions between thee and me. Cause me to hear thy voice When I am gone from thee, let me hear thy prayers and praises, and the preaching of my gospel in the world.
8:13 Thou that dwellest in the {i} gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear [it].
(i) Christ dwells in his Church, whose voice the faithful hear.
B. The Present 8:13-14
These verses reflect the desire that Solomon and the Shulammite still felt for each other. Solomon seems to have spoken Son 8:13 and the Shulammite Son 8:14. The mountains probably refer to her breasts (cf. Son 2:17; Son 8:14).
The narrative closes with a call for the lover to return to his beloved. Many students of the Bible have noted the similarity with how the whole Bible ends: "Come, Lord Jesus" (Rev 22:20). [Note: E.g., J. Coert Rylaarsdam, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Solomon, p. 160.]
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)