15 His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
His countenance - Or, his appearance (his whole port and mien, but especially head and countenance) "is as the Lebanon."
His legs are as pillars of marble - Exquisitely turned and well-shaped; the sockets of gold may refer to his slippers. On these a profusion of gold and ornaments are still lavished in Asiatic countries.
His countenance is as Lebanon - As Lebanon exalts its head beyond all the other mountains near Jerusalem, so my beloved is tall and majestic, and surpasses in stature and majesty all other men. He is also as straight and as firm as the cedars.
His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold,.... The allusion may be to the "femoralia", or garments on the thighs of the high priest when he ministered in holy things, who was a type of Christ; which were made of thee twined linen, and, as the Rabbins say (e), of thread six times doubled; and so must sit very full and stiff, and be like pillars of marble, for colour, firmness, and stiffness; and below which was the hem of the holy robe: and, round about that, were pomegranates and golden bells, and which may be alluded to in the next clause, "set upon sockets of fine gold"; or else the allusion may be to the custom (f) of the eastern countries, where they sandals, bound about the feet with golden ribbons; or had their shoes adorned with gold and precious stones; or were made of gold, as were those which Demetrius wore: snow white feet, with golden knots, as Manilius (g) expresses it, must look very beautiful; and marble legs or feet, as the poet (h) calls them, with golden shoes, suggest the same idea. Now if a covering of the thighs is alluded to, this may respect the pure and spotless righteousness of Christ, and the glory and excellency of it; which covers the nakedness of saints; hides all their impurities, their sins, original and actual; and renders them acceptable in the sight of God: or the legs of Christ being thus compared may denote the strength and power of Christ, to bear up and support what has been or is laid upon him; as the whole universe, the earth, and all that is in it; the covenant of grace, its blessings and promises, which he is the basis and foundation of; the whole church, the persons of all the elect, whom he represented in eternity, and now in time; all their sins and transgressions, laid upon him and bore by him, in his body on the cross; the government of his people on his shoulder; their burdens, and them under all their trials, temptations, and afflictions; and as all the vessels, so all the glory of his Father's house: and these may set forth also the power of Christ, in treading under and trampling upon all his and his people's enemies, both when on the cross, and now in heaven, where he must reign until all enemies are put under his feet. Or legs, being the instruments of walking, may intend either his ways of love, grace, and mercy, in the covenant before time, in favour of his people; and which, like marble pillars, are pure, firm, and constant, and like such, in golden sockets, glorious and excellent: or his walk and conversation, when incarnate and in his state of humiliation; which was always upright, even, and constant; and upon which were a beauty, glory, and lustre, answerable to the metaphors here used: or his walks in the churches, his golden candlesticks; among whom he delights to be, and to whom his presence is desirable, beautiful, and glorious: or his providential dispensations towards his people; which are straight, upright, and equal, holy and righteous, firm and sure; the basis of which are his eternal purposes and decrees;
his countenance is as Lebanon: his shape, form, personage, appearance, and mien; which was a goodly mountain on the north of Judea, high, pleasant, and set with fruitful and fragrant trees, and made a very delightful appearance; to which Christ may be compared for his height, being higher than the kings of the earth, than the angels of heaven, and than the heavens themselves; and for pleasantness, being more glorious and excellent than that or any other mountain; and for the fruitful and fragrant trees of righteousness that grow upon him, have their root in him, and their fruitfulness from him; and which diffuse a grateful odour, by their graces and good works, to Christ and his saints; and who himself more especially, like this mountain, emits a fragrant smell, in his person, grace, righteousness, and sacrifice, to all passers-by, and true believers in him. It is added,
excellent as the cedars; which grew on Lebanon; being the choicest, and preferable to all others: to which Christ may be compared, for tallness, stateliness, fragrancy, and durableness (i); especially the former, which is always thought to add gracefulness and majesty to men; See Gill on 1-Samuel 9:2.
(e) Kimchi Sepher Shorash. rad. Maimon. Hilchot Cele Hamikdash, c. 8. s. 14. Jarchi in loc. (f) Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 9. c. 35. & l. 37. c. 2. (g) De Margaritis, l. 5. (h) "Litora marmoreis pedibus signanda puellae", Ovid. Amor. l. 2. Eleg. 11. v. 5. (i) "Et cedro digna locutus", Persii Satyr. 1. v. 42.
pillars--strength and steadfastness. Contrast man's "legs" (Ecclesiastes 12:3). Allusion to the temple (1-Kings 5:8-9; 1-Kings 7:21), the "cedars" of "Lebanon" (Psalm 147:10). Jesus Christ's "legs" were not broken on the cross, though the thieves' were; on them rests the weight of our salvation (Psalm 75:3).
sockets of fine gold--His sandals, answering to the bases of the pillars; "set up from everlasting" (Proverbs 8:22-23). From the head (Song 5:11) to the feet, "of fine gold." He was tried in the fire and found without alloy.
countenance--rather, "His aspect," including both mien and stature (compare 2-Samuel 23:21, Margin; with 1-Chronicles 11:23). From the several parts, she proceeds to the general effect of the whole person of Jesus Christ.
Lebanon--so called from its white limestone rocks.
excellent--literally, "choice," that is, fair and tall as the cedars on Lebanon (Ezekiel 31:3, &c.). Majesty is the prominent thought (Psalm 21:5). Also the cedars' duration (Hebrews 1:11); greenness (Luke 23:31), and refuge afforded by it (Ezekiel 17:22-23).
15a His legs white marble columns,
Set on bases of fine gold.
If the beauty of the living must be represented, not by colours, but in figurative language, this cannot otherwise be done than by the selection of minerals, plants, and things in general for the comparison, and the comparison must more or less come short, because dead soulless matter does not reach to a just and full representation of the living. Thus here, also, the description of the lower extremity, which reaches from the thighs and the legs down to the feet, of which last, in the words of an anatomist,
(Note: Hyrtl's Lehrbuch der Anat. des Menschen, sec. 155.)
it may be said that "they form the pedestal for the bony pillars of the legs." The comparison is thus in accordance with fact; the שׁוקים (from שוק = Arab. saḳ, to drive: the movers forward), in the structure of the human frame, take in reality the place of "pillars," and the feet the place of "pedestals," as in the tabernacle the wooden pillars rested on small supports in which they were fastened, Exodus 26:18. But in point of fidelity to nature, the symbol is inferior to a rigid Egyptian figure. Not only is it without life; it is not even capable of expressing the curvilinear shape which belongs to the living. On the other hand, it loses itself in symbol; for although it is in conformity with nature that the legs are compared to pillars of white (according to Aquila and Theod., Parian) marble, - שׁשׁ = שׁישׁ, 1-Chronicles 29:2 (material for the building of the temple), Talm. מרמרא, of the same verbal root as שׁוּשׁן, the name of the white lily, - the comparison of the feet to bases of fine gold is yet purely symbolical. Gold is a figure of that which is sublime and noble, and with white marble represents greatness combined with purity. He who is here praised is not a shepherd, but a king. The comparisons are thus so grand because the beauty of the beloved is in itself heightened by his kingly dignity.
(Note: Dillmann proposes the question, the answer to which he desiderates in Ewald, how the maiden could be so fluent in speaking of the new glories of the Solomonic era (plants and productions of art). Bttcher answers, that she had learned to know these whilst detained at court, and that the whole description has this ground-thought, that she possessed in her beloved all the splendour which the women of the harem value and enjoy. But already the first words of the description, "white and ruddy," exclude the sunburnt shepherd. To refer the gold, in the figurative description of the uncovered parts of the body, to this bronze colour is insipid.)
15b His aspect like Lebanon,
Distinguised as the cedars.
By בּחוּר the Chald. thinks of "a young man" (from בּחר = בּגר, to be matured, as at Psalm 89:20); but in that case we should have expected the word כּארז instead of כּארזים. Luther, with all other translators, rightly renders "chosen as the cedars." His look, i.e., his appearance as a whole, is awe-inspiring, majestic, like Lebanon, the king of mountains; he (the praised one) is chosen, i.e., presents a rare aspect, rising high above the common man, like the cedars, those kings among trees, which as special witnesses of creative omnipotence are called "cedars of God," Psalm 80:11 [10]. בּחוּר, electus, everywhere else an attribute of persons, does not here refer to the look, but to him whose the look is; and what it means in union with the cedars is seen from Jeremiah 22:7; cf. Isaiah 37:24. Here also it is seen (what besides is manifest), that the fairest of the children of men is a king. In conclusion, the description returns from elevation of rank to loveliness.
Marble - White, and strait, and well shaped and strong. Gold - His feet are compared to gold, for their singular brightness, for which they are compared to fine - brass, Revelation 1:15. Countenance - Hebrews. his aspect or appearance, his form or person. Lebanon - In respect of its cedars, tall, and upright, and stately.
*More commentary available at chapter level.