Song of Solomon 5:10–16

The daughters of Jerusalem give the repeated challenge, "What is your beloved more than another beloved?" What would our reply be to such a challenge? What have we discerned in Christ, the well-beloved Son of God? He came in grace to bring us the knowledge of God, and He died to bring us into divine favour. Our reply could not surpass our appreciation of the greatness, glory and perfections of Jesus. Yet the Lord delights to have a response from our poor hearts, no matter how feeble it may be.

As white, she sees His spotless purity, for He was "holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners." He passed through this defiling world and touched the leper, yet was not contaminated. The repelling power of His intrinsic holiness kept the polluting influence of sin far from Him, yet He could receive sinners and eat with them.

The ruddy colour in the face speaks of health and vigour. David, who was a type of Christ, was ruddy... In Hebrew the word translated "ruddy" here is translated "red" in Numbers 19:2, "a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish"... In comparing these passages, the ruddy or red colour would seem to denote the Lord's entire consecration and devotion to God even to death. All His strength and energy, both in life and in death, was spent to glorify God and to do His will.

What is so "white" — so clean, so holy — as the blessed Person of the Son of Man, Jehovah-Jesus, the root and the offspring of David? What is so "ruddy" as the blood that flowed from His spotless veins on Calvary? Who, oh who, is worthy to be the Chieftain of all God's hosts, except the Captain of our salvation?

The next expression is "the chiefest among ten thousand," or, as some marginal readings have it, "a standard bearer." Translated literally it would read, "lifting up as a banner among ten thousand." So when translated literally, it is really not a comparison of Him as chiefest among ten thousand. He is rather the banner lifted up above them all and honoured by all; the rallying point around which all gather in their common purpose to keep it lifted high and displayed before the eyes of all. In this they glory and for this they live, and, as good soldiers, are ready to fight for it and even to die.

All have come from sinful Adam, from the man who is of the earth, but He was a Man out of heaven... Jesus is the Chiefest among those with whom God has surrounded Him. The great men of earth are not worthy of His company. He is not compared with them. He stands out in His supremacy, in marked contrast to all whom the men of this world have acclaimed. The great of earth have trampled on their foes and on their fellows, wading deep in human blood to achieve their ambitions... in marked contrast, the Son of God "humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross," shedding His own precious blood for the sins of others.

This lovely description is another step in the awakening of love. As the bride unfolds the perfections of the Bridegroom to others, her heart is engaged with Himself and His glories, and it is stirred afresh to its depths. To witness to others of the glories and perfections of Christ will most surely kindle afresh one's own affections for Christ.

This lovely description is another step in the awakening of love. When the bride unfolds the perfections of the Bridegroom to others, her heart is engaged with Himself and His glories. It is stirred again to its depths. Telling others about the glories and perfections of Christ will most surely rekindle your own love for Christ.

The Spirit of God guides her, and she delights to dwell on His many excellencies and glories, pictured in human features. A word before you begin, my soul: do not look for hidden meanings in these separate features beyond the limits of holy Scripture. "The place on which you are standing is holy ground." The Lord did not forbid Moses to come near the burning bush. But He told him it must be with bare feet. So let your eye be anointed and your heart worshipping as you meditate on Zion's glorious King.

"His head is the finest gold." The finest gold may point to supreme majesty, as in Daniel 2:38, "you are the head of gold." Scripture also often uses gold to represent divine righteousness in connection with the Person of Christ, as in Isaiah 11:5 and Revelation 1:13.

Here is One who will not only have all the kingdoms of this world in a coming day, but of whom Scripture says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever."

These verses use gold three times in the detailed description of the Beloved. His head is the finest gold. His hands are gold rings, and His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold. His head brings His blessed Person before us, and there it is the finest gold. Where it is His walk, it is fine gold. Where it is His work, it is gold.

His locks are flowing and black, showing the vigour of manhood. No white hair, no trace of age or decay will ever come on Him. Where everything else grows old, He never grows old. His years will never end.

Here is all the vigour and strength of an undecaying affection; no trace of grey hairs or mark of decline on Him.

The blackness of His locks stands in sharp contrast to what Daniel 7 reveals about Him. There He is the Ancient of Days, whose clothing was white as snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. He is seen there as the One who has been from of old, from eternity. Now He is Man; no grey hairs are on Him. Nothing He has passed through has weakened the freshness and vigour that belonged to Him down here... So when John sees Jesus in his vision, "one like a son of man... the hairs of His head were white, like white wool, like snow." The Son of Man is still the Ancient of Days.

Some believe that "the finest gold" refers to the Godhead of Jesus, and the "wavy locks" to His manhood. No truth lies nearer the heart of faith than the perfect manhood of the blessed Saviour, joined with His eternal Godhead. "Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen."

It is leaving your first love, if after you have known Him you do not give Him His place. You are like the Bride in Canticles 5, and the way you are restored is by dwelling upon the beauties of His person. (See vv. 10-16.)

In Revelation 1:14, "His eyes were like a flame of fire." For there He appears as judge, searching out and judging all that does not correspond with His holy nature. But here His eyes like doves speak of gentle, tender, faithful love. The dove is always faithful to its mate. If two doves get separated, they always mourn until they find each other again. Oh, what tenderness one sees in His eyes as He gazes in faithful love upon her for whom He gave His life!

In Revelation 5:6, John speaks of the Lamb he sees in the middle of the throne, with "seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth." The number seven stands for fullness and perfection, and here it means intelligence. But the believer has nothing to fear from the keen, penetrating glance of that eye of sevenfold brightness. To him it is soft, tender and affectionate, "like doves beside streams of water." It is his happy privilege to watch its direction. What feature is so expressive as the eye! And, oh, what an eye is now before the eye of faith! Tender as the dove's — bright and shining as when bathed in the river, or glistening with a passing tear of deep compassion.

His eyes, like the eyes of doves, speak of His tender compassion. "Washed with milk" speaks of purity. "You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong." "Fitly set" speaks of the perfection of His vision. Before Him all things lie naked and open.

We are told that the eyes are the most expressive feature of our faces. How true this is of the Lord Jesus. How His eyes saw every need of those around Him and often shed tears of compassion and understanding. Yet being fitly set would suggest that their estimation was always in accord with the mind of God.

Nothing will transform our hearts and draw them to Him so much as keeping our eyes fixed upon His love. It is like gazing into the depth of those dove's eyes, full of love and thoughts of peace for us.

This lovely description is only another step in the awakening of love. As the bride unfolds the perfections of the Bridegroom to others, her heart, occupied with Himself and His glories, is stirred to its depths again. Telling others about the glories and perfections of Christ is certain to rekindle your own love for Christ.

Natural beauty, with its charm and attraction, is written on the cheeks. But men could not see the beauty of the Lord Jesus with natural eyes. The eyes of the heart had to be opened to see "His cheeks as a bed of spices." He grew up before the Father as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. But Israel said of Him, "There is no beauty that we should desire Him." There was a little remnant whose eyes God opened, and they saw His beauty.

The cheeks speak of beauty and attractiveness. The world saw no beauty in Christ, and struck Him on the cheek. Judas claimed to be drawn to Christ, but only to betray Him by kissing Him on the cheek. The believer, on the other hand, can delight in the beauty and attractiveness of Christ. It is the delight a bed of fragrant herbs draws from someone passing by.

Blinded by sin, the Jews had rejected Him... Their hatred went so far that they struck "the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek." But even this show of hatred brought out the perfections of His holy nature, because in His sorrows the sweet spices were most fragrant. Human hatred and malice could not stop the spreading of that scent from heaven which belonged to the Man out of heaven.

His lips are compared to lilies dropping sweet-smelling myrrh. The lily may speak of purity and the sweet-smelling myrrh of grace. Isaiah had to confess he was a man of unclean lips, but the lips of Christ were pure; no deceit was found in His mouth. And of Christ it could be said, "Grace is poured into Your lips." As He walked through this world, words of grace dropped from His lips like sweet-smelling myrrh.

The believer knows the truth of that blessed word: "Grace is poured into your lips." It is not dropped out in small amounts, but poured out in full. The lips of Jesus, and His only, can speak peace to a troubled soul. Until He, and He alone, is listened to, true peace is unknown.

Grace was poured into His lips from the inner springs of His being. His words did not only reveal God's grace; they also expressed His own deep compassion for men. How sweet the smell of the myrrh in the words of love spoken by the "Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief."

Can we wonder that Mary sat at His feet to hear His words? When the Lord of glory came to her humble home, He did not come to receive. He came to reveal and give out the full love He had in His heart for her. Would not our own souls be far larger and richer if we took more time to sit at His feet? There we hear His words dropping as sweet-smelling myrrh from His lips like lilies.

It is leaving your first love, if after you have known Him you do not give Him His place. You are like the Bride in Song of Solomon 5, and you are restored by dwelling on the beauties of His person. (See vv. 10-16.)

The bride can speak openly to others about the Bridegroom's beauty. This is always her joy and her proper place. And it is not only fitting in itself. We can see how her own neglect, and the bitter result it brought, made her feel and speak His praise more fully than ever.

"His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl." This picture can take in all the works of His hands: works of nature, providence, and grace. The gold, the ring, and the precious stones may stand for their beauty, glory, perfection, and lasting strength… But faith can now say of these jewelled hands, in the words of the loved bride, "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me!" What an embrace! Happy, truly happy, are those who are folded in His everlasting arms! It is everlasting — endless, like the ring itself.

What divine strength and divine compassion we see in the touch of His hands! He touched the lepers and they were cleansed. He touched the blind and they received their sight. He touched the deaf and they could hear. He touched the funeral bier and the dead arose… And above all, what divine perfection we see in His work on the cross, as He hung there by the nails in His hands, looking weak.

The ring is the symbol of authority (Gen. 41:42; Esther 3:10), and the sign of love (Luke 15:22). People showed their hatred of Christ by nailing His hands of love to a cross. But the believer is glad to know that all power is in the hands of Christ. And love moves the hand that holds that power.

The beryl is a precious stone of enduring substance. It is mentioned in Ezekiel 1:16; 10:9… The wheels here represent God's government or overruling providence which goes on without deviating in its course, even when all that God has established in the earth seems to be overthrown.

The deep and tender compassion within Him may be in view here… The sapphire stone is blue, and this suggests the heavenly character of His tender sympathies… Pure as the "bright ivory," deep as His inmost being, high as heaven — such is the tenderness, pity, compassion, and love of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.

The whiteness and smoothness of the ivory may show the perfection of Christ, without blemish or spot. The sapphires may show how precious Christ is.

Ivory is lasting and firm, and so are the compassions and affections of Christ. All the hatred of men could not dry up the spring of pity that rose up within Christ… Yes! "He loved them to the end," and His love will not rest until He presents the church "to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing."

Christ's steps through this world engage the hearts and minds of those who love Him, and pillars of marble picture them here. The apostle Peter seems to have had those pillars in mind when he wrote, "Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps." The writing on the temple pillars, Jachin and Boaz, witnessed that "He will establish" and "In Him is strength." The steps of the Son of God in this world are left in the record of God's word. Do they not tell us of God's ways in grace, and of the unflinching devotedness of Him who knew what it was to be weary with His journey, and who set His face like a flint to go to Jerusalem? Marble is both strong and beautiful, and so were the steps of the Lord Jesus in all His ways.

Pillars serve as supports to hold up the structure built on them. Man has never been able to stand up under any responsibility that God has placed on him; he has always broken down under it. Adam failed in the garden of Eden… Even the most faithful prophets, priests and kings failed at some point or another. But here is a man whose legs are as pillars of marble set on sockets of gold. Stability and strength are seen in Him. He stands firm and unmovable, and everything built on Him is secure forever.

The marble pillars are set on sockets of fine gold. The gold represents what is essentially divine — divine righteousness, or the divine nature. All things are established and upheld by Him on the basis of divine righteousness. All is maintained in keeping with His divine nature.

How excellent He is in all His ways. There is an elevation of character and dignity about His person and bearing wherever we see Him. He never kept people at a distance; He was always accessible. There was a love and tenderness in His ways that drew people to Him. Yet there was always an excellence in His bearing that made you realise you were in the presence of your superior. See Him before the crowds, alone with His disciples, with little children in His arms, alone with the immoral woman of Samaria, eating with tax collectors and sinners, or standing before His accusers. In every scene there was a dignity and excellence about His bearing that marked Him out as superior to everything around Him, even in His deepest humiliation.

The name Lebanon means whiteness, no doubt given because of its snow-capped peaks, and so it also suggests purity. It was just this heavenly purity, always reflected in all His manners and ways, that gave such elevation and excellent dignity to His person.

The spouse has already portrayed her Beloved from head to foot. Now she refers, we have no doubt, to His general appearance — to all His glorious features together, His full stature… This figure plainly illustrates His glorious majesty as the Messiah. The lofty cedars on that fine mountain Lebanon are the standing type in Scripture of exaltation, glory and majesty. Shining like the finest gold from head to foot, adorned with every grace, fragrant with all sweetness, glorious and majestic like the cedars of Lebanon — such is the Person of her well-beloved.

The bride can speak freely of the Bridegroom's beauty to others: this is always her happiness and her proper place. This is not only fitting in itself. We can also see how her own neglect, and its bitter cost, made her feel and speak His praise more fully than ever.

"His mouth is most sweet." She has already spoken of His lips, so this feature may point to something other than words. It seems to point above all to the grace of Jesus — to the expressions of His kindness, His communications, His friendships. The bride has often tasted His grace, so she could say from experience, "His mouth is most sweet." He meets her with grace and kindness, even after failure. That alone is enough to impress her heart forever with the sweetness of her Lord's grace.

Language fails her. She is unable to say all that He is. So she closes the description with, "He is altogether lovely." As if she had said, "All loveliness dwells in Him. All that is desirable is found in Him. Every unnamed beauty belongs to Him. In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead and all the graces of manhood. He is lovely in His humiliation, lovely in His exaltation, yes, He is altogether lovely."

"He is altogether lovely." In Christ we have a perfect object, One who is altogether lovely. Here the heart can rest with satisfaction. In Daniel's image the head was of fine gold, but the toes were of iron and clay. Here the Bridegroom's head is like fine gold, and His legs of marble rest on bases of fine gold. In the Beloved there is no deterioration.

Natural beauty can appear in a person whose violence and corruption are most pronounced. We read, "Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him" (2 Samuel 14:25). In the Beloved there was not only the absence of blemishes — He is altogether lovely. However fine a man may be, bring him into the presence of the One who is altogether lovely, and his best qualities feel debased and impure.

But is not the last note of this lovely song the richest and sweetest of all? "My beloved… my friend." Some may say, "What a description this is!" But what a conclusion this is! He Himself is mine… Thrones, crowns, sceptres, kingdoms, glories, blessedness are His, and the believer's in Him. But after all, these are not Himself. What would all these things be worth without the Person of the Beloved?

However solemn and great the failure of the saints, there is indeed love for Christ in their hearts; but this love did not begin with them. "We love Him, because He first loved us." He has made us His friends. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." We prove that we are His friends by obeying His word.

She answers, "He is the chief among ten thousand." Then she goes on to tell, not of the blessings she has received from Him, nor even of His interest in her, but of all His own varied attractions. At last she says, "He is altogether lovely!"

This lovely description is another step in the awakening of love. As the bride unfolds the perfections of the Bridegroom to others, her heart is taken up with Himself and His glories, and is stirred again to its depths. Telling others of the glories and perfections of Christ will most surely rekindle one's own affections for Christ.