Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon He let out the vineyard unto keepers; Every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand silver-pieces.
Song of Solomon closes with a picture of a great estate. A king owns a vineyard, tenants work it, and each tenant owes a fixed return. The names and numbers carry the meaning. Who is this "Solomon"? Where is Baal-hamon? What do the thousand pieces of silver stand for?
The place has a name, and the name tells you how wide the vineyard is.
"Baal-hamon" means Lord of a multitude. It clearly refers to the multitude of nations — the whole earth, which now forms the vast vineyard of the Lord of glory. "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein." (Ps. 24) The thousand years of peace have come! The glory of the Lord fills the earth — all hearts rejoice — Jesus reigns.
So who is this king? One commentator makes that question the whole point.
It is at Baal-hamon, and it is in connection with Solomon — for this is the point. It is the Lord Jesus and not the church that is to be the true means of blessing to all nations. I admit it will be when the church is with Him, assuredly. I admit it will be when the Jew is converted to Him, loves Him, knows Him, most surely. But the one who makes all the difference is not the Jew, and it is not the church. It is Christ. And it is Christ then come — Christ as King.
God had promised blessing for all nations through one people. The same writer holds that promise against the record.
The children of Israel — the Jew — ought to have been a blessing to every nation under heaven. I do not say they should have been "lord of the peoples," but they should truly have been a blessing. "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." "In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Was that true of Israel? The very reverse. They lost the blessing themselves because they refused Christ.
The vineyard is let out. Others work it and profit from it, but the arrangement fixes their place.
The passage looks on to the time when Christ — the true Solomon — will reign over all the nations of the earth. The whole earth will become a fruitful vineyard. There will be kings of the earth — the keepers of the vineyard. They will enjoy the fruits of the earth, but they will be subject to Christ. They will pay tribute. They will bring, as it were, a thousand silver pieces.
Kelly draws the same arrangement out of the wider promise of Scripture, adding who the tenants turn out to be.
As Lord of multitudes, the King of Peace in that day will have His widely extended sphere of fruit let out to His servants, the keepers, and the kings of Tarshish and of the islands will render tribute; the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts; yes, all kings will fall down before Him, all nations will serve Him.
One writer reads the number as a measure, not a price.
Ten in Scripture is a number connected with responsibility. We have ten fingers on our hands to work with and ten toes on our feet to help us walk. Ten is therefore the measure of our capacity for our walk and work. One thousand is 10x10x10. So the thousand pieces stand for a definite return to the Lord. It matches the full measure of what each person is responsible for.
Beside the great vineyard stands a second one, and it belongs to the bride.
Christ, in His Solomon character, is the glorious King, the Son of David, after the order of Melchizedek. He has a vineyard as Lord of the nations or multitudes. He has entrusted it to others, who are to make Him a suitable return. The vineyard of the bride was at her own disposal. But all its proceeds shall be for Solomon, and there shall be a portion for those who kept its fruits. This is a touching expression of her relationship to the King. She will have everything to be His; and then there are others who shall profit by it also.
Another writer names who the bride is, and shows what her giving does for others.
If Solomon gets the thousand pieces of silver, others will get two hundred. Mary's jar of ointment, very costly, was spent entirely on Christ, but others also received a benefit, for "the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."
- Owner. Baal-hamon means lord of a multitude; the vineyard is the whole earth, and it belongs to the King.
- King. Solomon here pictures Christ reigning. The blessing of all nations comes through Him — not through Israel, and not through the church.
- Keepers. The kings of the earth hold the vineyard as tenants — they enjoy its fruit, but they are subject to Him and pay tribute.
- Return. A thousand pieces stands for a full return to the Lord. It matches all that each keeper is responsible for.
- Love. The bride keeps nothing back for herself. She gives her whole vineyard to Him, and the keepers are still paid. Giving all to Christ leaves others richer, not poorer.
My vineyard, which is mine, is before me The thousand [silver-pieces] be to thee, Solomon; And to the keepers of its fruit, two hundred.
The song's closing scene sets two vineyards side by side. The King has a vast estate at Baal-hamon, let out to tenants. The bride has one she calls her own. Her answer settles the question the picture raises — who is the fruit for?
The name of that place, Baal-hamon, tells you how wide the scene is:
"Baal-hamon" means Lord of a multitude. It refers to the multitude of nations — the whole earth, which now forms the vast vineyard of the Lord of glory. "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein" (Psalm 24). The millennium has come! The glory of the Lord fills the earth — every heart rejoices — Jesus reigns. A suitable return is now made to Him by the keepers of the vineyard. Everything is now under the eye of Christ, and according to the principles of His government… All will share in the riches of the fruitful, peaceful, joyful millennial earth. But Christ is Lord of all.
The bride speaks here. The King she calls Solomon is Christ come to reign:
It is Christ come at last — Christ as King. That is what is spoken of here, and that is why He is called Solomon… "My vineyard, my very own, is before me." This is the language of the bride — of Jerusalem — because she, too, has a vineyard… She wants no vineyard apart from Him. She is identified with Him. The Jew will have no pleasure, no joy, no fruit, except in connection with Christ.
The vineyard is truly at her disposal. That is what gives the gift its weight:
The vineyard of the bride was at her own disposal. But all its proceeds shall be for Solomon, and there shall be a portion for those who kept its fruits. This is a touching expression of her relationship to the King.
What she renders is no more than the amount owed. The difference lies in the spirit of it:
Her vineyard is Israel, seen in their privileges and responsibilities before the Lord. He has set them in that place as head over all the nations. But she claims no returns for herself. Her love for Christ makes her desire that the full amount due from her vineyard should all be His. Those who labour as keepers, however, will also have what is due to them. Here we see more than living up to one's responsibility. We see love that counts it a joy.
The two hundred takes nothing from His honour. Others gain because He gets the whole:
But the bride has her own vineyard. Restored Israel will have her special place, and she too will gladly own her subjection to Christ. But when she owns all to be His, others will get the blessing. If Solomon gets the thousand pieces of silver, others will get two hundred. Mary poured out her whole jar of very costly ointment on Christ. Yet others gained a benefit too, for "the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."
Earlier in the song the bride had not kept her own vineyard. Verse 12 undoes that failure:
Vineyards were once entrusted to her, and she did not keep her own. Instead, Christ, as royal Prince of peace, now has a vineyard at Baal-hamon… But there was a special vineyard now, once not kept, which was now before the bride. That vineyard is Israel, who through grace would now keep her vineyard carefully. Her vineyard was before her.
She offers Him the full sum. His reply, in the next breath, asks for something the money cannot buy:
At the close of the song she takes the chance to show how much He is worth in her eyes… But is this what He cared for? Would the thousand pieces of silver satisfy Him? Listen to His answer: "O you who dwell in the gardens, with companions listening for your voice; let me hear it." Her voice was more refreshing to Him than any gift of money she could bring. He wanted to hear the sound of her voice. Nothing less would fully please Him… His last recorded wish is to listen to her voice. In Solomon there was no change, and in Him who is truly pictured here there is no change.
- Owned — the vineyard is truly hers, at her own disposal. No one forces this gift.
- Offered — she hands over the whole of it. The full thousand goes to the King, because love wants no vineyard apart from Him.
- Overflow — giving Him everything leaves no one poorer. The keepers get their two hundred, and Mary's ointment filled the whole house with its fragrance.
- Restored — the one who once failed to keep her own vineyard now keeps it carefully, and keeps it for Him.
- Asked for — the silver is not what satisfies Him. His closing word asks for her voice, and He asks for it still.