SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:15
¶ Fuente de huertos, pozo de aguas vivas, que corren del Líbano.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon .] Some take these words to be the words of Christ continued, speaking still of his church, and explaining and enlarging upon what he had said of her, ( Song of Solomon 4:12); but they are rather the words of the church; who, upon hearing herself commended, and knowing that all her fruitfulness, and the flourishing condition she was in, were owing to the grace of Christ, breaks forth in these words, and ascribes all to him, saying, “O fountain of gardens, O well of living waters”, etc. for so the words may be rendered in the vocative case f294 . By the “gardens” may be meant particular distinct churches, such as were gathered in the first times of the Gospel, and since, as the churches of Asia, etc. separated from the world, and planted with trees of righteousness, such as are before described: and though there are many gardens or churches, there is but one “fountain” which supplies them all with gifts and grace, and that is Christ, and his fulness, the fountain from whence flow all grace, and the blessings of it: who also is the “well of living waters”; a well deep and large, fathomless and bottomless, dug by sovereign grace, and full of all grace; signified by “waters”, for the abundance of it; and said to be “living”, because by it dead sinners are quickened, and drooping saints revived; and is ever running f295 , ever flowing and overflowing; so that there is always a supply for all Christ’s gardens, and for all believers in all ages; who, with the bucket of faith, draw water with joy out of this well, or wells of salvation, ( Isaiah 12:3); and the flows of grace from hence are like “streams from Lebanon”, because of the abundance of it; the constant and continued supplies of it; the rapidity and force with which it comes, bearing down all obstacles in its way, and for the pleasure it gives, the flows of it being as delightful and grateful as streams of water in hot countries. Respect seems to be had to several places called by these names; there was one, called “the Fountain of Gardens”, which flowed from Lebanon, six miles from Tripoli, and watered all the gardens, whence it had its name, and all the country that lay between these two places f296 ; and there was another, called “the Well of living Waters”, a little mile to the south of Tyre; it had four fountains, from whence were cut various aqueducts and rivulets, which watered all the plain of Tyre, and all its gardens; which fountains were little more than a bow’s cast from the main sea, and in which space six mills were employed f297 : and there is a rupture in Mount Lebanon, as Mr. Maundrell says, which runs up it seven hours’ travelling; and which, on both sides, is steep and high, and clothed with fragrant greens from top to bottom; and everywhere refreshed with “fountains”, falling down from the rocks, in pleasant cascades, the ingenious work of nature; and Rauwolff f299 , who was on this mountain in 1575, relates; “we came (says he) into pleasant groves, by delightful “rivulets” that arose from “springs”, that made so sweet a noise, as to be admired by King Solomon, ( Song of Solomon 4:15);” and these streams gave rise to some rivers, as Jordan, Eleutherus, etc. to which the allusion is here. There were two cities, one in the tribe of Judah, and the other in the tribe of Issachar, called Engannim, the fountain of gardens, ( Joshua 15:34 Joshua 19:21).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Christ sets forth the graces of the church. (Song 4:1-7) Christ's love to the church. (Song 4:8-15) The church desires further influences of Divine grace. (Song 4:16)
Song 4:1-7 If each of these comparisons has a meaning applicable to the graces of the church, or of the faithful Christian, they are no clearly known; and great mistakes are made by fanciful guesses. The mountain of myrrh appears to mean the mountain Moriah, on which the temple was built, where the incense was burned, and the people worshipped the Lord. This was his residence till the shadows of the la given to Moses were dispersed by the breaking of the gospel day, an the rising of the Sun of righteousness. And though, in respect of his human nature, Christ is absent from his church on earth, and wil continue to be so till the heavenly day break, yet he is spirituall present in his ordinances, and with his people. How fair and comely ar believers, when justified in Christ's righteousness, and adorned with spiritual graces! when their thoughts, words, and deeds, thoug imperfect, are pure, manifesting a heart nourished by the gospel!
Song 4:8-15 Observe the gracious call Christ gives to the church. I is, 1. A precept; so this is Christ's call to his church to come of from the world. These hills seem pleasant, but there are in them lions dens; they are mountains of the leopards. 2. As a promise; many shal be brought as members of the church, from every point. The church shal be delivered from her persecutors in due time, though now she dwell among lions, Ps. 57:4. Christ's heart is upon his church; his treasur is therein; and he delights in the affection she has for him; it working in the heart, and its works in the life. The odours wherewit the spouse is perfumed, are as the gifts and graces of the Spirit. Love and obedience to God are more pleasing to Christ than sacrifice of incense. Christ having put upon his spouse the white raiment of his ow righteousness, and the righteousness of saints, and perfumed it with holy joy and comfort, he is well pleased with it. And Christ walks in his garden unseen. A hedge of protection is made around, which all the powers of darkness cannot break through. The souls of believers are a gardens enclosed, where is a well of living water, John 4:14; 7:38, the influences of the Holy Spirit. The world knows not these wells of salvation, nor can any opposer corrupt this fountain. Saints in the church, and graces in the saints, are fitly compared to fruits an spices. They are planted, and do not grow of themselves. They ar precious; they are the blessings of this earth. They will be kept to good purpose when flowers are withered. Grace, when ended in glory will last for ever. Christ is the source which makes these garden fruitful; even a well of living waters.
Song 4:16 The church prays for the influences of the blessed Spirit, to make this garden fruitful. Graces in the soul are as spices in thes gardens, that in them which is valuable and useful. The blessed Spirit in his work upon the soul, is as the wind. There is the north wind of conviction, and the south wind of comfort. He stirs up good affections and works in us both to will and to do that which is good. The churc invites Christ. Let him have the honour of all the garden produces, an let us have the comfort of his acceptance of it. We can invite him to nothing but what is his own already. The believer can have no joy of the fruits, unless they redound some way or other to the glory of Christ. Let us then seek to keep separate from the world, as a garde enclosed, and to avoid conformity thereto __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
מעין 4599 גנים 1588 באר 875 מים 4325 חיים 2416 ונזלים 5140 מן 4480 לבנון׃ 3844
