SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:12
Sus ojos, como palomas junto a los arroyos de las aguas, que se lavan con leche; como palomas que están junto a la abundancia.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 5:12
Verse 12. His eyes are as the eyes of doves - See on chap. iv. 1. Washed with milk - The white of the eye, exceedingly white. By the use of stibium, in the East, the eye is rendered very beautiful; and receives such a lustre from the use of this article, that, to borrow the expression of a late traveler, "their eyes appear to be swimming in bliss." I believe this expression to be the meaning of the text.
Fitly set. - Or, as the margin, very properly, sitting in fullness; not sunk, not contracted.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. His eyes [are] as [the eyes] of doves , etc.] the church’s eyes are said to be, ( Song of Solomon 1:15 Song of Solomon 4:1); which are her ministers, endowed with dove like gifts in measure, as Christ is without measure, in fulness; but these are Christ’s eyes, which may signify his omniscience, who has seven eyes, ( Zechariah 3:9 Zechariah 4:10); especially as that has respect unto and is concerned with his people in a way of grace and mercy, and so must look very beautiful in their view: his eyes are like “doves’ eyes”; not fierce and furious, but loving and lovely; looking upon his people, under all their trials and afflictions, with sympathy and concern, to deliver them out of them: and like the eyes of doves by rivers of waters : Sanctius thinks the allusion is to the humours in which the eye is enclosed, and, as it were, swims in; hence the eyes are called “natantia lumina”, by Virgil f346 ; but it denotes eyes like those of doves, quick and lively, as clean as milk white doves, as if they had been “washed in milk”; clear and perspicuous, sharp sighted, and behold all persons and things, in all places, and at once; and as doves look only to their mates, so Christ’s eyes of love are only on his church; he looks to none but her with his eye of special and peculiar love. Moreover, his eyes are like the eyes of doves “by the rivers of waters”; which denotes the fixedness and constancy of them: doves, by the river side, keep their eyes fixed on the purling streams, and in drinking, as Pliny observes, do not erect their necks, and lift up their heads, but, keeping their eyes upon the water, drink a large draught, in the manner the beasts do; and they delight in clean water, of which they drink, and with which they wash f348 : Christ, being greatly delighted with his people, has fixed his eyes on them, and he never withdraws them from them; for these waters may point at the object of Christ’s love, even Gospel churches, consisting of such as are justified and sanctified by his grace, compared to “clean water”; among whom the doctrines of the Gospel are powerfully preached, the ordinances purely administered, the waters of the sanctuary flow, by which souls are delighted and refreshed; and to these Christ looks, ( Isaiah 66:2); and his eyes being like doves’ eyes, washed with milk , may denote the purity of them, being purer eyes than to behold iniquity; and the meekness and mildness of them, not red and wrathful, but full of mercy, pity, and compassion, as if they had been washed with milk. And they are said to be, fitly set ; or “sitting in fulness” f349 ; such as exactly fill up their holes; are set neither too, high nor too low; neither sunk in too much, nor stand out too far; but are like precious stones, in an enclosure of gold or silver, to which the allusion is; as diamonds set in a ring; or as the precious stones in the high priest’s breast plate, which exactly filled the cavities made for them, and hence are called “stones of fulness”, ( Exodus 25:7 Exodus 28:17,20); or, “set by fulness” f350 ; that is, by full channels of water, where doves delight to be; and may denote the fulness of grace, and the flows of it, by which Christ sits and dwells, and leads his people to, ( Revelation 7:17); or, “setting upon fulness” f351 ; on the world, and the fulness of it, which is his, and he gives as much of it to his people as he think fit; and on the vast numbers of persons and things in it, and the vast variety of actions done therein; which shows the extensiveness of his omniscience: and on the “fulness” of time, fixed by him and his Father, for his coming into the world, to do the great work of redemption in it; and which, before it came, he was looking, waiting, and watching, and as it were longing till it came: and on his “fulness”, the church, which is the fulness of him that filleth all in all, until he has gathered them all in, and filled them with all the gifts and graces of the Spirit, designed for them: and on the “fulness” of the Gentiles, until they are all brought in: and on his own “fulness”; both personal, “the fulness of the Godhead”, which he had his eyes upon, when he undertook the work of redemption, and which supported him in it, and carried him through it; and upon his dispensatory “fulness”, or fulness of grace, as Mediator, to supply the wants of his people, under all their straits and difficulties, temptations and afflictions: all which must make him exceeding lovely in the eyes of his people.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Christ's answer. (Song 5:1) The disappointments of the church from he own folly. (Song 5:2-8) The excellences of Christ. (Song 5:9-16)
Song 5:1 See how ready Christ is to accept the invitations of his people. What little good there is in us would be lost, if he did no preserve it to himself. He also invites his beloved people to eat an drink abundantly. The ordinances in which they honour him, are means of grace.
Song 5:2-8 Churches and believers, by carelessness and security provoke Christ to withdraw. We ought to notice our spiritual slumber and distempers. Christ knocks to awaken us, knocks by his word an Spirit, knocks by afflictions and by our consciences; thus, Rev. 3:20 When we are unmindful of Christ, still he thinks of us. Christ's love to us should engage ours to him, even in the most self-denyin instances; and we only can be gainers by it. Careless souls put slight on Jesus Christ. Another could not be sent to open the door. Chris calls to us, but we have no mind, or pretend we have no strength, or we have no time, and think we may be excused. Making excuses is makin light of Christ. Those put contempt upon Christ, who cannot find in their hearts to bear a cold blast, or to leave a warm bed for him. Se the powerful influences of Divine grace. He put in his hand to unbol the door, as one weary of waiting. This betokens a work of the Spiri upon the soul. The believer's rising above self-indulgence, seeking by prayer for the consolations of Christ, and to remove every hinderanc to communion with him; these actings of the soul are represented by the hands dropping sweet-smelling myrrh upon the handles of the locks. But the Beloved was gone! By absenting himself, Christ will teach his people to value his gracious visits more highly. Observe, the sou still calls Christ her Beloved. Every desertion is not despair. Lord, believe, though I must say, Lord, help my unbelief. His words melte me, yet, wretch that I was, I made excuses. The smothering and stiflin of convictions will be very bitter to think of, when God opens ou eyes. The soul went in pursuit of him; not only prayed, but used means sought him in the ways wherein he used to be found. The watchme wounded me. Some refer it to those who misapply the word to awakene consciences. The charge to the daughters of Jerusalem, seems to mea the distressed believer's desire of the prayers of the feebles Christian. Awakened souls are more sensible of Christ's withdrawing than of any other trouble.
Song 5:9-16 Even those who have little acquaintance with Christ, cannot but see amiable beauty in others who bear his image. There are hopes of those who begin to inquire concerning Christ and his perfections Christians, who are well acquainted with Christ themselves, should d all they can to make others know something of him. Divine glory make him truly lovely in the eyes of all who are enlightened to discer spiritual things. He is white in the spotless innocence of his life ruddy in the bleeding sufferings he went through at his death. Thi description of the person of the Beloved, would form, in the figurativ language of those times, a portrait of beauty of person and of grace of manners; but the aptness of some of the allusions may not appear to us He shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all that believe. May his love constrain us to live to his glory __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
עיניו 5869 כיונים 3123 על 5921 אפיקי 650 מים 4325 רחצות 7364 בחלב 2461 ישׁבות 3427 על 5921 מלאת׃ 4402
