Song 1:4, Jer 31:3, Hos 11:3-4 | JFB | STEP | 4. (1) The cry of ancient Israel for Messiah, for example, Simeon, Anna, &c. (2) The cry of an awakened soul for the drawing of the Spirit, after it has got a glimpse of Christ's loveliness and its own helplessness. Draw me-- The Father draws ( ). The Son draws ( ; ; ). "Draw" here, and "Tell" ( ), reverently qualify the word "kiss" ( ). me, we-- No believer desires to go to heaven alone. We are converted as individuals; we follow Christ as joined in a communion of saints ( , 45). Individuality and community meet in the bride. run-- Her earnestness kindles as she prays ( ; , ). after thee-- not before ( ). king ... brought me into-- ( , ; ). He is the anointed Priest ( ); King ( ). chambers-- Her prayer is answered even beyond her desires. Not only is she permitted to run after Him, but is brought into the inmost pavilion, where Eastern kings admitted none but the most intimate friends ( ; ; ). The erection of the temple of Solomon was the first bringing of the bride into permanent, instead of migratory, chambers of the King. Christ's body on earth was the next ( ), whereby believers are brought within the veil ( ; , ). Entrance into the closet for prayer is the first step. The earnest of the future bringing into heaven ( ). His chambers are the bride's also ( ). There are various chambers, plural ( ). be glad and rejoice-- inward and outward rejoicing. in thee-- ( ; , ). Not in our spiritual frames ( , ). remember-- rather, "commemorate with praises" ( ). The mere remembrance of spiritual joys is better than the present enjoyment of carnal ones ( , ). upright-- rather, "uprightly," "sincerely" ( ; ); so Nathanael ( ); Peter ( ); or "deservedly" [Maurer].

‏ Song of Solomon 1:4

4. (1) The cry of ancient Israel for Messiah, for example, Simeon, Anna, &c. (2) The cry of an awakened soul for the drawing of the Spirit, after it has got a glimpse of Christ's loveliness and its own helplessness.

Draw me--The Father draws (Joh 6:44). The Son draws (Jr 31:3; Ho 11:4; Joh 12:32). "Draw" here, and "Tell" (So 1:7), reverently qualify the word "kiss" (So 1:2).

me, we--No believer desires to go to heaven alone. We are converted as individuals; we follow Christ as joined in a communion of saints (Joh 1:41, 45). Individuality and community meet in the bride.

run--Her earnestness kindles as she prays (Is 40:31; Psa 119:32, 60).

after thee--not before (Joh 10:4).

king ... brought me into--(Psa 45:14, 15; Joh 10:16). He is the anointed Priest (So 1:3); King (So 1:4).

chambers--Her prayer is answered even beyond her desires. Not only is she permitted to run after Him, but is brought into the inmost pavilion, where Eastern kings admitted none but the most intimate friends (Es 4:11; 5:2; Psa 27:5). The erection of the temple of Solomon was the first bringing of the bride into permanent, instead of migratory, chambers of the King. Christ's body on earth was the next (Joh 2:21), whereby believers are brought within the veil (Ep 2:6; He 10:19, 20). Entrance into the closet for prayer is the first step. The earnest of the future bringing into heaven (Joh 14:3). His chambers are the bride's also (Is 26:20). There are various chambers, plural (Joh 14:2).

be glad and rejoice--inward and outward rejoicing.

in thee--(Is 61:10; Php 4:1, 4). Not in our spiritual frames (Psa 30:6, 7).

remember--rather, "commemorate with praises" (Is 63:7). The mere remembrance of spiritual joys is better than the present enjoyment of carnal ones (Psa 4:6, 7).

upright--rather, "uprightly," "sincerely" (Psa 58:1; Ro 12:9); so Nathanael (Joh 1:47); Peter (Joh 21:17); or "deservedly" [Maurer].

‏ Jeremiah 31:3

3. Israel gratefully acknowledges in reply God's past grace; but at the same time tacitly implies by the expression "of old," that God does not appear to her now. "God appeared to me of old, but now I am forsaken!" God replies, Nay, I love thee with the same love now as of old. My love was not a momentary impulse, but from "everlasting" in My counsels, and to "everlasting" in its continuance; hence originated the covenant whereby I gratuitously adopted thee (Mal 1:2; Ro 11:28, 29). Margin translates, "from afar," which does not answer so well as "of old," to "in the wilderness" (Jr 31:2), which refers to the olden times of Israel's history.

with loving kindness ... drawn--(Ho 11:4). Rather, "I have drawn out continually My loving kindness toward thee." So Psa 36:10, "Continue (Margin, 'Draw out at length') Thy loving kindness." By virtue of My everlasting love I will still extend My loving kindness to thee. So Is 44:21, "O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of Me."

‏ Hosea 11:3-4

3. taught ... to go--literally, "to use his feet." Compare a similar image, De 1:31; 8:2, 5, 15; 32:10, 11; Ne 9:21; Is 63:9; Am 2:10. God bore them as a parent does an infant, unable to supply itself, so that it has no anxiety about food, raiment, and its going forth. Ac 13:18, which probably refers to this passage of Hosea; He took them by the arms, to guide them that they might not stray, and to hold them up that they might not stumble.

knew not that I healed them--that is, that My design was to restore them spiritually and temporally (Ex 15:26).

4. cords of a man--parallel to "bands of love"; not such cords as oxen are led by, but humane methods, such as men employ when inducing others, as for instance, a father drawing his child, by leading-strings, teaching him to go (Ho 11:1).

I was ... as they that take off the yoke on their jaws ... I laid meat--as the humane husbandman occasionally loosens the straps under the jaws by which the yoke is bound on the neck of oxen and lays food before them to eat. An appropriate image of God's deliverance of Israel from the Egyptian yoke, and of His feeding them in the wilderness.