Song of Solomon 6

"Whither is thy beloved gone?" There were some who desired to seek for Jesus and to find Him. There was repentance in the days of John the Baptist (Mark 1.5-6) and a greater repentance on the feast of Pentecost (Acts 2.37-41).

"My beloved is gone down into his garden" . This is the answer to the Bride's request in chapter 4.16. "His garden" is his ecclesia. "And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age" (Matthew 28.20). Jesus was working with the Bride, by the Spirit, in the first century. The word ’garden' is not the same Hebrew word as found in chapter 4, where it refers to paradise. The word in this chapter 6 refers to a garden attached to a king's palace as, for example, we read of in the book of Esther.

"He feeds among the lilies". Christ feeds his sheep, even to—day, by the Word, the Scriptures.

"Beautiful as Tirzah". Tirzah signifies 'pleasing' or 'acceptable'. Both Tirzah and Jerusalem were kings' cities and were beautiful for situation naturally. Jerusalem is the place where the Lord put his name (Psalm 122.1). "Terrible as an army with banners". (Young - terrible = awe-inspiring). The Septuagint renders this as "terrible as armies in array" and the R.V. margin gives "as an army with bannered hosts (Hebrew)". In verse 10, the Bride is said to be "fair as the moon, clear as the sun" at the break of dawn (terrible or dazzling). (See notes on verse 10 and 13)

"Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me". "Turn away" signifies "turn to" as in I Chronicles 12.23. "They have overcome me" literally means "they have lifted me up" with strength and comfort as in Psalm 138.2. "Thy hair was a flock of goats that appear from Gilead" (See chapter 4.1-3). Gilead is Specified on account of the pastoral character of that country. The beauty for which the Bride‘s hair is praised would naturally consist of its length, thickness and cleanliness. "If a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her" (I Corinthians 11.15).

"Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing" (see Genesis 1.9.12). The whiteness of the teeth denotes purity - thoroughly washed by the Word.

As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy looks (Song of Solomon 4.3). The pomegranate is a sweet, delicious fruit; the temples are the seat of thought. The Bride's adorning is an inward adorning, hidden as it were within her looks (long hair), the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is of great price in the eyes of Him with whom she has to do.

"There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and Virgins without number" (seven score), a company of all nations, kindreds and people (Revelation 7.9), the Virtuous Woman (Proverbs 31.10-31) whose price is far above rubies. In her we shall see, as it were, the company of two armies (verse 13).

This vision, we have suggested, represents the saints, the Bride, as kings (the sun) and priests (moon) in authority over the earth, the new heavens which will declare the glory of God, (Psalm 19.1-7). "Terrible as an my with banners" - ready to execute upon the nations the judgments written (Psalm 149.9).

"I went down into the garden of nuts". The vision in chapter 2 suggested springtime (passover): the garden of nuts reminds us of the autumn, the time of the feast of tabernacles. The idea behind this verse seems to be the examination of the fruits, to see whether the vines, the fruits, are in good order and ready for harvesting, the ever watchful eye of the Bridegroom upon his garden.

So at the appointed time, the Bridegroom comes, to the surprise even of his Bride. This surprise is referred to in verse 12. Those who are represented by the ready fruits are made like the chariots of Ammi-nadib. Names, as has been mentioned before, are used because of their association and meaning. This name 'Ammi-nadib' means "My people is willing", or "My people is mighty". Ammi-nadib himself was of the tribe of Judah, the kingly tribe and was one of the chief princes in the days of David. So these associations rightly place our subject in its proper setting. The Bride of Christ will be the kings and priests, they will constitute the political heavens, the sun and the moon. The people of God will then return to their inheritance, to Paradise which was lost owing to transgression, but which the Bridegroom (their kinsman, Septuagint) is able to redeem and restore.

The Bride is named the Shulamite, which means 'the reconciled one, the one who is now at peace' . "What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies." The name 'Shulamite' comes from the same root word as ‘Solomon’ and is a very fitting symbolical name for the Bride who, through the work of the Bridegroom, is now able to return to her inheritance in the Land of Promise, to Paradise. The word 'Beloved' is translated 'My kinsman' in the Septuagint Version. What a lot of beautiful thoughts could be expressed under the title 'Christ our kinsman', the one who is able and very willing to redeem his brethren from their poverty... from sin and death.

"As it were the company of two armies". The margin and the Revised Version refers us to the place Mahanaim, the meaning of which is two hosts, two camps or two armies. The name takes our minds back to the life of Jacob, to the place where Jacob met the angel of God and said, "This is God's host". Just after this, Jacob wrestled with an angel until the breaking of the day, and on this occasion his name was changed to Israel, "a prince with God.". So we understand the Bride constitutes the company of Mahanaim and in her we will behold God's hosts. Those who have wrestled until the breaking of the day and have prevailed and so receive the blessing (Genesis 32.28) will have God's name named upon them and become princes of God in the earth, the Mighty Ones to be rulers on the earth with Christ. We also see a connection in the life of David when he fled from Absalom. He went from Jerusalem over Jordan to Mahanaim and here he wrestled for his kingdom when his own son rose up against him.

"Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Ammi-nadib" - made like the chariots of the princes of Israel in a moment. "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed". (I Corinthians 15.52).