Song of Solomon 3:11

Son 3:11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

Ver. 11. Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion,] i.e., All ye faithful souls which follow the Lord Christ, the Lamb that stands upon Mount Zion. {Rev 14:1; Rev 14:4} Ye shall not need to go far - and yet far ye would go, I daresay, to see such a gallant sight as King Solomon in his royalty: the Queen of Sheba did - behold he is at hand, "Tell ye the daughters of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh," &c. {Mat 21:5} Go forth therefore, forth of yourselves, forth from your friends, means, all, as Abraham did, and the holy apostles, confessors, and martyrs, and as the Church is bid to do, "forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house." {Psa 45:10} Good Nazianzen was glad that he had something of value - to wit, his Athenian learning - to part with for Christ. Horreo quicquid de meo est, ut meus sim, saith Bernard. He that will come to me, must go utterly out of himself, saith our Saviour. All St Paul’s care was, that he might be found in Christ, but lost in himself. Ambula in timore et contemptu tui, et ora Christum, ut ipse tun omnia faciat, et tu nihil facias, sed sis sabbatum Christi, saith Luther, {a} Walk in the fear and contempt of thyself, and rest thy spirit in Christ; this is to go forth to see King Solomon crowned, yea, this is to set the crown upon Christ’s head. When Queen Elizabeth undertook the protection of the Netherlands against the Spaniard, all princes admired her fortitude; and the king of Sweden said, that she had now taken the diadem from her own head, and set it upon the doubtful chance of war. {b} He that forsakes all for Christ, and puts himself by faith under his protection, submitting to the sceptre of his kingdom, and "sending a lamb to this ruler of the land," {Isa 16:1} in token of homage and fealty, his "eyes shall see the King in his beauty"; and instead of a Vivat Rex, Let the king live, he shall break forth into this glorious acclamation, "The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king, and he will save us." {Isa 33:17; Isa 33:22} It was St Augustine’s wish that he might see Romam in flore, Paulum in ore, et Christum in corpore, Rome, as of old, flourishing; Paul, as he did once, preaching; and Christ, as in the days of his flesh, going up and down doing good. There are those who hold, that by Solomon crowned here is meant Christ incarnated, taking flesh, as a crown, off his mother Mary; and that this was "the day of his espousals," when "the Word was made flesh," and "the day of the gladness of his heart," when he "rejoiced in the habitable part of God’s earth," - that is, in the human nature, wherein the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily - "and his delights were with the sons of men." {Pro 8:31} Some understand it to be the crown of thorns set upon him by his mother, the synagogue. Others, the resurrection, and that name above all names {Php 2:9} that he got by his death. I am of Mercer’s mind, who expounds it to be that glory which Christ hath when he is preached up as the sole and absolute Saviour, and so believed on in the world, {1Ti 3:16} that the obedience of faith is yielded unto him. When faith and obedience make a perfect pair of compasses, then Christ’s head is compassed with a crown. Faith, as the one foot, is pitched upon the crown of Christ’s head; while obedience, as the other, walks about in a perfect circle of good duties, "whereby he is made glad." {Psa 45:8}

{a} Epist. ad Gabr. Vydym.

{b} Camb. Elisab., Anno 1585.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Son_3:11

Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him, in the day of his espousals.

The coronation of Jesus

Here we have, by the voice of the Holy Ghost, the account of the coronation of human nature in the person of the Incarnate Word. As the day of our Lords Resurrection is the day wherein the dignity of the everlasting priesthood was actually collated upon Him, so the day of His ascension, or placing at the right hand of God, is the day of His solemn enthronization, when the Lord sent forth the rod of His strength out of Zion. But the coronation of our Lord is not the quiet accession of the heir of a desired and long-descended line to the peaceful seat of his fathers: it is rather the final triumph of a mighty warrior who through blood hath waded to the throne. It is rather the eventual vindication of the true heir, who, as in many an Oriental land, has been debarred from His succession by the intrigues of His enemies, and has to obtain His own by the might of His holy arm. And who are they whom the triumphant Lord hath thus routed? I will not speak of those temporal enemies who now, or in times past, oppose and resist His will Rather will I speak of the spiritual enemies of this Monarch, whom He hath overthrown--Satan, sin and death: each a mighty potentate--Satan, the prince of this world; sin, that reigned unto death in our mortal bodies; death, that by one offence reigned from Adam till Moses. Now the royal work of our ascended Lord is to subdue and to destroy these; and because, though scotched and crippled, they still exist, so the royalty of our Lord is a present and potential act of conquering dominion. The demonstration of the eternal justice of God, and the probation of holy souls, require that still the powers of evil should be allowed; and therefore is the Eternal Son set down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. And yet the conquest is complete, so far as our condition of trial will allow. Satan subdued is now the unwilling servant of Divine justice in the case of the reprobate, while he has no power to hurt the elect of God. Sin still remains, in all its hideous mystery, as the measure of the love of the Cross, but has no power over the children of the kingdom; and even death itself, though still allowed to fill its place in the physical world, has now changed its conditions, and altered its position in the kingdom of grace, its realm being the ante-chamber of the New Jerusalem, and itself the harbinger of a joyous resurrection. But we must not confine our ideas of the royalty of Christ to a mighty warrior going forth conquering and to conquer. Our Heavenly Monarch is to His own no minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil; but yielding to the deep necessities of the benevolence of His attributes, He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou? First, His reign is established in the kingdom of the physical world. This bursting springtime, when nature is at its freshest and loveliest, when the hidden powers of vegetable life, so lately dead and inert, have again put forth their might to the glory of God, and the green carpet of the earth, and the rich foliage of the trees and the flowers reflecting every hue of paradise on the earth below, all speak to the eye of faith, as the sweet birds song speaks to the ear, tells us not merely of a King, but of a King whose law shall not be broken, and who shows us, by the beauty of that inviolate law how bright would be His other kingdoms, did not the free will of man mar what He had made good, and defile what He had pronounced pure. And next, His reign is established in the kingdom of grace. Our blessed Saviour is King and Lord of His Mystical Body. That mighty organization is no mere fortuitous congeries of holy souls, unknown to men, known only to God, without discipline or order; but it is a well-grounded polity, of which by far the greater part is in heaven, obeying, loving, serving, adoring, and where here on earth the heart of man finds its truest happiness in perfect and unreserved submission. How it comforts one in the midst of the mysterious providences and spiritual trials, and strange dispensations which mark the course of the fortunes of the Church here below, to dwell upon that unswerving obedience which is paid Him by the glorious hierarchies above. The Lord is king, be the people never so impatient. He sitteth between the cherubim, be the nations never so unquiet. And more than this, He is the very King and Lord of holy souls. When we say, Thy kingdom come, what mighty thoughts are stirred up within us! May Thy reign be established within our hearts!--Thy kingdom which Thou hast said is within us. May every power and faculty be subdued to Thy gracious commandments! Be Thou the Master of our intellects, the Lord of our affections. Rule Thou, and so constrain our wills already subject to Thee, that even in this world we may anticipate the perfect conformity of heaven. Is the thought of our Lord s ascension as connected with His royalty exhausted? I trow not. The ascension of our Lord hath not terminated in Himself. It is our ascension also. The coronation of our Lord is not merely the assumption of royal state by our ascended Head, it is also the coronation of His body mystical. The nature of man in the Person of the Divine Word hath been seated upon the throne of God. Who shall now use unworthy words of the worthlessness of that which is thus united to God? Who shall now undervalue the exalted position of the true Christian? Who shall now dare to profane, either in body, soul or spirit, that which has attained to so high a destiny? (Bishop A. P. Forbes.)

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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Son 3:11. Go forth — The church bids particular believers go forth to see this sight. Behold, King Solomon — The Messiah, of whom Solomon was an illustrious type. With the crown — Which being applied to Solomon, may design that garland or crown which was usually worn in nuptial solemnities: but being applied to Christ, it denotes the honour that was given him, which, though principally done by his Father, yet is here ascribed to his mother, namely, the universal church, which, in respect to his humanity, may be called his mother, because he was born in and of her, and one of her members. In the day of his espousals — When the church is married to him, which is done when the covenant is confirmed between them, or when persons are converted to Christ, and more completely when they are received by Christ into his immediate fellowship in the kingdom of glory. And in the day of the gladness of his heart — When he rejoiceth over his bride.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3:11 This is the only explicit mention of a wedding in the Song. The woman is called a “bride” in 4:8-12; 5:1.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

All ye that are of the number of the faithful.

Christ become man was crowned by the love of God with the glorious crown of his divinity.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 11. Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion] This is the exhortation of the companions of the bride to the females of the city to examine the superb appearance of the bridegroom, and especially the nuptial crown, which appears to have been made by Bathsheba, who it is supposed might have lived till the time of Solomon's marriage with the daughter of Pharaoh. It is conjectured that the prophet refers to a nuptial crown, Isa 61:10. But a crown, both on the bride and bridegroom, was common among most people on such occasions. The nuptial crown among the Greeks and Romans was only a chaplet or wreath of flowers.

In the day of the gladness of his heart.] The day in which all his wishes were crowned, by being united to that female whom beyond all others he loved.

Here the third day is supposed to end.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. the day of his espousals] Either this day, or another, so that the meaning may be either that he was to be married on this day, or that he had been married formerly, and now was wearing the crown his mother then gave him. The latter is the more probable. Budde maintains that this verse proves that Solomon here means only the bridegroom, since an actual king was not crowned on his wedding-day, nor by his mother. But he gives no evidence for his opinion, and at king Solomon’s wedding the queen-mother may have played an important part. She may quite well have put a wedding crown on his head, for it is the custom at Jewish weddings now that the bridegroom should be crowned.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Go. All are invited to come to Christ, who, in his sacred humanity, which he took of his mother, was crowned in heaven, after his passion. (Worthington) (St. Gregory) (Alcuin) --- The synagogue crowned him with thorns, and gave him the hard bed of the cross. (St. Bernard; St. Anselm, &c.) --- Bethsabee might live to see the marriage of her son, who owed the crown to her, 3 Kings i. 18., and Proverbs iv. 3. Both the parties were crowned, (Isaias lxi. 10.) and no doubt Solomon would display his usual magnificence. The diadem was a bandage, adorned with embroidery, and precious stones. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Go forth; the bride, to wit, the church, bids particular believers go forth to see this sight; whereby is implied that Christians must go out of the world, to wit, in affection, and out of themselves, by denying themselves, and putting off the old man, their corrupt nature, if they desire to see and enjoy Christ.

Daughters of Zion; the same with daughters of Jerusalem; for Zion and Jerusalem are ofttimes promiscuously used in Scripture.

Behold king Solomon; looking in and through him upon the Messias, who is the King of peace, and of whom Solomon was an illustrious type.

The crown wherewith his mother crowned him; which being applied to Solomon, may design either,

1. The crown royal, wherewith his mother, Bathsheba, is said to have crowned him, because Solomon was crowned by David’s order upon her suggestion, and by virtue of his promise confirmed by an oath to her, 1Ki 1:16, &c. Or,

2. That garland or crown which was usually worn in nuptial solemnities, as may be gathered from Eze 16:12, and is expressly affirmed by divers ancient writers. But being applied to Christ, it notes that honour and glory which was given to him, which though principally done by his Father, yet is here ascribed to his mother, i.e. to the universal church, or congregation of believers, which in respect of his humanity may be called his mother, partly because he was born in and of her, and one of her members, and therefore was subject to her institutions, whence she is represented as a woman in travail, bringing forth a man child, to wit, Christ, Rev 12:1-5; and partly because in a spiritual sense she is said to conceive and bring forth Christ in particular believers, Gal 4:19. And this mother may be said to crown Christ, both because it is the great design and business of the church to advance Christ’s honour in the world, and because she brings forth believers, whom Christ esteems as his crown and glory, as God calls them, Isa 62:3. In the day of his espousals; when the church is betrothed or married to him, Jer 2:2; Hos 2:19; 2Co 11:2; which is done when the covenant is made or confirmed between them, or when faithful persons are converted and united to Christ, and more completely when they are received by Christ into his more full and immediate fellowship in the kingdom of glory.

In the day of the gladness of his heart; when he rejoineth over his bride, as the phrase is used, Isa 62:5. So this is the same thing expressed in other words. The conversion and salvation of sinners is the joy of Christ, as appears from Isa 53:11; Luk 15:32, and many other places of Scripture.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. Go forth, etc. — The call, apparently, of a fourth speaker.

Crowned — Crowns in ancient times were not merely symbols of royalty, but were also expressive of joy and gladness. The Greeks and Romans wore them at banquets and carousals. The Jews formerly wore them at marriage feasts, as members of the Greek Church do still. Solomon arrayed in all his glory was a sight worthy of admiration even of those to whom he was no stranger. The term daughters of Zion, is clearly applied to the women of Jerusalem, but is more limited and noble than the phrase daughters of Jerusalem, to whom the Enamoured was lately speaking. It would be quite natural for the court ladies, when in the country, to be called “daughters of Jerusalem” by one who recognized them as having come from the city.

Zion was the royal abode.

The arrival of the royal train at Jerusalem causes the conversation of the following verses to take place in the king’s palace instead of the pavilion in the open country. As rehearsal characterized the first division of the Song, so this division is made up of direct and personal address, in which the Beloved gives his utmost from his heart in rapturous admiration, while the Enamoured, for the most part, listens in modest, but expressive, silence.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon, with the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. This seems to be an appeal to a larger company of those who will rejoice in the bride and her happiness. The daughters of Zion are perhaps intended to represent the people generally as distinguished from the ladies of the court, i.e. let all the people rejoice in their king and in his royal bride. The mention of the royal mother seems to point to the beginning of Solomon"s reign as the time referred to. The crown, or chaplet, with which the proud mother adorned her son, was the fresh wreath round a young king"s head, a wedding coronet, no doubt made of gold and silver. It was not the crown placed on the head of Pharaoh"s daughter, which would not be so spoken of. According to the Talmud, the custom remained even to later times. There can be no doubt of Bathsheba"s special delight in Solomon. (see 1Ki_1:11 1Ki_2:13) We must not, of course, push too far the typical interpretation of such language, which may be taken as the poetical form rather than the spiritual substance. And yet there may be an allusion, in the joy and pride of Bathsheba in her son"s gladness, and the consummation of his nuptial bliss, to the Incarnation and the crowning glory of a Divine humanity, which is at once the essential fact of redemption, and the bright expectation which, on the head of the Saviour, lights up eternity to the faith of his people.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Go - The church bids particular believers go forth to see this sight. Solomon - The Messiah, of whom Solomon was an illustrious type. The crown - Which being applied to Solomon, may design that garland or crown which was usually worn in nuptial solemnities: but being applied to Christ, it denotes the honour that was given him, which though principally done by his Father, yet is here ascribed to his mother, the universal church, which in respect to his humanity may be called his mother, because he was born in, and of her, and one of her members. In the day - When the church is married to him, which is done when the covenant is confirmed between them, or when persons are converted to Christ, and more compleatly when they are received by Christ into his immediate fellowship in the kingdom of glory. Gladness - When he rejoiceth over his bride.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

daughters of Zion Heb. צִיוֹן. [This refers to] the sons, who are distinguished (מְצֻיָנִין) for Him with circumcision, phylacteries, and ritual fringes.

upon the crown with which his mother crowned him [This refers to] the Tent of Meeting, which is crowned with hues: blue, purple, and crimson. Rabbi Nehunia said: Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai asked Rabbi Eleazar the son of Rabbi Jose, “Perhaps you heard from your father what the meaning of ‘upon the crown with which his mother crowned him’ is?” He replied: “This is a parable of a king who had an only daughter of whom he was very fond. He could not stop loving her until he called her “my daughter,” as it is said (Ps. 45:11): “Hearken, daughter, and see.” He could not stop loving her until he called her “my sister,” as it is said (below 5: 2): “Open for me, my sister, my beloved.” He could not stop loving her until he called her “my mother,” as it is said (Isa. 51:4): “Hearken to Me, My people, and My nation (וּלְאוּמִי), bend your ears.” It is written: וּלְאֻמִי [which can be read as וּלְאִמִי, and to my mother]. Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai stood up and kissed him on his head, etc.

on the day of his nuptials the day of the giving of the Torah, when they crowned Him King for themselves and accepted His yoke.

and on the day of the joy of his heart This refers to the eighth day of the inauguration, when the Tabernacle in the desert was dedicated.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.