Song of Solomon 3:8

Son 3:8 They all hold swords, [being] expert in war: every man [hath] his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.

Ver. 8. They all hold swords, being expert in war.] They not only bear arms, but can handle them. Young Jether wore a sword, but he durst not draw it, {Jdg 8:20} or strike with it when he should have killed Zeba and Zalmunna. Themistocles said of the Eretrians, a cowardly people, that they were like the sword fish, which hath a sword indeed, but wants a heart. {a} Such white livered soldiers, such faint hearted swordmen our Solomon hath no need of; our Gideon will not employ them so far as to break a pitcher or to bear a torch. {Jdg 7:3} The fearful and unbelieving shall never set foot in his kingdom, much less be esquires of his body; those in that office must hold fast the faithful word, that sword of the Spirit, that twoedged sword, far beyond that of Goliath, and yet David said there was none to that, that they may be able and apt by sound doctrines both to exhort the tractable and to "convince the gainsayer." {Tit 1:9} Those that either cannot or will not do thus, are no way fit to be of Christ’s guard, because they are more likely to betray him into the hands of his enemies than to defend him from them, to act a Judas’s part than a Peter’s, who manfully cut off Malchus’s ear, and chose rather to be held temerarious than timorous. Jeremiah complains of the pastors of his time that they were "not valiant for the truth," {Jer 9:3} they had no spiritual metal in them; but as harts and stags have great horns and strength, but want courage, so it was with these. St Augustine professeth this was it that heartened him, and made him to triumph in his former Manicheeism, that he met with feeble opponents, and such as his nimble wit was easily able to overturn. If gainsayers be not powerfully convinced, how will they set up their crests and cry victoria! If they be not stoned with arguments, {b} how will they start up and outstare the truth! There must be, therefore, skill and will in all her champions. They must also every man have his sword upon his thigh, and be ready for an assault. Seneca reports of Caesar that he had quickly sheathed his sword, but never took it off. And Suetonius tells us that he would never tell his soldiers of any set time of removal or onset, that he might never find them unready, {c} Christ expects the like care and courage in his ministers, lest the proverb be verified on them, ungirt, unblest.

And because of fear in the night.] Lest evil should befall Solomon, as it did Ishbosheth, who was slain upon his bed by the sons of Rimmon; lest deeds of darkness be done in a land of light, and while the watchmen slack their duty, the rulers of the darkness of this world break in and play their pranks. While men slept, tares were sown by the evil man. {Mat 13:25}

{a} Mαχαιραν μεν εχει, καρδιαν δε ου - Plutarch.

{b} Haeretici argumentis lapidandi. - Hilar.

{c} Scilicet ut paratum et intentum momentis omnibus, &c.

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.

He alludeth to the watch which kept the Temple.

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

Verse 8. They all hold swords] They are swordsmen. Every man has a sword, and is well instructed how to use it.

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

(8) Because of fear—i.e., because of the alarms common at night. For fear in the sense of object of fear, comp. Psa_91:5; Pro_3:25.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. They all hold swords] This is a circumstantial and descriptive clause, and their holding swords is not meant to be explained by expert in war, as the insertion of ‘being’ in the A.V. might suggest. Rather it should be rendered, Threescore valiant men—all of them with swords in their hands, and trained to war, each with his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night, i.e. to ward off danger that might arise in the night. The mention of ‘night’ here probably suggested the translation of miṭṭâh as ‘bed.’ The Heb. word translated ‘hold’ in the A.V. has the form of a passive participle, but must be translated as active. Cp. Ges.-K. Gramm. § 50 f.

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.

Hath his sword upon his thigh; is prepared and ready to fight, as this phrase notes, Exo 32:27; Psa 45:3. Because of fear in the night; to prevent those dangers and mischiefs which are most frequent and most dreadful in the night season.

The night may note either,

1. The time of tribulation, temptation, or desertion. Or,

2. The whole time of this life, which may well be called night, in respect of that ignorance, and error, and other kinds of darkness wherewith it is attended, as the future life is compared to a day, this life being the only time wherein such a guard is necessary.

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

8. Expert in war — Better, the valiant of Israel. There was probably no time in the history of Israel when robbers did not infest the country. These were, and still are, mostly Arabs. Ishmael dwelt in the presence of his brethren, and kept them always on the lookout. Hence, the royal escort included such a guard as is here described. The fear in the night is, of course, these nightly marauders. The phrase seems to refer to the selected bodyguard of mighty men formed by David, and perhaps continued by Solomon.

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

They all handle the sword, and are expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. The guard of warriors round the litter secured the bride from any sudden alarm as she travelled through the wilderness, and so gave her quiet rest. The journey from Shunem to Jerusalem would be about fifty miles in a direct course, and it was therefore necessary to pass at least one, if not two, nights on the way; the course being through a wild and solitary region. The Church of God may be often called to pass through dangers and enemies, but he that loveth her will provide against her destruction she shall have rest in the love of. her Lord. He will surround her with his strength. "My peace I give unto thee provided by me, coming from myself, the fruit of my self-sacrificing love.

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

Every man - Is prepared and ready to fight, to prevent those dangers which are frequent in the night season. The night may denote the whole time of this life, which may well be called night in respect of that ignorance and error wherewith it is attended, (as the future life is compared to day) this life being the only time wherein such a guard is necessary.

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

General Information:

The description of sixty men carrying Solomon's bed up from the wilderness to Jerusalem, begun in Song of Songs 3:6, continues.

Connecting Statement:

A description of the bed itself begins in verse 9. You could use words in your language that show that this is background information. (See: Background Information)

are experienced in warfare

"can fight battles well"

armed against

"so that he can fight against"

terrors of the night

The abstract noun "terrors" is a metonym for evil people who frighten others by attacking them. AT: "evil people who attack others at night" (See: Abstract Nouns and Metonymy)

sedan chair

This is a chair or couch for important people to sit or lie on. It rests on long poles that people can use to carry it

translationWords

sword

terror

king

Solomon

Lebanon

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

skilled in warfare the war of Torah, and similarly, the priests who surround it, who camp around the Tabernacle, skilled in the order of their service.

each one with his sword his weapons. These are the Masorah and the mnemonics, by which they preserve the correct version [of the Oral Law] and the masorah (the traditional spelling and reading of the Scriptures), lest it be forgotten.

because of fear at night lest they forget it, and troubles will befall them, and so Scripture says (Ps. 2:12): “Arm yourselves with the grain [of Torah] lest He become angry and you perish on the way.”

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.