Song of Solomon 5:14

Son 5:14 His hands [are as] gold rings set with the beryl: his belly [is as] bright ivory overlaid [with] sapphires.

Ver. 14. His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl.] Or, Chrysolite; Heb., Tarshish, whence our word turkeis, as it may seem, a precious stone, of colour blue like the sky, or, as others say, green like the sea. Asher was graven upon this stone, who dwelt near the sea. {Exo 28:20} Some write, that in former times this stone was most usually set in such rings as lovers did use to give one to another, or in marriage rings; because of the power that was thought to be in it to procure and continue love and liking one of them towards another. Whatsoever stone it is, whether a beryl, chrysolite, carbuncle, hyacinth, onyx (for all these ways it is rendered), the Church’s meaning is, that all the works of Christ, whether in the state of humiliation or of exaltation - for redemption we have by his abasement, application of it by his advancement - are most rare, dear, precious, and glorious, as numbers of rings filled with all manner of costly stones; they are acceptable and hononrable before God and man. And like as great men are known by their rings and rich jewels, so is Christ by his saints, the work of his hands. {Isa 64:8}

His belly is as bright ivory, overlaid with sapphires.] Heb., His bowels, in the dual - meaning his breast and belly, and there the heart and lights, those seats of the will and affections; here, the liver, stomach, entrails, which serve for nutrition and generation. By all this we may well understand Christ’s inward affections outwardly manifested. These are true and sincere, as bright and white "ivory"; they are also hearty and heavenly, as "sapphires"; various also and manifold, sicut sapphiri caeruleae sunt, his bowels yearn towards his afflicted people, his heart is turned within him, his "repentings are kindled together"; {Hos 11:8} so the poet,

“ Ingemuit miserans graviter, dextramque tetendit. ” - Virg.

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 5:14-16. His hands as gold rings set with beryl — Beautiful and precious, and richly adorned, as it were, with gold rings set with precious stones; his belly as bright ivory — Which seems to be here used for the whole body, reaching from the neck to the bottom of the belly; overlaid with sapphires — Of a pure and bright white colour, intermixed with blue veins; for some sapphires are of a bright blue colour. His legs as pillars of marble — White, and straight, and well shaped, and strong; set upon sockets of fine gold — His feet are compared to gold, for their singular brightness, for which they are compared to fine brass, Rev 1:15; his countenance — Hebrew, his aspect or appearance, his form or person; is as Lebanon, &c. — In respect of its cedars, tall, and upright, and stately. He is altogether lovely — Not to run out into more particulars. This is my beloved, O ye daughters, &c. — And therefore you have no cause to wonder if I am transported with love to so excellent a personage.

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

5:14 The man’s body is portrayed as beautiful and precious. • Beryl is an olive-green gem. • Lapis lazuli is a blue gem.

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

Hebrew, Tarshish.

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

Verse 14. His hands - gold rings set with the beryl] This really seems to refer to gold rings set with precious stones on the fingers, and perhaps to circlets or bracelets about the wrists. Some suppose it to refer to the roundness and exquisite symmetry of the hand and fingers. תרשיש tarshish, which we translate beryl, a gem of a sea-green tint, had better be translated chrysolite, which is of a gold colour.

His belly - bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.] This must refer to some garment set with precious stones which went round his waist, and was peculiarly remarkable. If we take it literally, the sense is plain enough. His belly was beautifully white, and the blue veins appearing under the skin resembled the sapphire stone. But one can hardly think that this was intended.

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

(14) His hands . . .—Galil, translated ring, is more probably a cylinder (from galal, to roll), referring to the rounded arm, ending in a well-shaped hand with beautiful nails.

Beryl.—Heb. tarshish; LXX. θαρσις. Possibly “stones of Tarshish,” and if so, either chrysolite or topaz, both said to have been first found in Tartessus, an ancient city of Spain, between the two mouths of the Bœtis (Guadalquiver). Mentioned as one of the precious stones in the breastplate of the High Priest (Exo_28:20; Exo_39:13). The LXX. adopt the various renderings χρυσολίθο =ς, ἄνθραξ, λίθος ἄνθρακος, or, as here, keep the original word.

Bright ivory.—Literally, a work of ivory, i.e., a chef-d’œuvre in ivory.

Sapphires.—It is doubtful whether the sapphire of Scripture is the stone so called now, or the lapis-lazuli. The former best suits Exo_28:18 and Job_28:6, because lapis-lazuli is too soft for engraving. The comparison in the text either alludes to the blue veins showing through the white skin or to the colour of some portion of dress.

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

14. gold rings] Rather, cylinders of gold. In Est_1:6, which is the only place in the O.T. besides this where the word occurs in a similar sense, it probably means ‘rods’ or ‘cylinders.’ Here it refers to the delicately rounded fingers forming the hand.

set] Cp. Exo_28:17.

the beryl] Better, chrysolite, i.e. topaz (R.V. marg.). His finger-nails are compared to transparent pink chrysolite.

his belly] R.V. rightly, his body. This is a piece of ivory work. Budde suggests a sheet of ivory.

overlaid with sapphires] R.V. margin, encrusted. What is meant is that his body was as beautiful as a piece of ivory work studded with sapphires. This is the only part of this description which might appear unmaidenly, but understood as above, it is quite compatible with the situation as supposed.

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.

His hands ... - Are golden rings or cylinders. The fingers of the bent or closed hand are compared to a massive ring or set of rings; or, if outstretched or straightened, to a row of golden rods or cylinders.

The beryl - The “tarshish” (compare Exo 28:20), probably the chrysolite of the ancients (so called from its gold color), the modern topaz.

His belly ... - His body (the Hebrew term applies to the whole body, from the shoulders to the thighs) is a piece of ivory workmanship overlaid with sapphires. The sapphire of the ancients seems to have been the lapis lazuli.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Hyacinths. Or purple veins. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "hands are as gold rings set with the beryl." Hebrew, "full of Tharsis," (Haydock) or precious stones, (Menochius) from that country, (Exodus xxviii.) with which his rings were ornamented. (Calmet) --- Sapphires. His belt or garment is thus ornamented. (Sanchez) --- The works of Christ proceeded from his infinite charity for mankind, whose salvation he greatly desired, (Mark vii. 37., and 1 Corinthians xv. 22., and 1 Timothy ii. 4.) so that none can perish but by their own fault. (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).

His hands; the instruments of action and of distribution, which may design the actions of Christ, and particularly his distributing gifts and graces to his members.

As gold rings set with the beryl; beautiful and precious, and richly adorned, as it were with gold rings set with precious stones.

His belly; which seems to be here used, either,

1. Metonymically for the bowels, which are contained in the belly. Or rather,

2. Synecdochically, for the whole body, reaching from the neck, to the bottom of the belly, which is distinguished from the face and the joints, which are described in the other clauses. For he speaks here of those parts which are visible to the eye. And thus here is a complete description of Christ’s beauty in all parts, from his head to his feet.

As bright ivory overlaid with sapphires; of a pure and bright white colour, intermixed with blue veins; for some sapphires are of a bright blue colour.

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

14. His hands, etc. — The rings… better as an adjective, smoothly rounded. The arms and fingers taper, preserving their fulness to the nails, which are like enamel of beryl, or chrysolite, (Hebrew, the stone of Tarshish,) now called topaz, of a clear brown yellow and of glassy lustre.

His belly — This word may refer to the entire surface of the body, and the word body would more truly translate it. The sapphire of the ancients was both our true sapphire — a sky-blue stone, nearly as valuable as the diamond — and the lapis lazuli, a blue with yellow specks. Probably the former is here meant, and as it overlays the body, it refers to the tunic. The hue of the sapphire is admirable to relieve and vary the general picture; nor is there anything indelicate in allusion to such parts of the person as, being usually covered, keep their whiteness.

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

Beryl - Beautiful, and precious, and richly adorned, as it were with gold rings set with precious stones. Belly - Which seems to be here used, for the whole body, reaching from the neck to the bottom of the belly. Saphires - Of a pure and bright white colour, intermixt with blue veins; for some saphires are of a bright blue colour.

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

General Information:

The young woman continues to describe the man.

His arms are rounded gold set with jewels

"His arms are cylinders of gold that have jewels all over them." The woman uses this image to say that his arms are beautiful and precious. The first readers would have understood this as a metaphor for the male body part (See: Song of Songs 5:3), but this would be difficult to bring out in translation. (See: Metaphor)

his abdomen is ivory covered with sapphires

"his belly is smooth ivory that has sapphires all over it." The woman uses this image to say that his belly is beautiful and precious. (See: Metaphor)

ivory

the white tusk or tooth of an animal that is similar to bone. People use ivory to make smooth and shiny pieces of art.

sapphires

valuable stones that are either 1) blue or 2) clear and either blue or golden

translationWords

gold

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

wheels of gold Heb. גְלִילֵי זָהָב, like wheels of gold.

set with chrysolite Every term referring to the setting of a precious stone in gold is called מִלֵאת.

a block Heb. עֶשֶּׁת, an expression of (Jer. 5: 28): “They became fat; they became thick (עָשְּׁתוּ).” A thick mass is called עֶשֶּׁת, masse in French, a mass.

ivory Heb. שֵּׁן, from the bones of the elephant.

overlaid with sapphires Heb. מְעֻלֶפֶת, adorned and decorated with sapphires, an expression of (Gen. 38:14) וַתִּתְעַלָף, which the Targum renders: וְאִתַקְנַת, and she adorned herself.

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.