Song of Solomon 6:8

Son 6:8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.

Ver. 8. There are threescore queens, and fourscore, &c.] Or as some read it, hypothetically, Be there sixty queens, and eighty concubines, which were secondary wives - usurary, the lawyers call them, that had right to the bed, but no rule in the family - and virgins, or waiting gentle women without number; although there be of other sorts never so many, yet "My dove," albeit but one, is an "only one," and beloved accordingly. {see Jer 31:20} For the allegory here - some go one way to work, some another. Let there be never so great a number, saith one, of peoples and nations, of churches and assemblies, which challenge my name and love, and perhaps by their outward prosperities may seem to plead much interest in me, and much worth in themselves, yet "My dove," &c. Others think, that by "queens" are meant true believers; by "concubines," hypocrites and formal professors; and by "virgins," profane persons, that have not yet so much as a form of godliness. The first are the fewest, and the last are the greatest number. Lastly, There are those who make "queens," "concubines," and "virgins," to signify three different sorts or degrees of true Christians in the Catholic Church, which yet is but one. Some have made but small progress in piety; these are compared to "virgins," and are the far greater in number: Some are got further onward, and are of better proof; these are like "concubines," and do exceed the "queens" in number; quo enim perfectiores, eo pauciores. Some again are eminent and eximious Christians; these are queens, and have more close communion with Christ: and to this highest degree we must all aspire and endeavour, striving to perfection. Nature, art, grace, do all proceed from less perfect to more perfect. We read in Scripture of a Christian’s conception, {Gal 4:19} birth, {1Pe 1:23; 1Pe 2:2} childhood, {1Co 3:1-2 1Jn 2:13} youth, or well grown age, {Eph 4:13} old age. {Act 21:16} Mnason was a gray-headed experienced Christian, a father. {1Jn 2:13} All must exact of themselves a daily growth, and be still bringing forth fruit in their old age, {Psa 92:13-14} so shall the king take pleasure still in their beauty; so shall he one day set them upon his right hand, as place of dignity and safety, in gold of Ophir. {Psa 45:9; Psa 45:11}

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_6:8

There are threescore queens.

Womans rights

So Solomon, by one stroke, sets forth the imperial character of a true Christian woman. She is not a slave, not a hireling, not a subordinate; but a queen: and in my text Solomon sees sixty of these helping to make up the royal pageant of Jesus.

I. Woman has the special and superlative right of blessing and comforting the sick. The Lord God who sent Miss Dix into the Virginia hospitals, and Florence Nightingale into the Crimea, and the Maid of Saragossa to appease the wounds of the battlefield, has equipped wife, mother, and daughter, for this delicate but tremendous mission.

II. Woman has a superlative right to take care of the poor.

III. It is womans specific right to comfort under the stress of dire disaster.

IV. It is womans right to bring to us the kingdom of hearten.

V. One of the specific rights of women is, through the grace of christ, finally to reach heaven. O, what a multitude of women in heaven I Mary, Christs mother, in heaven; Elizabeth Fry in heaven; Charlotte Elizabeth in heaven; the mother of Augustine in heaven; the Countess of Huntingdon--who sold her splendid jewels to build chapels--in heaven; while a great many others who have never been heard of on earth, or known but little, have gone into the rest and peace of heaven. What a rest! (T. De Witt Talmage.)

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

Son 6:8-9. There are threescore queens — A certain number for an uncertain. The sense seems to be this: there are many beautiful queens and concubines in the world, in the courts of princes, but none of them is to be compared with my spouse. My undefiled is but one — The only beloved of my soul, my only spouse. The only one of her mother — She is as dear and as precious to me as only children use to be to their parents, and especially to their mothers. The daughters saw her — Called virgins, Son 6:8. They praised her — As more beautiful and worthy than themselves.

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

6:8-9 If the Song were an allegory of the Lord’s love for his people, it would provide a very weak parallel, since Solomon’s excesses in marrying do a poor job of picturing God’s love and faithfulness (see 1 Kgs 11:1-13). • sixty queens: Many of Solomon’s wives were obtained by marrying into international treaties (see 1 Kgs 11:1-3, 8). • Concubines were wives who had secondary status, lower than a wife but higher than a slave. Concubines were acquired by war, debt repayment, or purchase. • In the anthology view, the reference to queens and concubines simply means that the woman herself is more desirable than all other women.

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

Verse 8. There are threescore queens] Though there be sixty queens, and eighty concubines, or secondary wives, and virgins innumerable, in my harem, yet thou, my dove, my undefiled, art אצת achath, ONE, the ONLY ONE, she in whom I delight beyond all.

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

(8) There are threescore queens.—Presumably a description of Solomon’s harem (from comp. with Son_8:11-12), though the numbers are far more sober than in 1Ki_11:3. Probably the latter marks a later form of the traditions of the grand scale on which everything at the court of the monarch was conducted, and this, though a poetic, is a truer version of the story of his loves. The conjunction of alamôth with concubines, pilageshîm (comp. παλλακή, pellex), decides for translating it puellœ rather than virgines.

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

8. This is evidently a description of a hareem, and it can only be Solomon’s own. The word translated are here is somewhat anomalous, and Budde would substitute ‘to Solomon are.’ But this is a much more moderate hareem than the account of Solomon’s given in the historical books would lead us to expect, e.g. 1Ki_11:3, where we read of 700 wives and 300 concubines. Solomon being here the speaker, it is natural that he should in his present circumstances minimise the size of his establishment, and veil it under the vague last phrase.

queens] These are wives of royal birth.

concubines] Heb. pîlaghshîm, plur. of pîlegesh or pillegesh, appears in Greek as πάλλαξ, παλλακή, and is probably there a loan word from the Semitic peoples. But the derivation is unknown. Oettli says that as the king speaks here, he witnesses against Delitzsch’s idea that he was united in marriage to the Shulammite in ch. Son_5:1, by using the word tammâthî, ‘my undefiled’; but that is surely to press the word too far. Marriage was not regarded as impairing a woman’s purity.

virgins] The word used here, ‘ǎlâmôth, does not necessarily mean ‘virgins,’ but young women of marriageable age. Consequently, either subordinate members of the hareem, or young women not yet, but about to be, taken into it are intended.

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.

Threescore queens, and fourscore concubines; a certain number for an uncertain. The sense seems to be this, There are many beautiful queens and concubines in the world, in the courts of princes, and particularly in Solomon’s court; but none of them is to be compared with my spouse, and my heart is set upon none of them, but only upon my spouse, as the following verse declareth. Or the queens and concubines may note the particular congregations which are called by Christ’s name, and the virgins may signify the particular believers or professors; all which do make up one catholic church, as it follows. See Poole "Psa 45:10", See Poole "Psa 45:14", See Poole "Psa 45:15". Virgins; either,

1. Which wait upon the queens and concubines. Or,

2. Which were reserved as a nursery, out of which queens and concubines were to be taken.

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

8. There are — Better, I have there, pointing to the women’s apartments of his palace. The King here alludes to his harem. Threescore queens, etc.

— Stating the numbers of its inmates in general and representative terms, equivalent to many, very many. The exact numbers are given — three hundred wives and seven hundred concubines — in 1Ki_11:3. These hapless beauties, by a policy of luxury which in the end proved disastrous, were selected to form a galaxy to brighten and adorn the court, and minister to the pride and passion of the King. But he affirms that this one, on whom his eye is newly set, is —

“Fair as a star when only one

Is shining in the sky.”

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

Vers. 8, 9. There are three score queens, and four score concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. The account given us of Solomon"s harem in 1Ki_11:3 represents the number as much larger. Is not that because the time referred to in the poem was early in the reign? The words are an echo of what we read in Pro_31:28 and Gen_30:13. Perhaps the general meaning is merely to celebrate the surpassing beauty of the new bride. But there certainly is a special stress laid on her purity and innocence. There is no necessity to seek for any exact interpretation of the queens and concubines. They represent female beauty in its variety. The true Church is in closer relation to the Bridegroom than all the rest of the world. Even in the heathen and unconverted world there is a revelation of the Word, or, as the ancient Fathers of the Church said, a Logov spermatikov . He was then as light, though the darkness comprehended him not. The perfection of the true bride of the Lamb will be acknowledged even by those who are not professedly Christian.

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

Threescore - A certain number for an uncertain. The sense seems to be this, there are many beautiful queens and concubines in the world, in the courts of princes, but none of them is to be compared with my spouse.

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

There are sixty queens, eighty concubines ... young women without number

These numbers are to be large, then larger, and then beyond counting. AT: "There are 60 queens, 80 concubines ... more young women than anyone could count" or "There are many queens, even more concubines, and more young women than anyone could count" (See: Numbers and Idiom)

My dove

The Israelites considered doves beautiful birds with pleasant voices. The man thinks the woman's face and voice are beautiful. If calling a woman a "dove" would be offensive, you could leave out the metaphor. See how you translated this in Song of Songs 2:14. AT: "You beautiful woman" (See: Metaphor)

my undefiled

"my perfect one" or "my faithful one" or "my innocent one." See how you translated this in Song of Songs 5:2.

the only daughter of her mother

This is an exaggeration. AT: "her mother's special daughter" or "completely different from her mother's other daughters" (See: Hyperbole and Generalization)

the woman who bore her

"the woman who gave birth to her." This phrase refers to her mother.

young women ... queens ... concubines

the women spoken of in verse 8

called her blessed

"said that things had gone especially well for her"

translationWords

queen

concubine

dove

call

bless

praise

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

There are sixty queens Abraham and his descendants (Song Zuta). The sons of Keturah are sixteen. Ishmael and his sons are thirteen. Isaac and his sons are three. The sons of Jacob are twelve. The sons of Esau are sixteen, thus totaling sixty. And if you say that Timna should be excluded because she was a woman, then count Abraham in the number.

and eighty concubines Noah and his sons until Abraham, all the generations of those who left the Ark (Song Zuta)—you will find them to be eighty. And just as the queens, who are the kings’ wives, are superior in greatness to the concubines, so were Abraham and his descendants of great esteem, and superior in their esteem over everyone, as you will see. Hagar was the daughter of kings [and became Sarah’s maidservant (Gen. Rabbah 45:1)]. Timna was the daughter of rulers and became Esau’s concubine (ibid. 82:15), and Scripture says (Gen. 14: 17): “to the Valley of Shaveh (שָׁוֶה), etc.” They all unanimously (הֻשְווּ) resolved to make Abraham king over them.

and innumerable maidens All these were divided into many families.

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.