Song of Solomon 6:9

9. but one] The one here is numerical in contrast to the 60 and 80: in the second clause of the verse one is qualitative, unica or unice delecta. As in ch. 2, he compares her to the women of the hareem, and intimates that she alone is worth them all.

the choice one] Heb. bârâh from bârar, ‘to separate,’ and hence ‘to purify.’ LXX, ἐκλεκτή. Here it is the former idea which predominates, the choice one, the darling of her mother, for the relation of mother and daughter is not one to which the idea of ‘purity’ is specially congruous. The only thing against this is that the adj. bar is not used in the O.T. in any sense but ‘pure’ or ‘clean’ (see Oxf. Lex.). But in 1Ch_7:40 and elsewhere the verb is used in the sense of ‘to choose’ or ‘select.’ As the Song is late, but not so late as Chron. probably, it would not be unnatural that the later meaning should be found alongside the earlier in Son_6:9-10 here.

The daughters saw her, and blessed her] Better, daughters, i.e. women, cp. Gen_30:13 and Pro_31:29, saw her and called her happy. Cp. Pro_31:28, where the whole of this clause substantially occurs.

the queens and the concubines, and they praised her] Cp. ch. Son_5:9, “O thou fairest among women.” On the hypothesis that the book is a mere collection of wedding songs, this statement that the women of Solomon’s hareem had seen and praised the Shulammite would be absurd. On our view, it would be quite natural, and unless the bride be brought in some such way as we suppose into connexion with Solomon’s court it is impossible to imagine how this verse could be true. Budde admits the difficulty, but gets over it in a very light-hearted fashion. He admits that a figure of speech which would permit the bridegroom who is called Solomon only because he is a bridegroom, to refer with scorn to the hareem of the actual Solomon, would be bold; but in a somewhat obscure sentence he says it hardly goes beyond what is possible in the circumstances as he supposes them to be. Few, we imagine, will be of that opinion.

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.

Son 6:9 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 blessed her; [yea], the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

Ver. 9. My dove, mine undefiled is but one.] For though all the afore named may be called spouses, yet they all make but one. "He that hath the bride (not brides) is the bridegroom," saith the Baptist. And this is "a great mystery," saith Paul, "but I speak concerning Christ and the Church," not churches. {Eph 5:32} Una ecclesia, quia ex una fide, per unum Spiritum nascitur, saith Epiphanius. "Beware therefore of the concision" {Php 3:2} - that is, of those that make divisions, and cut the Church in minutula frustula, as Augustine saith of the Donatists, into little pieces, and sucking congregations, making separations. {a} Peter himself was blamed for this, {Gal 2:11-12} and others branded for profligate professors. "These are they that separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit." {Jdg 1:19} The primitive Christians were famous for their unity, animo animaque inter se miscebantur, saith Tertullian. The very heathens acknowledged that no people in the world did hold together, and love one another, so as Christians did. As the curtains of the tabernacles were joined by loops, so were they by love; and as the stones of the temple were so close cemented together, that they seemed to be all but one stone, so was it among them. Neither need we wonder, since Christ’s dove is but one; neither is there any such oneness or entireness anywhere as among the saints. Other societies are but as the clay in the toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s image: they may cleave together, but not incorporated one into another.

She is the only one of her mother,] i.e., Of the world, say some; of the flesh, say others: but they say best that expound it of Jerusalem, "that is above, the mother of us all." {Gal 4:26} Epiphanius makes faith and religion the mother of the Church.

The daughters saw her, and blessed her,] i.e., Called and counted her blessed above all other people. "Happy art thou, O Israel! Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord?" &c. {Deu 33:29} And yet at that time they seemed to be nothing so happy as the Moabites, Edomites, &c., as being in a very unsettled condition in the wilderness. So David, What one nation in the earth is like thy people, like Israel? {2Sa 7:23} Oh "blessed is the people whose God is the Lord." {Psa 144:15} Est Ecclesiae Scoticanae privilegium rarum prae multis in quo eius nomen apud caeteros fuit celebre, &c. {b} It is the singular privilege of the Church of Scotland, and they are deservedly famous for it, that for this fourscore years and upwards they have kept a unity, together with purity of doctrine, without heresy, or so much as schism. This "the daughters" - other Christian reformed churches - "have seen and blessed her; yea, the queens and concubines, and they praised her."

{a} Christi tunica est unica.

{b} Sic in Elogio Proefator. De Confess. in Princip. Syntag. Confess., p. 6.

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_6:9

My dove, My undefiled is but one.

The Church-a dove

I. Comparing the Church to a dove.

1. The dove is a beautiful bird, especially in Eastern countries, where their plumage is so dazzling, and in this particular typifies the Church (Eze_16:14).

2. The believers righteous beauty is from Christ alone (Psa_90:17).

3. The dove is remarkable for her cleanliness; so the Church is both clean and cleanly (Heb_10:22).

4. Doves will feed only on pure grain; so true believers can only live on Christ (Psa_119:140; Tit_1:15; Joh_6:35).

5. The dove delights to be fed by her own mate; so does the Church by Christ (Son_1:7).

6. The dove is remarkable for its love to its mate; so is the Church to Christ (Psa_73:23-28).

7. The dove is remarkable for its deep grief when separated from its mate (Eze_7:16).

8. Doves are sociable creatures, and delight in each others company (1Jn_4:7).

9. Doves are fearful and timid birds (Mat_8:26).

10. Doves are swift on the wing; so David wished for the wings of a dove (Psa_55:6).

II. The oneness of the Church.

1. The Church is but one in respect of the world (Joh_15:19).

2. One in respect of unity and communion with herself (Eph_4:13; Col_2:2).

3. She has but one faith (Eph_4:4-5).

4. One in her conduct and practice (Heb_12:14).

5. One in the spirit and object of love (1Co_6:17).

6. And one in Christ their living Head, by whom they are saved (1Co_12:12).

7. And because Christ has no other spouse than the Church (Lev_20:24).

III. Why she is called His. She belongs unto Him by right of creation, donation, redemption, predestination, regeneration, or baptism, sanctification, and salvation. And as such--

1. She will never be lost while residing in the wilderness, for the Spirit is her guide.

2. No creatures of prey shall ever rob her of life, because Christ is her Protector.

3. Nothing shall keep her from glory, for Christ is in heaven to secure her entrance there. (T. B. Baker.)

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

6:9 sing her praises: Literally called her blessed. If the Song is a drama, the woman has left Solomon’s harem, and the singing took place in the past, when the woman was still there.

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

He showeth that the beginning of the Church was small, but that it grew up to a great multitude.

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

Verse 9. The daughters saw her, and blessed her] Not only the Jewish women in general spoke well of her on her arrival, but the queens and concubines praised her as the most accomplished of her sex.

With this verse the fourth night of the marriage week is supposed to end.

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

(9) My dove . . . is but one.—“While the monarch’s loves are so many, one is mine, my dove, my perfect one: one, the delight of her mother, the darling of her who bore her.” It is impossible not to see in this a eulogy on monogamy, which, in practice, seems always to have been the rule among the Jews, the exceptions lying only with kings and the very rich. The eulogy is made more pronounced by putting an unconscious testimony to the superiority of monogamy into the mouths of the “queens and concubines,” who praise and bless this pattern of a perfect wife.

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

Who. The companions of the spouse, (Calmet) or the synagogue, admire the Christian Church. (Worthington) --- Morning. Aurora. The Church dissipated the darkness of paganism; she appeared as the moon under persecution, and as the sun, after the conversion of Constantine. (Calmet) --- The like will happen in the days of antichrist. (Ven. Bede) --- The religion of the patriarchs may be compared to the morning-star: that of Moses, to the moon; and of Christ, to the sun. (Menochius)

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).

Is but one; the only beloved of my soul, my only spouse, in comparison of whom I despise all others.

She is the only one of her mother; of Jerusalem above, which is the mother of us all, Gal 4:26. Or if this seem to confound the mother and daughter, the words may be thus rendered,

she is the only one of her mother, i.e. she is as dear and as precious to me as only children use to be to their parents, and especially to their mothers. So there is only a defect of the note of similitude, which is frequently understood, as hath been formerly noted and proved by undeniable instances.

Daughters, called virgins, Son 6:8.

They praised her; as more beautiful and worthy than themselves, which was so evident that they were forced to confess it.

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

9. Is but one — That is, there is none like her. It is not affirmed that she is an only child, or even an only daughter, but that she is without like or equal — absolutely peerless in her beauty.

The daughters — That is, The maidens in waiting —

Blessed her… praised her — The verbs should be in the present. The King nowhere ventures to call her his betrothed.

My undefiled — Hebrew, My perfect one. To connect this verse with the following, supply “saying.”

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

But one - The only beloved of my soul, my only spouse. The only one - She is as dear and as precious to me as only children use to be to their parents, and especially to their mothers. Daughters - Called virgins, ver.

8. Praised - As more beautiful and worthy than themselves.

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

My dove is but one And of all of them, one is My chosen one as a perfect dove, for she is wholehearted with her mate.

she is one to her mother to her assembly. Many controversies exist in the study halls. All of them stem from the desire to understand the Torah in a well founded manner and according to its true meaning.

she is the pure one of she who bore her Jacob perceived that perfect bed without any blemish, and he thanked and praised the Omnipresent, as it is said (Gen. 47: 31): “And Israel prostrated himself because of the esteem of the bed.”

daughters saw her Israel in her greatness.

and they lauded her And what was their praise?

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.