Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Song of Solomon 6:11

Clarke's Commentary

Verse 11. I went down into the garden of nuts — I believe this and the following verse refer at least to the preparations for a farther consummation of the marriage, or examination of the advancement of the bride's pregnancy. But many circumstances of this kind are so interwoven, and often anticipated and also postponed, that it is exceedingly difficult to arrange the whole so as to ascertain the several parts, and who are the actors and speakers. But other writers find no difficulty here, because they have their system; and that explains all things.

It is probably not the hazel but the almond nut, that is referred to here.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

6:4-8:14 THE STRENGTH OF TRUE LOVE

Desires for each other (6:4-7:13)

Using language that he has used before, the man again praises the girl’s loveliness (4-7; cf. 4:1-3). The nation’s most beautiful women may have been chosen for the palace harem, but they must look with envy upon the beauty of the lovely farm girl who is his beloved (8-10). In a brief parenthesis that follows, the two lovers are reminded of an occasion when they met on the farm. The girl was carried away by her lover’s charms as if taken away by a prince on his chariot (11-12). The theme quickly returns to the praise of the girl, with the harem women asking her to display her beauty for them. But neither she nor her lover want people to gaze upon her as if she were a common dance girl (13).
The girl’s unclothed loveliness is for her lover’s appreciation and no one else’s. He then describes her beauty from her feet to her head (7:1-5), and adds a short erotic song expressing his great desire for her (6-9a). The girl replies that she belongs solely to him. She wants to go for a walk with him through the fields and vineyards, where together they can enjoy each other’s love (9b-13).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“I went down into the garden of nuts, To see the green plants of the valley, To see whether the vine budded, And the pomegranates were in flower. Before I was aware, my soul set me among the chariots of my princely people.”

Before attempting to interpret this, one should be aware that, “It is very difficult to explain the relation of these verses, either to the context, or to each other. They are possibly misplaced”;Peake’s Bible Commentary by Arthur S. Peake (Edinburgh: T. C. and E. C. Jack, Ltd., 1924), p. 422. or they may be a fragment of another song. The meaning of some of the words is disputed. The margin reads, “desire” instead of “soul.”From the American Standard Version.

She may be referring to the story of her capture. “Innocently and unsuspecting she had gone down to inspect her garden, when she was whisked away by the king’s men.”The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 585. If this interpretation should be allowed, then we may paraphrase the verse: “I had gone down to the garden when desire (not her desire, but that of the king), `Set me in a chariot beside my prince.’“Revised Standard Version’s rendition of the last clause.

Redford thought the passage means, “That she lost her heart immediately when she saw king Solomon.”The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 9c, p. 146. Waddey understood it to say that, “She had taken a stroll in the royal park, and remembering the folks back home, she longed to leave the palace and journey back to see her family.”James Waddey, p. 119. Orr gave this ambiguous interpretation: “It is the bride’s reminiscence of the moment when she suddenly realized how much she loved the youth who was destined to be her prince; her imagination rushed ahead; she would his queen at his side.”The New Layman’s Bible Commentary, p. 760. At least, he left Solomon out of it! Obviously, there is hardly room for dogmatism on what this means; however, Balchin’s comment is in line with our interpretation of the allegory as a contest between two lovers, a king, and a shepherd, for the love of the Shulamite maiden, with Solomon standing for Satan in the analogy, and the shepherd standing for Jesus Christ our Lord. The maiden, of course, is the Church of our Lord.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

The bride’s words may be paraphrased: “You speak of me as a glorious beauty; I was lately but a simple maiden engaged in rustic toils. I went down one day into the walnut-garden” (the walnut abounded on the shores of Lake Gennesaret, and is still common in Northern Palestine) “to inspect the young plants of the vale” (i. e., the wady, or watercourse, with now verdant banks in the early spring after the rainy season), “and to watch the budding and blossoming of vine and pomegranate.” Compare Song of Solomon 2:11-13 notes. “Then, suddenly, ere I was myself aware, my soul” (the love-bound heart) “had made me the chariot of a lordly people” (i. e., an exalted personage, one who resides on the high places of the earth; compare 2Ki 2:12; 2 Kings 13:14, where Elijah and Elisha, as the spiritual leaders of the nation, are “the chariot and horsemen of Israel,” compare also Isaiah 22:18). This last clause is another instance of the love for military similitudes in the writer of the Song.

Ammi-nadib - literally, my people a noble one. The reference is either to Israel at large as a wealthy and dominant nation, under Solomon, or to the bride’s people (the Shulamites) in particular, to the chief place among whom, by her union with the king, she is now exalted.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 6

Now the daughters of Jerusalem respond to her, the chorus sings back.

Where has your beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither or where is your beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with you ( Song of Solomon 6:1 ).

And she answers,

My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: and he feeds among the lilies ( Song of Solomon 6:2-3 ).

Now the bridegroom responds to her and he says,

Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, as comely as Jerusalem, terrible or awesome as an army with banners. Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me: your hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep which go up from the washings, where every one bears twins, and not there is not a barren one among them ( Song of Solomon 6:4-6 ).

He says the same thing to her so he isn't that...you know, after a while you got to repeat, you know. I mean, you can only say so much.

As a piece of pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled, is but one ( Song of Solomon 6:7-9 );

She is one among them all.

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; yes, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her ( Song of Solomon 6:9 ).

So he's declaring all of this praise for his beloved and the daughters of Jerusalem, the chorus now responds. As he is declaring again of her beauty and her glory, and they say,

Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, as awesome as an army with banners? ( Song of Solomon 6:10 )

And as you see this in the spiritual allegory as representing the church, "Who is she who looketh forth as the morning?" The history of man has been dark and bleak. We are still living--the world in darkness. It's been a long night, sorrow, pain, suffering, anguish, tragedy that man has brought upon himself by his wars, by his greed, by the atrocities, by the inhumane treatment of fellow man, by the oppression and the exploitation of the weak and of the poor. It's been a long, dark night of history. But the church looketh forth as the morning. And the church declares to the world that is wrapped in its darkness, there's a new day about to dawn. And that is always the consistent message of the church. New opportunity that God gives to man. Not only to the world is a new day going to dawn very soon, but a new day can dawn in your life. And that darkness in which your life has been held can turn into a new day. God's work is always that of a new beginning. Letting you start all over again. "For if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things are passed away, all things become new" ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 ). Looking forth as the morning. Always the anticipation. Living in the anticipation of the new day that is going to dawn for man.

"Fair as the moon." The moon's light is reflected light, the light of the sun reflected in the moon. And so the church's light is a reflected light. It is the light of Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the light of the world. And if any man walk in Me, he will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life" ( John 8:12 ). John, testifying of Jesus Christ said He is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. But man put the light out. They hanged him on a cross. They put him in a tomb and rolled the stone over the door of the sepulcher. And as far as the world is concerned, they had extinguished the light. But the third day He rose again. And He lives today. And even as the light of the moon declares to you that the sun is still shining, though you cannot see the sun, but as you look at the moon and see the reflected light of the sun, you know that the sun still shines. So the world who cannot see Jesus Christ knows that He lives as they see the reflected glory of Christ from our lives. The light of Jesus Christ shining forth from us. "Ye," He said, "are the light of the world. And man doesn't light a candle to put it on a under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that it might give light to the whole house" ( Matthew 5:14-15 ). The moon was the lesser light to rule the night, to rule in the darkness. And thus, in the darkness of man's history, God has a light. "Fair as the moon." His light, His witness as we reflect the light and the glory of Jesus Christ to the dark world around us.

In order to properly reflect that light of Jesus Christ, we must live above the world. For if we live in the world, if we partake of the worldly things, if we are living as the world, then we do not reflect the light to the world. You've got to live above the world. By a higher standard than the low standards of man around us. There is always the peer pressure. There is always the mores of a society that would seek to draw you down to a lower level of living. There is always the rationale, "But everybody's doing it." To encourage you and to draw you into a lower level of experience and life. But living on a low plane, you'll never reflect the glory of the Son. It's only as we live above it that the world can see the light reflecting from us.

"Clear as the sun." Again, there needs to be a slight change in the word sun. Instead of spelling it s-u-n, capitalize and spell it S-o-n. Clear as the Son. The church. We are to be pure as He is pure. We are to be holy as He is holy. God said, "Be ye therefore holy, for I am holy, saith the Lord" ( 1 Peter 1:16 ). Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect" ( Matthew 5:48 ). "And he who has this hope purifies himself, even as He is pure" ( 1 John 3:3 ). Christ is our standard for righteousness, which immediately eliminates all of us. Because none of us are as pure as Christ. None of us are as holy as Christ. None of us are as perfect as God. Christ, our standard for righteousness. But it is a righteousness that I cannot attain by works, by rules, by regulations, by laws. "For if righteousness could come by the law, then Christ died in vain" ( Galatians 2:21 ).

But God has established a new basis of righteousness which is not a new basis of righteousness. It is the same basis by which Abraham was accounted righteousness. For Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness four hundred years before the law ever came by Moses. The law was never intended to make a man righteous, but only to show man his sin and his guilt in order that we might be driven to a righteousness that is apart from us, the righteousness which is of God through our faith in Jesus Christ. So we read in Galatians, "The law was a schoolmaster to force us to Christ" ( Galatians 3:24 ). To drive us to Christ. To make us realize that we can't do it ourselves. We need help. And God has provided that help. And thus, we become clear as the sun, because it's His righteousness that has been imputed to us by our believing and trusting in God.

And so that's why the bridegroom could say, "Hey, she's without spot." That's why God looks at you and says, "Hey, you're without spot. You're without blemish. You're pure. You're righteous." Because He sees you in His Son and the righteousness of Christ having been imputed or accounted to your account.

And finally, the church is seen as awesome as an army with banners. And this is what God intends the church to be to the enemies of Jesus Christ. That we might be a terror to the enemies of God, even as an army with banners was a very terrifying thing to behold. To stand in front of or to try to withstand. So the church should be a terror to the enemies of God.

The bridegroom continues his song.

I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib. Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee ( Song of Solomon 6:11-13 ).

The chorus responds.

What will you see in the Shulamite? ( Song of Solomon 6:13 )

And he answers.

As it were the company of two armies ( Song of Solomon 6:13 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

4. Restoration of intimacy 6:4-13

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Song of Solomon 6:11-12 are probably the Shulammite’s words. She had gone down to Solomon’s garden (Song of Solomon 6:2), more to see if his love for her was still in bloom, than to examine the natural foliage (Song of Solomon 6:11). Immediately, because of his affirmation of his love (Song of Solomon 6:4-10), she felt elevated in her spirit, as though she were chief over all the 1,400 chariots in Solomon’s great army (1 Kings 10:26). Evidently, in her fantasy, she rode out of the garden in a chariot accompanied by Solomon. As she did, the people they passed called out to her to come back, so they might look on her beauty longer (Song of Solomon 6:13 a). However, Solomon answered them, "Why should you gaze at the Shulammite as you do at the dance at Mahanaim?" Perhaps he was referring to a celebration held at that Transjordanian town that drew an especially large crowd of onlookers. However, we have no record that such an event took place there.

This ends the Shulammite’s second dream (Song of Solomon 5:2 to Song of Solomon 6:13; cf. Song of Solomon 3:1-4).

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

I went down into the garden of nuts,.... This is very properly taken notice of in this song of love; it being usual for newly married persons to get nuts, and throw them among children, to make pastime; to signify, among other things, that they now renounced childish things u. These are the words of Christ, declaring to the church where he went, and what he employed himself about, when he departed from her; see Song of Solomon 6:2. Of the garden, as it intends the church, Song of Solomon 6:2- :; into which he was invited to come, and did, as here; see Song of Solomon 4:16; here it is called a "garden of nuts", which may design a spot in it destined for this fruit; by which some understand "nutmegs", which is not very likely, since such grew not in those parts: rather "walnuts", which the Arabs call "gauz" or "geuz", which is the same word that is here used; Pistacia nuts were well known in Syria w, which joined to Judea. And by "nuts", which grew in the garden, the church, true believers, may be designed; who, like them, have a mean outward appearance, but are valuable within, having the true grace of God in them; and because of their divers coverings, their outward conversation garments, the robe of Christ's righteousness, and the internal sanctification of the Spirit, which answer to the husk and shell, and the thin inward skin over the nut; and because of their hardiness in enduring afflictions and troubles, the shell may represent; and because of their best and most excellent parts being hidden, even grace, the hidden man of the heart, signified by the kernel, and which will not fully appear until the shell or tabernacle of the body is broken down; and because of their safety from harm and pollution, amidst the storms of afflictions, persecutions, and temptations, and pollutions of the world, the principle of grace, like the kernel, remains unhurt and undefiled; and because of the multitude of believers, united and cleaving together, which is delightful to behold, like clusters of nuts in a nut garden. Some render it, "the pruned garden", or "garden of pruning" x; whose plants, trees, and vines, are pruned and kept in good order, by Christ's father, the husbandman and vinedresser; see Song of Solomon 2:12. The ends of Christ in going into it were,

to see the fruits of the valley; to observe the graces of his Spirit; the actings, exercise, and growth of them in humble souls, among whom he delights to be, Isaiah 57:15; the Septuagint version is, "the shoots of the brook" or "river": and may denote the fertile soil in which believers are planted, even by the river of divine love; with which being watered, they flourish, Psalms 1:3;

[and] to see whether the vine flourished; particular churches, or believers, compared to vines; who may be said to flourish, when they increase in numbers, and are fruitful in grace and good works; see Song of Solomon 2:13;

[and] the pomegranates budded; of which, see Song of Solomon 4:13; the budding, of them may design the beginnings, or first putting, forth, of grace in the saints; which Christ takes much notice of, and is highly pleased with.

u Vid. Chartarium de Imag. Deorum, p. 89. Kipping. Antiqu. Rom. l. 4. c. 2. p. 697. "Sparge marite nuces", c. Virgil. Bucolic. Eclog. 8. v. 30. "Da nuces pueris", Catuili Juliae Epithal. Ep. 59, v. 131. w Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 5. Athenaei Deipnosophist. l. 14. c. 17. p. 649. x גנת אגוז "hortos putatos", Junius & Tremellius Heb. "tonsionis", Piscator "hortum putationis", Marckius.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.   12 Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.   13 Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

      Christ having now returned to his spouse, and the breach being entirely made up, and the falling out of these lovers being the renewing of love, Christ here gives an account both of the distance and of the reconciliation.

      I. That when he had withdrawn from his church as his spouse, and did not comfort her, yet even then he had his eye upon it as his garden, which he took care of (Song of Solomon 6:11; Song of Solomon 6:11): "I went down into the garden of nuts, or nutmegs, to see the fruits of the valley, with complacency and concern, to see them as my own." When he was out of sight he was no further off than the garden, hid among the trees of the garden, in a low and dark valley; but then he was observing how the vine flourished, that he might do all that to it which was necessary to promote its flourishing, and might delight himself in it as a man does in a fruitful garden. He went to see whether the pomegranates budded. Christ observes the first beginnings of the good work of grace in the soul and the early buddings of devout affections and inclinations there, and is well pleased with them, as we are with the blossoms of the spring.

      II. That yet he could not long content himself with this, but suddenly felt a powerful, irresistible, inclination in his own bosom to return to his church, as his spouse, being moved with her lamentations after him, and her languishing desire towards him (Song of Solomon 6:12; Song of Solomon 6:12): "Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Ammi-nadib; I could not any longer keep at a distance; my repentings were kindled together, and I presently resolved to fly back to the arms of my love, my dove." Thus Joseph made himself strange to his brethren, for a while, to chastise them for their former unkindnesses, and make trial of their present temper, till he could no longer refrain himself, but, or ever he was aware, burst out into tears, and said, I am Joseph,Genesis 45:1; Genesis 45:3. And now the spouse perceives, as David did (Psalms 31:22), that though she said in her haste, I am cut off from before thy eyes, yet, at the same time, he heard the voice of her supplications, and became like the chariots of Ammi-nadib, which were noted for their beauty and swiftness. My soul put me into the chariots of my willing people (so some read it), "the chariots of their faith, and hope, and love, their desires, and prayers, and expectations, which they sent after me, to fetch me back, as chariots of fire with horses of fire." Note, 1. Christ's people are, and ought to be, a willing people. 2. If they continue seeking Christ and longing after him, even when he seems to withdraw from them, he will graciously return to them in due time, perhaps sooner than they think and with a pleasing surprise. No chariots sent for Christ shall return empty. 3. All Christ's gracious returns to his people take rise from himself. It is not they, it is his own soul, that puts him into the chariots of his people; for he is gracious because he will be gracious, and loves his Israel because he would love them; not for their sakes, be it known to them.

      III. That he, having returned to her, kindly courted her return to him, notwithstanding the discouragements she laboured under. Let her not despair of obtaining as much comfort as ever she had before this distance happened, but take the comfort of the return of her beloved, Song of Solomon 6:13; Song of Solomon 6:13. Here, 1. The church is called Shulamite, referring either to Solomon, the bridegroom in type, by whose name she is called, in token of her relation to him and union with him (thus believers are called Christians from Christ), or referring to Salem, the place of her birth and residence, as the woman of Shunem is called the Shunamite. Heaven is the Salem whence the saints have their birth, and where they have their citizenship; those that belong to Christ, and are bound for heaven, shall be called Shulamites. 2. She is invited to return, and the invitation most earnestly pressed: Return, return; and again, "Return, return; recover the peace thou hast lost and forfeited; come back to thy former composedness and cheerfulness of spirit." Note, Good Christians, after they have had their comfort disturbed, are sometimes hard to be pacified, and need to be earnestly persuaded to return again to their rest. As revolting sinners have need to be called to again and again (Turn you, turn you, why will you die?) so disquieted saints have need to be called to again and again, Turn you, turn you, why will you droop; Why art thou cast down, O my soul? 3. Having returned, she is desired to show her face: That we may look upon thee. Go no longer with they face covered like a mourner. Let those that have made their peace with God lift up their faces without spot (Job 22:26); let them come boldly to his throne of grace. Christ is pleased with the cheerfulness and humble confidence of his people, and would have them look pleasant. "Let us look upon thee, not I only, but the holy angels, who rejoice in the consolation of saints as well as in the conversion of sinners; not I only, but all the daughters." Christ and believers are pleased with the beauty of the church. 4. A short account is given of what is to be seen in her. The question is asked, What will you see in the Shulamite? And it is answered, As it were the company of two armies. (1.) Some think she gives this account of herself; she is shy of appearing, unwilling to be looked upon, having, in her own account, no form or comeliness. Alas! says she, What will you see in the Shulamite? nothing that is worth your looking upon, nothing but as it were the company of two armies actually engaged, where nothing is to be seen but blood and slaughter. The watchmen had smitten her, and wounded her, and she carried in her face the marks of those wounds, looked as if she had been fighting. She had said (Song of Solomon 1:6; Song of Solomon 1:6), Look not upon me because I am black; here she says, "Look not upon me because I am bloody." Or it may denote the constant struggle that is between grace and corruption in the souls of believers; they are in them as two armies continually skirmishing, which makes her ashamed to show her face. (2.) Others think her beloved gives the account of her. "I will tell you what you shall see in the Shulamite; you shall see as noble a sight as that of two armies, or two parts of the same army, drawn out in rank and file; not only as an army with banners, but as two armies, with a majesty double to what was before spoken; she is as Mahanaim, as the two hosts which Jacob saw (Genesis 32:1; Genesis 32:2), a host of saints and a host of angels ministering to them; the church militant, the church triumphant." Behold two armies; in both the church appears beautiful.