Page:The Song of Songs (1857).djvu/193

 2 How beautiful are thy feet in sandals, O noble maiden! The circuits of thy thighs like ornaments, The work of a master's hands. 3 Thy navel is like a round goblet, Let not spiced wine be wanted in it;

A sight of such an assemblage of various beauties, all swelling their voices into one song of joy, and blending their several forms in one choral dance of joy, must have afforded a delightful picture. No wonder that such a scene is described by Homer (Iliad, xviii. 590,) as portrayed on the famous shield of Achilles, and that

"On either side spectators numerous stood, Delighted."

To this charming scene, therefore, does the captivated monarch compare the view of the Shulamite. [HE: m^eHvOloh], from [HE: Hv.l], to turn round, a dance, the joyous dancing on a festive occasion. [HE: aH^eneh], prop. a camp, also ''a multitude, a band of people'', Gen. l. 9. [HE: maHa:nayim/] is the regular dual, and not the plural (Sept., Vulg., Gesenius, Döpke, &c.), and is here used because this dance consisted of a band arranged in a double line, something like our country dance. On the different kinds of Oriental dances, see Rosenmüller, Orient. ii. 19-22; Wilkinson, Manners, &c., ii. 328-340. Saalschütz, Archäeologie der Hebraer, vol. i. 302. The words [HE: k.im^eHOlat ham.aHa:nayim/] have elicited a variety of interpretations. Some take [HE: maHa:nayim/] as a proper name, and say that reference is here made to some particular mode of worship practised in that place in consequence of Jacob's sojourn there; but this is purely imaginary. Others again suppose that an allusion is made to Gen. xxxii. 2, 3, and hence render [HE: maHa:nayim/] by [HE: maHa:nEy 'e:lOhiym/] or [HE: x^ebo'vOt]; but this is unfounded, since we have not the slightest intimation in that passage that the angels were engaged in dancing.

2. How beautiful are thy feet in sandals! The Shulamite, in obedience to the king's request, returns, and as she advances, Solomon is arrested by her beautiful feet, with which he begins his last highly flattering delineation of her beauty, and his last attempt to win her affections. [HE: n^e`oliym/], Chald. [HE: san^ed^eliyn/], sandals, formed an important part of an Oriental costume (Ezek. xvi. 10; Judith xvi. 9). The ladies bestowed great pains upon, and evinced much taste in ornamenting this article of dress, which attracted the notice of the opposite sex. [HE: b.at nodiyb] does not mean a descendant of a titled family, but, according to a common Hebrew idiom, which applies [HE: b.at b.En/], and other terms of human kindred to relations of every kind, expresses that ''she herself was of a noble character''. Comp. 1 Sam. i. 16; Gesen. § 106, 2 a; Ewald, § 287 f.

The circuits of thy thighs like ornaments, &c. To describe the beautiful appearance of an object, the Orientals frequently compared it to some precious metal or gem; see supr. v. 11; Prov. xxv. 12. The simple metal or gem, however, seems not to suffice here to express the exquisite symmetry of these parts of the body; they are, therefore, compared with some beautifully-wrought and highly-finished ornaments, formed of such materials. The rendering of [HE: p.^e`omiym/] by steps (Sept., Vulg., Ewald, Döpke, Hengstenberg, &c.), and [HE: Hamv.qEy] by Schwingungen, movements (Hengstenberg), is contrary to the scope of the description, which obviously depicts the several members of the body (beginning with the feet and gradually ascending to the head), and not their actions. [HE: ha:lo'iym/] is not the dual (Luther), but the plural; according to the analogy of [HE: x^ebiy], [HE: x^ebo'iym/]; [HE: p.^etiy], [HE: p.^eto'iym/]. The [HE: '] in the plural is preferred to the [HE: y] in consequence of the preceding A sound. Gesen. § 93, 66; Ewald, § 186 e.

3. Thy navel is like a round goblet, &c. The reference and the import of the figure are obvious. [HE: mezeg], i.q. [HE: mesek/^e], ''mixture, mixed wine''. The ancients were in the habit of mixing wine with spices, to make it more stimulating and exciting. Wine thus mixed was called [HE: yayin/ hareqaH], viii.