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 Be the thousands thine, O Solomon, And the two hundreds to the keepers of its fruit!

THE SHEPHERD.

13 O thou that dwellest in the gardens, My companions are listening to thy voice, Let me hear thy voice!

THE SHULAMITE.

14 Haste, O my beloved, And be like the gazelle, as the young one of the hind, Over the mountains of spices.

mine, and I will keep it: this is obvious from the immediately following [HE: l^ek/o], thine, keep thou it. The words [HE: ho'elep/ l^ek/o vgv"] are to be taken as an exclamatory phrase, Ewald, § 329 a. [HE: 'elep/] is here used collectively for all the thousands put together, which come in annually from the farmers; so [HE: mo'tayim/], the two hundreds. The Vulgate translates here again the proper [HE: S/^elOmhO], mille tui pacifici.

13. O thou that dwellest in the gardens, &c. The companions of the shepherd, who had manifested their joy at the successful arrival of the happy pair (vide supra, ver. 5), and rejoice that one of their humble occupation has brought such honour upon the whole class, visit the Shulamite, to hear from her own mouth her avowed attachment to her beloved. The shepherd, therefore, requests her to gratify this desire. She is no more [HE: hay.vOS/ebet b.^eHad^erEy ham.elek/^e], ''sitting in the apartments of the king'', vide supra, chap. i. 4, but has the honourable appellation of [HE: hay.vOS/ebet b.agoniym/], ''dwelling in the gardens''. [HE: Ha:bEriym/=], companions, i.e. my companions, fellow-shepherds, i. 8.

14. Haste, O my beloved, &c. The Shulamite complies with the request. In the presence of all, she calls ''the shepherd'' her beloved, and tells him always to hasten to her with the speed of the swift-footed gazelle; vide supra ii. 9, 17. He has no more to cross "the mountains of separation" (see ii. 17), for they are united. These rugged mountains have now given place to the much-wished-for aromatic hills, iv. 6.

Reed and Pardon, Printers, Paternoster Row, London.