Song of Solomon 5:14

“His hands [are as] gold rings, set with the beryl, etc.] Beryl is with great propriety mentioned, because it was usual to wear it on the fingersf362. This was one of the precious stones in the breastplate of the high priest, a type of Christ, (<022820>Exodus 28:20); one of the pearl foundations of the New Jerusalem, (<662120>Revelation 21:20); the appearance of the wheels in Ezekiel’s vision was like it, (<260116>Ezekiel 1:16); the body of the glorious person, seen by Daniel, is said to be as that, (<271006>Daniel 10:6); so that it is no wonder the hands of Christ should be compared to gold rings set with it. The word “tarshish”, here rendered by “beryl”, is sometimes used for the “sea”; and…”

“His hands ... - Are golden rings or cylinders. The fingers of the bent or closed hand are compared to a massive ring or set of rings; or, if outstretched or straightened, to a row of golden rods or cylinders. The beryl - The “tarshish” (compare Exodus 28:20), probably the chrysolite of the ancients (so called from its gold color), the modern topaz. His belly ... - His body (the Hebrew term applies to the whole body, from the shoulders to the thighs) is a piece of ivory workmanship overlaid with sapphires. The sapphire of the ancients seems to have been the lapis lazuli. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Beryl - Beautiful, and precious, and richly adorned, as it were with gold rings set with precious stones. Belly - Which seems to be here used, for the whole body, reaching from the neck to the bottom of the belly. Saphires - Of a pure and bright white colour, intermixt with blue veins; for some saphires are of a bright blue colour. Song of Solomon (Canticles) 5:15”

“5:14 The man’s body is portrayed as beautiful and precious. • Beryl is an olive-green gem. • Lapis lazuli is a blue gem.”

“hands: Exo 15:6; Psa 44:4-7, Psa 99:4; Isa 9:7, Isa 52:13 his belly: Sol 7:2; Exo 24:10; Isa 54:11; Eze 1:26-28 Song of Solomon (Canticles) 5:15”

“14a His hands golden cylinders, Filled in with stones of Tarshish. The figure, according to Gesen., Heb. Wrterbuch, and literally also Heilgst., is derived from the closed hand, and the stained nails are compared to precious stones. both statements are incorrect; for (1) although it is true that then Israelitish women, as at the present day Egyptian and Arabian women, stained their eyes with stibium (vid., under Isa 54:11), yet it is nowhere shown that they, and particularly men, stained the nails of their feet and their toes with the orange-yellow of the Alhenna (Lane's Egypt, I 33-35); and (2) the word used is not כּפּיו, but ידיו; it is thus the outstretched hands that are meant; and only…”