Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Song of Solomon 2:5
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Stay me with flagons, etc.] Of wine, which is a supporter of the animal spiritsf118. The church was now in a house of wine, where was plenty of it; even of the love of Christ, compared to wine, and preferred unto it, (<220102>Song of Solomon 1:2,4); the church though she had had large discoveries of it, desired more; and such that have once tasted of this love are eagerly desirous of it, and cannot be satisfied until they have their fill of it in heaven: the flagons, being vessels in which wine is put, and from thence poured out, may signify the word and ordinances, in which the love of Christ is displayed and manifested; the church desires she might be stayed and supported hereby, while she was attending on Christ in them; comfort me with apples; with exceeding great and precious promises; which, when fitly spoken and applied, are “like apples of gold in pictures of silver”, (<202511>Proverbs 25:11); and are very comforting: or rather, with fresh and greater manifestations of his love still; for the apple is an emblem of love, as before observed; for one to send or throw an apple to another indicated lovef119. It may be rendered, “strew me with apples”f120; in great quantities, about me, before me, and under me, and all around me, that I may lie down among them, and be sweetly refreshed and strengthened: the words, both in this and the former clause, are in the plural number; and so may be an address to the other two divine Persons, along with Christ, to grant further manifestations of love unto her, giving the following reason for it: for I [am] sick of love; not as loathing it, but as wanting, and eagerly desirous of more of it; being, as the Septuagint version is, “wounded”f121 with it; love’s dart stuck in her, and she was inflamed therewith: and “languished”f122; as the Vulgate Latin version is; with earnest desires after it; nor could she be easy without it, as is the case of lovers.
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