Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Song of Solomon 5:11
A historical reference excerpt for this verse.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.
His head [is as] the most fine gold, etc.] Here the church enters into a particular description and commendation of her beloved, which continues to the end of the chapter; and she begins with his “head”, which she compares to the most fine gold. Some think that some ornament of the head is meant, as a diadem or crown of gold; or else the hair of the head, which, though afterwards said to be black, yet being powdered with gold dust, looked of the colour of gold, especially in the rays of the sun upon it; as did the hair of Solomon’s youths that attended him, being thus decorated, as Josephusf334 relates; and which custom of powdering the hair with gold dust was used by some of the Roman emperorsf335. The gold here is called “gold of Phaz”, or “Uphaz”, as in (<271005>Daniel 10:5). “Fez”, with the Arabs, signifies gold; the city of Fez had its name from hence; in a place where it was built, a quantity of gold was found in it, which gave it its namef336: according to Schultensf337, gold is called “phaz”, from its leaping as it were out of the clods of the earth, and shining forth and glistering after a shower of rain falling on the earth, where there is a mine of it, by which means it is discovered; and of such gold, as the finest and purest, Diodorus Siculusf338 speaks, as found in Arabia; and which, from the purity of it, was called “apyron”, because it needed no purifying by fire: and this being the best and finest, is used to express the superlative excellence of Christ; for it may be rendered, “the gold of gold”f339, there is none like it. By Christ’s “head” some understand the Father of Christ, said to be the Head of Christ, (<461103>1 Corinthians 11:3) not as Christ is a divine Person, but as man and Mediator; who, as such, was subject to his Father, supported and upheld by him; and who, for his excellent glory, is compared to the most fine gold, there being no glory like his. Or else the divine nature in Christ may be meant, which is the head, the chief and principal nature in him; which puts a glory on him, and an efficacy in all he did and suffered; and which is like pure, fine, shining gold, in which all the perfections of deity shine resplendently. Or rather the headship of Christ over his church is meant; as Nebuchadnezzar’s monarchy is represented by a head of gold, (<270232>Daniel 2:32,37,38); so Christ’s, because his kingdom is great and glorious, pure and spiritual, solid and substantial, lasting and durable, yea, everlasting; his locks [are] bushy, [and] black as a raven; which figures are used to set forth the beauty and comeliness of Christ: thick, bushy, well set hair, or “pendulous”f340, as some render the word, hanging down upon the forehead and cheeks in a beautiful manner, makes very comely; and black hair was reckoned comelyf341; and the blackness of a raven is accounted a very fine black: and naturalistsf342 say, that the eggs, brains, and blood of ravens, have been used to make the hair black. By these “bushy [and] black locks” of Christ some understand the thoughts and purposes of God, the Head of Christ; which, like hair, and like black bushy hair, are intricate, dark, and obscure, unsearchable and incomprehensible; and yet, so far as known, are beautiful and delightful; especially as they appear in the scheme of salvation, drawn in the eternal mind: or rather, as by others, believers in Christ are meant, for their numbers, dependence on Christ, and nourishment from him; (see Gill on “<220401>Song of Solomon…
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