Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Song of Solomon 7:1
A historical reference excerpt for this verse.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.
How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, etc.] It is no unusual thing to describe the comeliness of women by their feet, and the ornaments of them; so Hebe is described by Homerf415 as having beautiful feet, and Juno by her golden shoes: particular care was taken of, and provision made for, the shoes of queens and princesses in the eastern countries; Herodotusf416 tells us, that the city of Anthylla was given peculiarly to the wife of the king of Egypt, to provide her with shoes; which custom, he says, obtained when Egypt became subject to Persia; (see Gill on “<170218>Esther 2:18”). Shoes of a red, or scarlet, or purple colour, were in esteem with the Jews; and so the Targum here is, “purple shoes:” the word used is thought by somef417 to signify a colour between scarlet and purple; (see <261610>Ezekiel 16:10); and also with the Tyrian virginsf418; and so with the Romansf419; and with whom likewise white shoesf420 were much in use. That this is said of the church, is plain from the appellation of her, O Prince’s daughter! the same with the King’s daughter, (<194513>Psalm 45:13); the daughter of the King of kings; for, being espoused to Christ, his Father is her Father, and his God her God: besides, she is born of him who is the Prince of the kings of the earth, (<620228>1 John 2:28); she is both a Prince’s wife and a Prince’s daughter. It may be rendered, “O noble”, or “princely daughter”f421! being of a free princely spirit, in opposition to a servile one, (<195112>Psalm 51:12); of a bountiful and liberal spirit, as in, (<233205>Isaiah 32:5-8); in distributing temporal things to the necessities of the poor; and in communicating spiritual things to the comfort and edification of others. Some take these to be the words of the daughters of Jerusalem, wondering at the church’s beauty, on turning herself to them as they desired: but they are rather the words of Christ; who, observing the church speak so meanly of herself, in order to encourage her, gives a high commendation of her in this and some following verses, and begins with her “feet”; not her ministers, who are “shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace”, (<490615>Ephesians 6:15), and who appear beautiful in the eyes of those who have any knowledge of the good things they publish and proclaim; for they are set in the highest place in the church: but here the lowest and meanest members of the church are meant; whose outward walk, the feet are the instruments of, may be said to be “beautiful with shoes”, when they are ready to every good work; when their conversation is ordered aright, is agreeably to the word of God, and as becomes the Gospel of Christ; and which, like shoes, is a fence against the briers and thorns, the reproaches and calumnies, of the world; and when there is such a lustre upon it that it cannot but be seen and observed by spectators, by which they are excited to glorify God, it is so beautiful in the eyes of Christ, that to such he shows the salvation of God; the joints of thy thighs [are] like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman; a skilful artificer, a goldsmith or jeweller: the allusion seems to be to some ornaments about the knees or legs, wore by women in those times; (see <230318>Isaiah 3:18); and this may serve to set off the lustre and beauty of the church’s conversation. And since it seems not so decent to describe the parts themselves mentioned, the words may rather design the “femoralia”, or garments, with which they were covered;…
This public page shows a contextual excerpt from the locally available source text.
How to use this source
This excerpt is attributed to its named commentary. It is included as a historical study resource and should be evaluated in light of Scripture and other relevant evidence.
