Thy wife [shall be] as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine
house
The vine being a weak and tender tree, which needs propping and supporting; and often is fastened to the sides of a house, to which the allusion here is; whereunto it cleaves, and on which it runs up, and bears very agreeable fruit; it is properly used to express the weakness and tenderness of the female sex, their fruitfulness in bearing children, and their care of domestic affairs, being keepers at home; see ( 1 Peter 3:7 ) ( 1 Thessalonians 5:14 ) ( Titus 2:5 ) . Kimchi observes, that the vine is the only tree men plant within doors; which, when it is grown up, they bring out at a hole or window of the house without, to have the sun and air; and so its root is within the house, and the branches without: and he observes, that a modest woman is within the house, and does not go without, and is only seen by her husband; but her children, like the branches of the vine, go out to work. This may be applied to Christ and his church; to him the other characters agree: he, as man, is one that feared the Lord; the grace of fear was in him; the spirit of fear rested on him; and he was in the exercise of it, and walked in all the ways of the Lord, ( Isaiah 11:1-3 ) ( Hebrews 5:7 ) ; he now sees and enjoys the travail or labour of his soul to satisfaction, and is made most blessed for evermore, ( Isaiah 53:11 ) ( Psalms 21:6 ) . The church is the bride, the Lamb's wife, the spouse of Christ; and may be compared to a vine for her weakness in herself, her fruitfulness in grace and good works, and in bringing forth souls to Christ, through the ministry of the word; all which is pleasant and grateful to him; see ( Psalms 80:14 ) ( Song of Solomon 2:15 ) ( 7:12 ) ;
thy children like olive plants round about thy table;
a numerous offspring was always accounted a very great blessing; and it must be very pleasant to a parent to see his children round about his table, placed in their proper order according to their age, partaking of what it is furnished with: Job, in his time of prosperity, had many children; and, next to the presence of the Almighty with him, he mentions this of his children being about him; see ( Job 1:2 ) ( 29:6 ) . This may be applied to the spiritual seed and offspring of Christ, which are like to olive trees or olive plants; to which David is compared, ( Psalms 52:8 ) ; the two anointed ones in ( Zechariah 4:11 Zechariah 4:14 ) ; the two witnesses in ( Revelation 11:4 ) ; and all true believers in Christ may; because of their excellency, these being choice plants; because of their fruitfulness and beauty; because of their fatness, and having oil in them; and because of their perpetuity, being ever green; see ( Jeremiah 11:16 ) ( Hosea 14:6 ) . Now Christ has a table, which he has well furnished, at which he himself sits, and places these his children all around; and whom he welcomes to the entertainment he makes, and takes delight and pleasure in them, ( Song of Solomon 1:12 ) ( 5:1 ) . Kimchi observes, the olive trees do not admit of a graft from other trees; see ( Romans 11:24 ) ; and so this denotes the legitimacy of those children, being free from all suspicion of being spurious, being born of such a wife as before described; and being green and moist all the year long, denotes their continuance in good works.