Pleasant words [are as] an honeycomb
Jarchi interprets it of the words of the law; but it may be much
better understood of the doctrines of the Gospel; such as the
doctrines of God's everlasting love, eternal election, the
covenant of grace, the person of Christ as God-man; of peace and
reconciliation by his blood; of remission of sins through his
atoning sacrifice; of justification by his righteousness; of life
and salvation by his obedience, sufferings, and death; all the
doctrines of grace, which show that salvation in all its parts is
owing entirely to the free grace of God; these are all pleasant
to the ear of him that knows the joyful sound, and to the taste
of everyone that has tasted that the Lord is gracious. The
precious promises of the Gospel may be meant; which are free and
unconditional, irrevocable, and immutable, never fail of
accomplishment; are yea and amen in Christ, and are suited to the
various cases of God's people; these are very pleasant and
delightful, when they are fitly spoken, and seasonably applied.
Moreover, the speech of such as are wise in heart, true believers
in Christ; their words, whether expressed in prayer or in praise,
are pleasant to the Lord, and very grateful and acceptable to
him: so their speech one to another, when about spiritual things;
when it is with grace, then it ministers grace, and is very
pleasant. Now all these, and especially the doctrines of the
Gospel, are as "an honeycomb"; they are like unto it for the
manner of its production; it is wrought and filled by the
laborious bee, which goes from flower to flower, and gathers
honey, and brings it into the hive, and there disposes of it: so
laborious ministers of the Gospel gather their doctrines from the
sacred Scriptures, which they diligently search, and go from one
to another, and gather something from each; and, being richly
laden with the fulness of the blessing Of the Gospel of Christ,
bring it into the hive of the church, and there feed men with
knowledge and understanding: and the doctrines of the Gospel are
like unto the honeycomb for the manner of its communication, by
dropping freely, gradually, and constantly; so Gospel ministers
drop the pleasant words of the Gospel freely, and without
pressing, having no other constraint but love to Christ and the
souls of men; they do it gradually, as men are able to bear; and
constantly preach the word, in season and out of season: and as
the honey which drops from the honeycomb is the choicest honey,
called "life honey"; such are the truths of the Gospel, they are
excellent things, the most excellent. Likewise these are as the
honeycomb for the honey in it; they are like the honey out of the
rock the Israelites ate of; and like that out of the lion Samson
fed upon; and like that which Jonathan tasted, that enlightened
his eyes. The Gospel flows from Christ, the Rock; and is to be
found in him, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and as slain, and
has an enlightening virtue in it; and particularly these pleasant
words are said to be as the honeycomb for its sweetness and
healthfulness, as follows: sweet to the soul, and health to
the bones;
they are "sweet" to the "soul" of him that understands them, and
that has a spiritual taste of them; not to a natural and
unregenerate man, whose natural taste remains in him, and is not
changed; who calls evil good, and good evil; puts bitter for
sweet, and sweet for bitter; to him the doctrines of the Gospel
are insipid, tasteless, and disagreeable things: nor are they
sweet to a carnal professor; who, though he may express some
value for them, has no spiritual gust and relish of them; but to
them that believe, to whom Christ is precious, who have tasted
that he is gracious; to these they are sweet, even sweeter than
the honey or the honeycomb, ( Psalms 19:10
) ( 119:103 ) ( Song of
Solomon 2:3 ) (
Ezekiel 2:1-3:27 ) . And they are "health to the bones"; they
are the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus; they are the means of
curing the diseases of the mind; of healing wounded spirits, and
broken hearts, and broken bones; they make the bones which were
broken to rejoice; what heals the bones strengthens the whole
man, a man's strength lying much in his bones; these strengthen
the inward man, cause believers to go from strength to strength,
and to hold on and persevere to the end.