She riseth also while it is yet night
That is, before the ascent of the morning, as Aben Ezra explains
it, before break of day; a great while before day, as Christ is
said to rise to pray, ( Mark 1:35 ) ; while it
was yet dark; so the church here: which shows her affection for
her family, her care of her children, and fervent zeal for her
husband's interest and good; a different frame of spirit this
from that of hers in ( Song of
Solomon 5:2 Song of
Solomon 5:3 ) ; and giveth meat to her household, and a
portion to her maidens;
in allusion to a daily stated allowance F17 of
food given to such; and spiritually may be meant, by her
"household" or family, the same with the family of Christ, that
is named of himself, which consists of various persons, fathers,
young men, and children; and by her "maidens" the ministers of
the word; see ( Proverbs 9:3
) ; who are stewards in the family, and have the food for it put
into their hands to dispense; it is by these the church gives
meat to her household feeds them with knowledge and
understanding, with the wholesome words of Christ, with the good
doctrines of the Gospel; these have a certain portion given them,
and they rightly cut and divide the word of truth, and give to
everyone their portion of meat in due season, according to their
age and circumstances; milk indeed to babes and meat to strong
men; see ( Luke 12:42 ) . The
Targum renders the word for "portion [by] service": understanding
not a portion of food, but of work, a task set them, and so the
word is used in ( Exodus 5:14 ) . The
Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, render it, "works",
which may be very well applied to the work and service of the
Gospel ministry, and the several parts of it.