Thy lips [are] like a thread of scarlet
To a "thread" for thinness, to "scarlet" for colour; thin red
lips being beautiful, as well as white teeth; so the beautiful
Aspasia had red lips F2, and teeth whiter than snow; hence
we read of red and purple lips F3. Now as lips are the
instruments of speech, the words of the church, and of all true
believers, may be designed; what is said by them in their
prayers, which are filled, not with great swelling words of
vanity, exalting themselves, and magnifying their works, like the
Pharisee; but with humble confessions of sin, and acknowledgments
of their unworthiness of mercy; and they are constant, like one
continued thread, they go on praying all their days: and the
scarlet colour may denote the fervency of them, whereby they
become available with God; and the acceptableness of them to God,
through the mediation of Christ, whose blood, and not any
worthiness of theirs, is pleaded in them: their words of praise
also may be signified hereby; which are not filled with big
swollen encomiums of themselves, and of what they have done; but
with expressions of the goodness and grace of God to them; and
with thankfulness for all mercies, both temporal and spiritual,
bestowed upon them; and these are hearty and sincere, coming from
a heart inflamed with the love of God, which make such lips look
like scarlet; and that being in great esteem may intimate the
acceptableness of them to God, through the blood and sacrifice of
Christ. To which may be added, that the doctrines of the Gospel,
delivered by the ministers of the church, who are her lips, may
be taken into the sense of this clause; which are like a
"thread", spun out of the Scriptures, and are harmonious and all
of a piece, consistent and closely connected; the subject and
matter of which are the blood, sufferings, and death of Christ,
and the blessings that come thereby; and which also, like
scarlet, are valuable and precious;
and thy speech [is] comely;
which explains the preceding clause; and shows, that by her lips
her speech is meant, which is "comely", that is, graceful and
amiable; as it is when believers speak of Christ, of his person,
offices, and grace; and for him, in vindication of his truths and
ordinances; when they speak to him, in prayer or in praise; and
when, in common conversation, their speech is with grace;
thy temples [are] like a piece of a pomegranate within thy
locks;
not like a piece of the tree, but of the fruit, when the shell of
it bursts of itself, through the abundance of liquor in it; such
the Israelites found at one of their stations, and therefore
called it "Rimmonparez", the pomegranate of rupture, or the
bursted pomegranate; and in the tribe of Zebulun was a city
called Remmonmethoar, the beautiful pomegranate, ( Joshua 19:13
) ; now the rind being broken F4 it appears full of grains or
kernels, of a white colour, interspersed with a reddish purple
juice, like blood, as Pausanias remarks F5, and
looks very beautiful; and is aptly used to set forth the church's
beauty, who, like her beloved, is "white and ruddy", ( Song of Solomon
5:10 ) : by which may be meant ecclesiastical officers,
placed on an eminence in the church; to take care, among other
things, of the discipline of it, according to the laws of Christ,
( 1
Timothy 5:17 ) ( Hebrews
13:17 ) ( Romans 12:8 ) ; The
temples, in the Hebrew tongue F6, have their name from the
thinness and tenderness of them, having but little flesh on them,
and covered with a thin skin; and, in the Greek tongue
F7, from the evident beating of the
pulse in them; and their situation is between the ear and the
eye: all which denote, that such officers should be spiritual
men, and have as little carnality in them as may be; that they
should use great tenderness in the administrations of their
office, particularly in giving admonitions and reproofs: and, as
by the beating of the pulse the state of a constitution is
discerned, whether healthy or not; so the state of the church may
be judged of by the discipline of it; if that is neglected, it is
in a bad state, and in a declining condition; but if strictly
observed, it is in a healthful and flourishing one: and the
temples being between the eye and the ear may teach, that, in the
management of church affairs, the officers are to make use of
both; their ears are to be open to all; and they are not to shut
their eyes against clear and plain evidence: and being said to be
"within [her] locks", may be expressive of the meekness and
humility of such officers, who are not to lord it over God's
heritage; and of the private manner in which admonitions are to
be given, in case of private offences; and of the affairs and
concertos of a church being kept private, and not blazed abroad.
And these may be compared to "a piece of a pomegranate", because
of their being full of gifts, and grace, and good works, visible
to men; and for their harmony and union among themselves, and
with the church and its members; and the strict regard that, in
all things, is had to the rules and laws of Christ; all which
make the officers of the church, and the discipline of it,
acceptable to him. It may be further observed, that the temples,
taken largely, include the "cheeks" also; and so some render the
word F8 here; and the purple juice of the
pomegranate well expresses the colour of them; hence we read of
purple cheeks F9: and this may denote the beauty and
modesty of the church; whose blushing looks, and ruddy cheeks,
made her extremely beautiful in the eye of Christ.