Or ever one was aware, my soul made me [like] the chariots
of
Amminadib.
] These are either the words of the church or of Christ, saying,
"I know not" F25 as the first clause may be
rendered: if the words of the church, the sense may be, that
though she knew not where her beloved was gone, when he went from
her, yet she ran about in search of him as swiftly as the
chariots of Amminadib; and when she did know that he was gone
down into the garden, immediately, on a sudden, at an unawares,
such was the strength of her love and affection to him, the she
moved as swiftly after him as if she had been in one of those
chariots; and this may signify also her courage and resolution,
that, notwithstanding all difficulties and discouragements she
met with, she drove on as briskly and as courageously after him
as ever Amminadib did, in one of his chariots, in the field of
battle: or, "I know not"; whether in the body or out of the body;
such was the rapture and ecstasy she was in, when she heard her
beloved say, "I went down into the garden of nuts" or, when she
heard the daughters' commendations of her, she did not think that
such belonged to her, and therefore said, "I know not"; however,
this caused her to make the greater haste to answer such
characters, and to enjoy the company of her beloved. But rather
they are the words of Christ, who was now in his garden,
observing the condition it was in, and says, "I know not", or do
not perceive F26, that it was in a fruitful and
flourishing case, and therefore took all the speedy methods he
could to bring it into a better; or being in a transport of love
to his church, it caused him speedily to return unto her, and
grant her his presence; offer all necessary assistance, and be as
chariots to her, to carry her through difficulties, and to
protect and defend her from all enemies: and this his soul caused
him to do, not her worth and worthiness, love and loveliness, but
his own good will and pleasure, and cordial affection for her.
Many take Amminadib to be the proper name of a person, who was
one of Solomon's chariot drivers, that understood his business
well, and drove swiftly, and with success, to whom Christ
compares himself, when returning to his church with haste: but I
rather think, with Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and others, that it is an
appellative, consisting of two words, "ammi", my people, and
"nadib", willing or princely, and may be rendered, "the chariots
of my willing" or "princely people" F1; meaning, not angels,
nor ministers, but the people of Christ themselves, to whom he is
as chariots; for so I should choose to translate the words, "my
soul made me as chariots to my willing" or "princely people"; and
so describes the persons who share in this instance of his grace;
they are such who are made willing by Christ, in the day of his
power on them, to be saved by him, and serve him, ( Psalms 110:3
) ; and who are of a free, princely, and munificent spirit, (
Psalms 2:12 )
; being princes, and the sons and daughters of a prince, (
Song of Solomon 7:1
) ; to these Christ makes himself as chariots, as he now was to
the church, and took her up along with him to enjoy his presence,
she had sought for and desired. Wherefore the daughters of
Jerusalem, who had accompanied her hitherto in search of him,
perceiving she was going from then, say what follows.