An Exposition of the Book of Solomon's Song: Commonly Called Canticles (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from An Exposition of the Book of Solomon's Song: Commonly Called CanticlesThe following Exposition was delivered in one hundred and twenty-two sermons, to the Congregation where God in his providence has placed me, and were designed only for their use, profit, and edification. Had I had any thoughts of publishing it to the world when I entered upon it, perhaps it might have appeared with some little more advantage than now it does; nor had it appeared now, had not the importunity of the people to whom I minister, with others, obliged me to it; to which I the more readily complied, considering that the authority and usefulness of this book are called is question in this loose and degenerate age; in which, not only this, but all scripture is ridiculed and burlesqued, and the great doctrines of faith therein contained treated with the utmost sneer and contempt; and therefore would willingly contribute all I can towards the vindicating of this, or any other part of the sacred writings; which, being given by inspiration of God, are "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness."I have in the performance of this work, consulted the original text, with the versions of several learned men; and have taken notice of them where they have differed from our translation, or have furnished out a proper and useful observation. I have also inspected several interpreters upon this book, both Jewish and Christian, and have collected their several senses together; and generally, if not always, have humbly given my opinion which is the most eligible. The versions which I have made use of, are those of the Septuagint, the Vulgate Latin, the Tigurine, Junius and Tremellius, Arias Montanus, Pagninus, &c. The writings and interpreters which I have consulted, of the Jewish, are Shirhashirim Rabba, Targum, Jarchi, Aben Ezra, Alshech, and Yalcut Simeoni, together with the books of Zohar and Rabboth, which are intersperse…