Song of Solomon 5:12
"His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

His eyes are as the eyes of doves,.... the church's eyes are said to be, Sol 1:15 ; which are her ministers, endowed with dove like gifts in measure, as Christ is without measure, in fulness; but these are Christ's eyes, which may signify his omniscience, who has seven eyes, Zac 3:9 ; especially as that has respect unto and is concerned with his people in a way of grace and mercy, and so must look very beautiful in their view: his eyes are like "doves' eyes"; not fierce and furious, but loving and lovely; looking upon his people, under all their trials and afflictions, with sympathy and concern, to deliver them out of them: and like the eyes of doves by rivers of waters: Sanctius thinks the allusion is to the humours in which the eye is enclosed, and, as it were, swims in; hence the eyes are called "natantia lumina", by Virgil (h); but it denotes eyes like those of doves, quick and lively, as clean as milk white doves, as if

they had been "washed in milk"; clear and perspicuous, sharp sighted, and behold all persons and things, in all places, and at once; and as doves look only to their mates, so Christ's eyes of love are only on his church; he looks to none but her with his eye of special and peculiar love. Moreover, his eyes are like the eyes of doves "by the rivers of waters"; which denotes the fixedness and constancy of them: doves, by the river side, keep their eyes fixed on the purling streams, and in drinking, as Pliny (i) observes, do not erect their necks, and lift up their heads, but, keeping their eyes upon the water, drink a large draught, in the manner the beasts do; and they delight in clean water, of which they drink, and with which they wash (k): Christ, being greatly delighted with his people, has fixed his eyes on them, and he never withdraws them from them; for these waters may point at the object of Christ's love, even Gospel churches, consisting of such as are justified and sanctified by his grace, compared to "clean water"; among whom the doctrines of the Gospel are powerfully preached, the ordinances purely administered, the waters of the sanctuary flow, by which souls are delighted and refreshed; and to these Christ looks, Isa 66:2 ; and his eyes being like doves' eyes, washed with milk, may denote the purity of them, being purer eyes than to behold iniquity; and the meekness and mildness of them, not red and wrathful, but full of mercy, pity, and compassion, as if they had been washed with milk. And they are said to be, fitly set; or "sitting in fulness" (l); such as exactly fill up their holes; are set neither too, high nor too low; neither sunk in too much, nor stand out too far; but are like precious stones, in an enclosure of gold or silver, to which the allusion is; as diamonds set in a ring; or as the precious stones in the high priest's breast plate, which exactly filled the cavities made for them, and hence are called "stones of fulness", Exo 25:7 ; or, "set by fulness" (m); that is, by full channels of water, where doves delight to be; and may denote the fulness of grace, and the flows of it, by which Christ sits and dwells, and leads his people to, Rev 7:17 ; or, "setting upon fulness" (n); on the world, and the fulness of it, which is his, and he gives as much of it to his people as he think fit; and on the vast numbers of persons and things in it, and the vast variety of actions done therein; which shows the extensiveness of his omniscience: and on the "fulness" of time, fixed by him and his Father, for his coming into the world, to do the great work of redemption in it; and which, before it came, he was looking, waiting, and watching, and as it were longing till it came: and on his "fulness", the church, which is the fulness of him that filleth all in all, until he has gathered them all in, and filled them with all the gifts and graces of the Spirit, designed for them: and on the "fulness" of the Gentiles, until they are all brought in: and on his own "fulness"; both personal, "the fulness of the Godhead", which he had his eyes upon, when he undertook the work of redemption, and which supported him in it, and carried him through it; and upon his dispensatory "fulness", or fulness of grace, as Mediator, to supply the wants of his people, under all their straits and difficulties, temptations and afflictions: all which must make him exceeding lovely in the eyes of his people. (h) Aeneid. l. 5. So Ovid. Fast. l. 6. "animique oculique natabant". (i) Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 34. (k) Varro de Rustic. c. 3. s. 7. (l) "siti insitione", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. (m) "Ad plenitudinem", Tigurine version, Bochart; "juxta plenitudinem", Vatablus; so some in Brightman; "juxta fluenta plenissima" V. L. Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions. (n) "Super plenitudinem", Montanus, Mercerus.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (10 words)

H5869 עַיִן
Definition:

9seeעין.עִוְעִיםsee below I.עוה.I.עַ֫יִן859noun feminineGenesis 3:7and (Zechariah 3:9; 4:10 AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 75)masculineeye(ancient Semitic word; √ and relation to II.׳עunknown; Late Hebrewid.; Ph 9seeעין.עִוְעִיםsee below I.עוה.I.עַ֫יִן859noun feminineGenesis 3:7and (Zechariah 3:9; 4:10 AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 75)masculineeye(ancient Semitic word; √ and relation to II.׳עunknown; Late Hebrewid.; Ph

H3123 יוֹנָה
Definition:

820t.; constructיוֺנֵתPsalm 56:1; suffixיוֺנָתִיSongs 2:142t.; pluralיוֺנִיםNahum 2:86t.; constructיוֺנֵיEzekiel 7:16(see below); —doveGenesis 8:8,9,10,11,12 (all J); often of offerings,בֶּןיֿוֺנָהLev 820t.; constructיוֺנֵתPsalm 56:1; suffixיוֺנָתִיSongs 2:142t.; pluralיוֺנִיםNahum 2:86t.; constructיוֺנֵיEzekiel 7:16(see below); —doveGenesis 8:8,9,10,11,12 (all J); often of offerings,בֶּןיֿוֺנָהLev

H5921 עַל
Definition:

“The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). From the opening verses, עַל marks God’s sovereignty above the chaotic deep, foreshadowing His orderly governance of the “The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). From the opening verses, עַל marks God’s sovereignty above the chaotic deep, foreshadowing His orderly governance of the

Possible Meanings:
  • upon (semantic_range)
  • on account of (semantic_range)
  • to (semantic_range)
H0650 אָפִיק
Definition:

16channel(as holding, confining waters; in poetry) — constructאֲפִיקJob 6:15; pluralאֲפִיקִיםEzekiel 6:3+;אֲפִקִיםEzekiel 32:6; constructאֲפִיקֵיJoel 1:20+; suffixאֲפִיקֶיךָEzekiel 35:8;אֲפִיקָיוIsaia 16channel(as holding, confining waters; in poetry) — constructאֲפִיקJob 6:15; pluralאֲפִיקִיםEzekiel 6:3+;אֲפִקִיםEzekiel 32:6; constructאֲפִיקֵיJoel 1:20+; suffixאֲפִיקֶיךָEzekiel 35:8;אֲפִיקָיוIsaia

H4325 מַיִם
Definition:

14only pluralמַ֫יִםwaters, water(Late Hebrewid.; MI23[ין]מ; SI5המים; Aramaicמַיָּא,מַיִּין,Assyrianmû, pluralmê, alsomâmuDlHWB 394; ArabicEthiopic, plural; Sabean [מו],מוםpluralמון, Minaean [מה], plur 14only pluralמַ֫יִםwaters, water(Late Hebrewid.; MI23[ין]מ; SI5המים; Aramaicמַיָּא,מַיִּין,Assyrianmû, pluralmê, alsomâmuDlHWB 394; ArabicEthiopic, plural; Sabean [מו],מוםpluralמון, Minaean [מה], plur

H7364 רָחַץ
Definition:

4+, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularיִרְחַץDeuteronomy 23:12+ etc.;Imperativemasculine singularרְחַץ2 Samuel 11:8;2 Kings 5:13; masculine pluralרַחֲצוּGenesis 18:4+;Infinitive constructרְחֹץGenesis 2 4+, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularיִרְחַץDeuteronomy 23:12+ etc.;Imperativemasculine singularרְחַץ2 Samuel 11:8;2 Kings 5:13; masculine pluralרַחֲצוּGenesis 18:4+;Infinitive constructרְחֹץGenesis 2

Possible Meanings:
  • trust (semantic_range)
H2461 חָלָב
Definition:

1835t. +Ezekiel 34:3(see below); constructחֲלֵבExodus 23:195t.; suffixחֲלָבִיSongs 5:1,חֲלָבֵךְEzekiel 25:4; —milk:a.as common foodGenesis 18:8(J; distinct fromחֶמְאָהcurd, q. v.),חֲלֵב צאֹןDeuteronom 1835t. +Ezekiel 34:3(see below); constructחֲלֵבExodus 23:195t.; suffixחֲלָבִיSongs 5:1,חֲלָבֵךְEzekiel 25:4; —milk:a.as common foodGenesis 18:8(J; distinct fromחֶמְאָהcurd, q. v.),חֲלֵב צאֹןDeuteronom

Possible Meanings:
  • fat (semantic_range)
  • fat (semantic_range)
  • fat (semantic_range)
  • choicest (semantic_range)
  • best part (semantic_range)
H3427 יָשַׁב
Definition:

8,19וישב,Judges 1:13ואשב,dwell; Phoenicianישבdwell; ZinjirliישבsitDHMSendsch. 58; Assyrianašâbu,sit,dwell, DlHWB 244; Arabicleap, jump, Himyer. dialectsit, Lane2919; EthiopicII. 1secum cohabitare face 8,19וישב,Judges 1:13ואשב,dwell; Phoenicianישבdwell; ZinjirliישבsitDHMSendsch. 58; Assyrianašâbu,sit,dwell, DlHWB 244; Arabicleap, jump, Himyer. dialectsit, Lane2919; EthiopicII. 1secum cohabitare face

Possible Meanings:
  • remain (semantic_range)
H5921 עַל
Definition:

“The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). From the opening verses, עַל marks God’s sovereignty above the chaotic deep, foreshadowing His orderly governance of the “The Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). From the opening verses, עַל marks God’s sovereignty above the chaotic deep, foreshadowing His orderly governance of the

Possible Meanings:
  • upon (semantic_range)
  • on account of (semantic_range)
  • to (semantic_range)
H4402 מִלֵּאת
Definition:

only׳ישְׁבוֺת עַלמֿSongs 5:12of lover's eyes; AE De BaeKausetting, perhaps better border, rim, Öttli Wildfulness, abundance, of surrounding of eye.Topical LexiconMeaning and ImageryIn the single canon only׳ישְׁבוֺת עַלמֿSongs 5:12of lover's eyes; AE De BaeKausetting, perhaps better border, rim, Öttli Wildfulness, abundance, of surrounding of eye.Topical LexiconMeaning and ImageryIn the single canon

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