Hebrew Word Studies (8 words)
cityDeuteronomy 3:44t., cubit1 Kings 6:2;Ezekiel 40:14, man2 Kings 25:19=Jeremiah 52:25, dayLeviticus 12:5, etc.; plural nounבָּנוֺת2Chronicles 11:21, compareSongs 3:7; after plural nounNumbers 7:88(3 cityDeuteronomy 3:44t., cubit1 Kings 6:2;Ezekiel 40:14, man2 Kings 25:19=Jeremiah 52:25, dayLeviticus 12:5, etc.; plural nounבָּנוֺת2Chronicles 11:21, compareSongs 3:7; after plural nounNumbers 7:88(3
- sixty (semantic_range)
Or (prolonged) hemmah {haym'-maw}; masculine plural fromhalak; they (only used when emphatic) -- it, like, X (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such, their, them, these, t Or (prolonged) hemmah {haym'-maw}; masculine plural fromhalak; they (only used when emphatic) -- it, like, X (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such, their, them, these, t
- of their moaning (semantic_range)
- wailing (semantic_range)
- wealth (semantic_range)
— absolute׳מEsther 1:924t. Esther; constructמַלְכַּת1 Kings 10:17t.; pluralמְלָכוֺתSongs 6:8,9; —queenof Sheba1 Kings 10:1,4,10,13 2Chron 9:1; 9:3; 9:9; 9:12 of Persia, VashtiEsther 1:97t.Esther 1; Es — absolute׳מEsther 1:924t. Esther; constructמַלְכַּת1 Kings 10:17t.; pluralמְלָכוֺתSongs 6:8,9; —queenof Sheba1 Kings 10:1,4,10,13 2Chron 9:1; 9:3; 9:9; 9:12 of Persia, VashtiEsther 1:97t.Esther 1; Es
followed by singularשָׁנָהPsalm 90:104t.,אִישׁ2 Kings 10:24;Jeremiah 41:5; followed by plural noun 2Chronicles 26:17;Ezra 8:8;Songs 6:8; noun omitted2 Kings 6:25;1 Chronicles 15:9; with other numbers, followed by singularשָׁנָהPsalm 90:104t.,אִישׁ2 Kings 10:24;Jeremiah 41:5; followed by plural noun 2Chronicles 26:17;Ezra 8:8;Songs 6:8; noun omitted2 Kings 6:25;1 Chronicles 15:9; with other numbers,
- an eighty (semantic_range)
7, construct2 Samuel 21:11,׳מִּיabsoluteGenesis 36:12;Judges 19:1, constructGenesis 35:224t.; suffixמִּילַגְשׁוֺGenesis 22:24+,שֵׁהוּ-Judges 19:24;שִׁי-Judges 20:42t.; pluralמִּלַגְשִׁים2 Samuel 5:132 7, construct2 Samuel 21:11,׳מִּיabsoluteGenesis 36:12;Judges 19:1, constructGenesis 35:224t.; suffixמִּילַגְשׁוֺGenesis 22:24+,שֵׁהוּ-Judges 19:24;שִׁי-Judges 20:42t.; pluralמִּלַגְשִׁים2 Samuel 5:132
43(J),Exodus 2:8(E),Proverbs 30:19;Isaiah 7:14; pluralעֲלָמוֺתPsalm 68:26;Songs 1:3;Songs 6:8;עַלעֲֿלָמוֺתto(the voice of)young women, either literally, or of soprano or falsetto of boys:1 Chronicles 43(J),Exodus 2:8(E),Proverbs 30:19;Isaiah 7:14; pluralעֲלָמוֺתPsalm 68:26;Songs 1:3;Songs 6:8;עַלעֲֿלָמוֺתto(the voice of)young women, either literally, or of soprano or falsetto of boys:1 Chronicles
- young woman (semantic_range)
23הַנּוֺתֵןרוֺזְנִים לְאָ֑יִןwho bringeth princesto nothing;כְּאַיִןas nothing, ib.Isaiah 40:17;Isaiah 41:11,12;Haggai 2:3;Psalm 39:6;almost(""כִּמְעַט)Psalm 73:2;מֵאַיִןof nothingIsaiah 41:24.2constr 23הַנּוֺתֵןרוֺזְנִים לְאָ֑יִןwho bringeth princesto nothing;כְּאַיִןas nothing, ib.Isaiah 40:17;Isaiah 41:11,12;Haggai 2:3;Psalm 39:6;almost(""כִּמְעַט)Psalm 73:2;מֵאַיִןof nothingIsaiah 41:24.2constr
- nought (semantic_range)
- is not (semantic_range)
24number, tale; — absolute׳מGenesis 34:30+; constructמִסְפַרExodus 16:16+; suffixמִסְמַּרְכֶםNumbers 14:29,מִסְמָּרָםJudges 21:23+; plural constructמִסְמְּרֵי1 Chronicles 12:23; —1. a.number,Judges 7: 24number, tale; — absolute׳מGenesis 34:30+; constructמִסְפַרExodus 16:16+; suffixמִסְמַּרְכֶםNumbers 14:29,מִסְמָּרָםJudges 21:23+; plural constructמִסְמְּרֵי1 Chronicles 12:23; —1. a.number,Judges 7:
Interlinear data not available for this verse yet.
Commentary
Gill's Exposition
There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. In this verse and Sol 6:9 the church is commended as she stood related to others; and is compared with them, and preferred to them. The words may be considered either as an assertion, "there are", &c. or as a supposition, "though there be", &c. yet Christ's church is but one, and excels them all. "Queens" are principal and lawful wives of kings; "concubines", secondary or half wives, as the word (i) signifies; who were
admitted to the bed, but their children did not inherit: "virgins", unmarried persons, maids of honour, who waited on the queen. The allusion is to the custom of kings and great personages, who had many wives, and more concubines, and a large number of virgins to wait on them; see Kg1 11:3 ; or to a nuptial solemnity, and the ceremony of introducing the bride to the bridegroom, attended with a large number of persons of distinction; and so Theocritus (k) speaks of four times sixty virgins attending the nuptials of Menelaus and Helena; see Psa 45:9 . By all which may be meant either the kingdoms and nations of the world; by "queens", the more large, rich and flourishing kingdoms; by "concubines", inferior states; and by "virgins without number", the vast multitudes of inhabitants that fill them; but all, put together, are not equal to the church; see Sol 2:2 ; or else false churches; by "queens", such who boast of their riches and number, as the church of Rome, Rev 18:7 ; by "concubines", such as are inferior in those things, but equally corrupt, as Arians, Socinians, &c. and by "virgins without number", the multitudes of poor, weak, ignorant people, seduced by them; and what figure soever these make, or pretensions to be the true churches of Christ, they are none of his, his spouse is preferred to them all. Or rather true believers in Christ, of different degrees, are here meant; queens, those that have the greatest share of gifts grace, most nearness to Christ, and communion with him; by "concubines", believers of a lower class, and of a more servile spirit, and yet sometimes are favoured with, fellowship with Christ; and by "virgins", young converts, who have not so large an experience as the former; and this distribution agrees with Jo1 2:13 ; and the rather this may be the sense, since each of these are said to praise the church in Sol 6:9 , who is preferable to them, and includes them all. (i) "secundariae uxores", Michaelis. (k) Idyll. 18. v. 24.