Song of Solomon 8 (JND) - Bible Truth Library

• This is a love that has been proved, and found to be strong as death. Death holds men in its strong grip. Death makes sport of all man's puny strength. From the fall onwards, men and death have been in mortal combat, but death has triumphed all along the lines, until at last love - love divine - went down into the dark valley and entered into combat with death. At the Cross love came into conflict with death and love triumphed. (“Canticle 6: The Triumph of Love” by H. Smith)

• Jealousy is cruel as the grave. How pitilessly cruel is the grave. It swallows up the young, the loved, the fairest, and the brightest. It knows no pity, and so jealousy would deal without pity against all that would come between the Bridegroom and His bride. Christ must be supreme: "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of Me" (Matt. 10:37). (“Canticle 6: The Triumph of Love” by H. Smith)

• If an apostle or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel let him be accursed. This was the cruelty of jealous love. (“Canticle 6: The Triumph of Love” by H. Smith)

• We see too the vehement flame of love carrying Paul through that marvelous life, spending and being spent for the saints, leaving home and ease, facing hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness, perils, persecutions and death, constrained by the love of Christ. (“Canticle 6: The Triumph of Love” by H. Smith)

• The Bride. (Ch. 8:6-8). (“Canticle 6: The Triumph of Love” by H. Smith)

• "Set me as a seal upon Thy heart, as a seal upon Thine arm." She does not doubt His love, but she realizes that all her blessing depends upon His love, not hers. Therefore, she seeks evermore a place in His affections, forever to be upheld by His strong arm. (“Canticle 6: The Triumph of Love” by H. Smith)

• {v.6-7} Where shall we find love like this? Only in the heart of Jesus. What takes such a hold as death? What keeps it like the grave? What so unsparing as the vehement flame? There is nothing to compare with love. Were a man to offer the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be despised. Many waters cannot quench it; the floods cannot drown it. When love and death met in fearful conflict on the cross, love triumphed, and death was forever vanquished. (“Matthew 13” by F.B. Hole)

• The "seal" on the "heart" and the "arm" may refer to the breastplate and shoulder pieces, as worn by the high priest. The names of the twelve tribes were engraven on precious stones, "like the engravings of a signet," and worn on the heart [type of affection] and on the shoulder [type of strength] of the high priest, before the Lord. So shall the happy spouse, ere long, be as a, seal on the loving heart and powerful arm of her blessed Lord. (“Matthew 13” by F.B. Hole)

J. N. Darby Translation

Set me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm: For love is strong as death; Jealousy is cruel as Sheol: The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, Flames of Jah.