Verse 16
Sol 5:16 16a His palate is sweets (sweetnesses), And he is altogether precious (lovelinesses).
The palate, חך, is frequently named as the organ of speech, Job 6:30; Job 31:30; Pro 5:3; Pro 8:7; and it is also here used in this sense. The meaning, “the mouth for kissing,” which Böttch. gives to the word, is fanciful; חך (= ḥnk, Arab. ḥanak) is the inner palate and the region of the throat, with the uvula underneath the chin. Partly with reference to his words, his lips have been already praised, 13b; but there the fragrance of his breath came into consideration, his breath both in itself and as serving for the formation of articulate words. But the naming of the palate can point to nothing else than his words. With this the description comes to a conclusion; for, from the speech, the most distinct and immediate expression of the personality, advance is made finally to the praise of the person. The pluraliatant. ממתּקּים and מחמדּים designate what they mention in richest fulness. His palate, i.e., that which he speaks and the manner in which he speaks it, is true sweetness (cf. Pro 16:21; Psa 55:15), and his whole being true loveliness. With justifiable pride Shulamith next says: 16b This is my beloved and this my friend, Ye daughters of Jerusalem!
The emphatically repeated “this” is here pred. (Luth. “such an one is” ...); on the other hand, it is subj. at Exo 3:15 (Luth.: “that is” ...).
Chap. 6
Verse 1
The daughters of Jerusalem now offer to seek along with Shulamith for her beloved, who had turned away and was gone. 1 Whither has thy beloved gone, Thou fairest of women? Whither has thy beloved turned, That we may seek him with thee?
The longing remains with her even after she has wakened, as the after effect of her dream. In the morning she goes forth and meets with the daughters of Jerusalem. They cause Shulamith to describe her friend, and they ask whither he has gone. They wish to know the direction in which he disappeared from her, the way which he had probably taken (פנה, R. פן .R, to drive, to urge forward, to turn from one to another), that with her they might go to seek him (Vav of the consequence or the object, as at Psa 83:17). The answer she gives proceeds on a conclusion which she draws from the inclination of her beloved.
