6:4-10 All the real excellence and holiness on earth centre in the church. Christ goes forth subduing his enemies, while his followers gain victories over the world, the flesh, and the devil. He shows the tenderness of a Redeemer, the delight he takes in his redeemed people, and the workings of his own grace in them. True believers alone can possess the beauty of holiness. And when their real character is known, it will be commended. Both the church and believers, at their first conversion, look forth as the morning, their light being small, but increasing. As to their sanctification, they are fair as the moon, deriving all their light, grace, and holiness from Christ; and as to justification, clear as the sun, clothed with Christ, the Sun of righteousness, and fighting the good fight of faith, under the banners of Christ, against all spiritual enemies.
As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. The same descriptions are given in Sol 4:3; See Gill on Sol 4:3; and these are repeated, to show the reality of the church's beauty, and for the sake of confirmation; and that it still continued the same, notwithstanding her failings and infirmities; and that Christ had the same esteem of her, and love to her, he ever had. That part of the description, respecting the church's lips and speech, in Sol 4:3; is here omitted, though added at the end of Sol 6:6; by the Septuagint; but is not in the Hebrew copies, nor taken notice of in the Targum; yea, the Masorah, on Sol 4:2, remarks some words as only used in that place, and therefore could not be repeated here in the copies then in use.
