Song of Solomon 4:10
How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse!.... Of these titles, See Gill on "Song of Solomon 4:8";
See Gill on "Song of Solomon 4:9"; and of the love of the church to Christ,
See Gill on "Song of Solomon 1:3"; here said to be "fair", lovely and delightful, grateful and acceptable; as it is to Christ, in the several acts and effects of it, and therefore the word is plural, "thy loves" {r}; being exceeding beautiful in his eye, and extremely well pleasing to him; therefore says, "how fair!" as admiring it, it being hard to say how fair it was; and this appears from the large manifestations of Christ's love to those that love him; and from his causing all things to work together for the good of such; and from his preparing and laying up things, unseen and unheard of, for them;
how much better is thy love than wine! which is saying the same thing of her love to him she says of his to her, Song of Solomon 1:2; her love to Christ is more pleasant, more cheering, and more acceptable to him, than the wine of legal sacrifices, or than all burnt offerings; or than any duty whatever, unless that is the principle from whence it flows,
and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! the same with Christ's ointments, commended Song of Solomon 1:3; namely, the graces of the Spirit, which are in Christ without measure, and from him communicated to his people; and when exercised by them, are very delightful to him, and preferred by him to "all spices": even to all those used in the holy anointing oil, typical of them, Exodus 30:23.
{r} Kydwd "amores tui", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.