Verse 13
13. Shulamite is, in Hebrew, the same as “Shunammite.” Shunem was a little village near Jezreel, the residence of Abishag, the last wife of David, and of the woman whose son Elisha restored to life. The address of the verse is to one who is, apparently, in the act of departing. The speaker, in the first period, may be either the King or the Chorus.
The Shulamite Representing herself as one of the people of the village, the proper translation should be, “a Shulamite;” that is, an humble country girl.
The company of two armies This very difficult passage can, on the whole, have but one of two meanings. One is, “a dance of double lines,” as when the dancers are arranged in rows facing each other. It would then be poetically equivalent to “many beauties and graces in harmony.” Its other sense would be taken from Genesis 32:1-2, where Jacob and his company are met by the vision of angels, and he calls the place Mahanaim, because angels as well as mortals are there. This would poetically signify, “Something more than human, more fair and lovely, seems added to our company when thou art here.” The idea of angels was always familiar to the Jewish mind, nor is this sense of the word extravagant. In either case and sound criticism can hardly admit the possibility of a third the speech is very highly complimentary.
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