John Trapp on Song of Solomon 5:10

Verſ. 10. My Beloved is white and ruddy, &c.] Love lacks no Rhetorick to lay forth the thing beloved in livelieſt colours; White and ruddy, What can bee more laudable and lovely? What can come nearer to a perfect ſymmetry, to a ſound and ſure conſtitution and complexion? Sure it is, that theſe two being comelily mixed, do make the moſt beautifull or orient look or colour; (ſee the Prophets deſcription of the Nazarites, Lam. 4.7.) And note (ſaith an Expoſitour) that the Holy Ghoſt joyneth both theſe together: the whiteneſs making the ruddineſs more freſh and fair, and the ruddineſs diſcerning the whiteneſs from paleneſs of face, or phlegmatick complexion. Sed ſunt in his myſteria inveſtiganda (ſaith another) ita que candor refert divinam Chriſti naturam, rubor humanam. White and red may ſignifie Chriſts God-head and Man-hood. God is called the Ancient of days, Dan. 9.7. his head and his hairs are white like wool, as white as ſnow, Rev. 1.14. Man had his name Adam of the red earth, out of which hee was taken, Gen. 2.7. Chriſt alſo, the ſecond Adam, became red with his own blood, whereby hee purchaſed the Church, Act. 10.28▪ (a bloody Spouſe ſhee was unto him) and paved for her a new and lively way into the moſt holy place, Heb. 10.20. Upon the battlements whereof hee hangs out ſtill, (as once that war-like Scythian did) a white flag of grace and mercy to penitent perſons, that humble themſelves at his feet for favour: but a red flag of juſtice and ſeverity to thoſe his enemies, that will not have him to rule over them: in token whereof his rayment is ſaid to be red, Iſa. 63.1, 2, 3. his veſture dipt in blood, Rev. 19.13.

The chiefeſt among ten thouſand] Heb. vexillatus praedecem millibus, that is, famous and conſpicuous among and above many, as Saul was higher than the people by the head and ſhoulders, as the Hachmonite was the chief of Davids mighties, 1 Chron. 11.11. Or the ſtandard-bearer of ten thouſand. Now the goodlieſt, and withall the ableſt men uſe to carry the banner or ſtandard. Chriſt ſtandeth for an enſign of the people, Iſa. 11.10. and hath ten thouſand times ten thouſand ſtanding before him, following him whereſoever he goeth, Rev. 7.9, 14. and ſinging, We will rejoyce in thy ſalvation, and in the name of our God, vexillabimus, wee will ſet up our banner, Pſal. 20.6. The Churches deſign here is to hold out Chriſt as altogether matchleſs and incomparable, that there is none like him in the earth, (as God ſaid of Job, chap. 1.8.) to teach us to eſteem him, as the people did David, more worth than ten thouſand others, 2 Sam. 18.3. to ſet him upon the chief chariot, and to give him the ſole command of all, as Pharaoh dealt by Joſeph. And as the Sun, Moon, and eleven ſtars in Joſephs viſion did obeyſance to him: ſo let our ſouls, bodies, all our temporal, natural, moral, and ſpiritual abilities be ſubject and ſerviceable to Chriſt; who, if hee be the chiefeſt of ten thouſand, ought to have as much love as ten thouſand hearts put into one, could hold.