13. His cheeks are like beds of balsam, &c. His round cheeks with the pullulating beard, resemble beds growing aromatic plants. The Sept., Arabic, Æth., Chald., read ‏מְגַדִּלוֹת‎, the part. Piel, instead of ‏מִגְדְּלוֹת‎, which many modern commentators follow, but without MS. authority. The lily here referred to is most probably the crown imperial, of a deep red colour, whose leaves contain an aqueous humidity, which gathers itself in the form of pearls, especially at noon, and distils clear and pellucid drops; see Rosenmüller, Alther, iv. 138; Winer, Bib. Dict. s.v. There is, however, no necessity for referring the words “distilling liquid myrrh,” to the lilies. Indeed, it seems to be more consonant with the context, to take them as predicated of the lips, expressing the sweetness of his conversation. Comp. iv. 11. 14. His hands are like, &c. His rounded arms and fingers tipped with well-shaped nails, as if inlaid with precious stones, resemble golden cylinders: and his white and smooth body, covered with a delicate blue vest, resembles polished ivory. ‏גָּלִיל‎ (from ‏גָּלַל‎, to roll), a roller, a cylinder. Kleuker, Gesenius, Döpke, &c., translate ‏יָדָיו גְּלִילֵי זָהָב χρυσός, gold, and λίθος, a stone), is of a yellow or gold colour, and pellucid. Being of a glass lustre, the chrysolite is beautifully chosen to represent the nails. The words ‏מְמֻלָּאִים בַּתַּרְשִׁישׁ‎ refer to ‏יָדָיו‎. The expression ‏מֵעִים‎, prop. the internal parts of the human frame (v. 4), is here used for the external = the body; so Dan. ii. 32. ‏עֶשֶׁת‎ is taken by most modern commentators to denote something fabricated, or wrought; an artificial work; thus deducing this sense from the secondary meaning of ‏עָשַׁת‎, which the Syriac (ܥܰܒܕܳܐ‎, work,) seems to favour; but this is incompatible with the description here given of the beloved. The Shulamite, throughout the whole of this delineation, depicts the splendour and colour of the body as they dazzle the eye, but makes no reference to the wondrous construction of the frame, which could have been discerned only by the exercise of the intellect. It is therefore better, with Ibn Ezra, Kimchi, Rashi, Rashbam, Luther, Auth. Version, Mendelssohn, Kleuker, Williams, Good, Hengstenberg, &c. to take ‏עֶשֶׁת‎, from ‏עָשַׁת‎, in its primary meaning, to shine, to be bright, in the sense of brightness, polish; comp. Jer. v. 28.