I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all [kind of] fruits:
Ver. 5. I made me gardens.] So called, because guarded and enclosed with a wall, Son 4:12 like as we call garments quasi guardments, in an active acception of the word, because they guard our bodies from the injury of wind and weather. The Hebrew word גן, Gan, comes likewise from a word that signifieth to protect or guard; and there are those who give this for a reason why the Lord forbade the Jews to keep swine, because they are such enemies to gardens, whereof that country is very full.
And orchards.] Heb., Paradises; famous for curious variety and excellence of all sorts of trees and foreign fruits, resembling even the garden of God for amenity and delight. And herein perhaps he gratified Pharaoh's daughter - the Egyptians took great pleasure in gardens - like as that king of Assyria did his wife horto pensili, with a garden that hung in the air, to his incredible cost. a
a Athenaeus, Diod., lib. ii. cap. 4. Q. Curt., lib. v.