Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
Ver. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men] Heb. Thou art double fairer. The Hebrew word is doubled, ad corroborandum, saith Kimchi; Valde Pulchruisti (Vat.). It may very well be that Solomon was, for his beauty, another Nireus; and for his eloquenee, another Nestor; wisdom might make his face to shine. Of Christ we are sure, that his body, being of the finest temperament, and no way diseased, could not be but very beautiful. The Roman register reporteth him to have been of a reverend countenance, his stature somewhat tall, his hair after the colour of the ripe hazel nut, his forehead smooth and plain, his face without wrinkle, mixed with moderate red, his eyes grey, various, and clear (Lentulus ad Senat. ap. Magdeb. Cent. 1). Surely if Stephen's face was "as the face of an angel," and if with his bodily eyes he could pierce the heavens, and see there what he would; how much more could the Lord Christ, whose very manhood came the nearest unto God of any that ever was or could be? His very countenance did express a Divinity in him. And what if to the Jews, who esteemed him not, but maligned him, and crucified him, he had "neither form nor beauty?" Isaiah 53:2; what if he were so broken at thirty-three years of age, with continual pains and grief for them, that they judged him well-nigh fifty? John 8:57; yet he was every way complete and comely above all the children of men; yea, above all the angels in heaven; for in him the "Godhead dwelt bodily," Colossians 2:9, and we "beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth," John 1:14. His soul was like a rich pearl in a rough shell; like the tabernacle, goat's hair without, but gold within; or as Brutus's staff, cuius intus solidum aurum corneo velabatur cortice (Plutarch). He was all-glorious within; had a fulness of grace above that of Adam, John 1:16, as much as a creature was capable of; and more near familiarity with the Godhead than any creature.
Grace is poured into thy lips] So that thou canst gracefully deliver thyself in a set speech. Solomon could, no doubt, as another Phocion or Pericles; in whose lips, πειθω τις επεκαθηρο, said Eupolis, sat a strange persuasive faculty; so that he could prevail with the people at his pleasure. Jesus Christ could much more do so; for together with his words there went forth a power; he spoke as never man spake; he spoke with authority, and not as the Scribes; all that heard him wondered at the words of grace that proceeded out of his mouth, Luk 4:22 Isaiah 50:4 .
Therefore God hath blessed thee] Or better, because that God hath blessed thee, and endowed thee with such gifts and graces.