1 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. 2 As a lily among brambles, so is my love among maidens. 3 As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. 4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. 5 Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples; for I am sick with love. 6 O that his left hand were under my head, and that his right hand embraced me! 7 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the hinds of the field, that you stir not up nor awaken love until it please. 8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. 9 My beloved is like a gazelle, or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice. 10 My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; 11 for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. 13 The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 14 O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is comely. 15 Catch us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom." 16 My beloved is mine and I am his, he pastures his flock among the lilies. 17 Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle, or a young stag upon rugged mountains.
Commentary on Song of Songs 2
2:1 rose of Sharon: or 'flower of the field.' The Bridegroom says this of Himself, meaning, 'the splendor of the world.' lily of the valleys: meaning 'the glory of the lowly,' (Alcuin) or, the lowly state of Christ's parents can be perceived in this, because He chose poor ones. (Haimo of Auxerre) Or this verse means that the Church begins to actually praise itself and speaks righteously. Putting forth the aroma of the lily as a picture of the just because of the brightness of the lily. So also the works of the righteous are illuminated. In the valley however the flowers are as among thorns. Grace sprang up, as “in the midst of of the thorns” the works actions of this life.(St. Hippolytus)
2:3 apple tree: that in the apple tree there is present an aroma that is better than any fruit tree, so also is Christ among all the prophets upon the cross he gives forth his aroma as an apple tree. (St. Hippolytus)
2:4 banqueting house: the assembly of the peoples who already, by example and by preaching, give others the wine with which he makes them drunk with love. (St. Anselm)
2:5 raisins signifies the tender beginnings of virtue while apples signifies their perfection. (St. Bede) sick with love:
that is, of being in love, of being inflamed with passion. (St. Augustine) |
2:8 leaping upon mountains: that is, descending upon Mt. Sinai, where he gave the precepts of the decalogue. Mt. Sinai is called "mountains" and "hills" in the plural because of the various parts of it; or perhaps here is a case of the use of the plural for the singular, as Scripture does frequently. (Nicholas of Lyra) Perhaps it also refers to Christ's preaching and teaching in the hills and mountains, as well as the Transfiguration. Also Christ ascended from a mountain after the resurrection. (St. Jerome)
2:9 gazelle or stag: This refers to the swiftness of God's descent when he gave the Law. (Nicholas of Lyra) Or, Christ is compared to a gazelle in taking on flesh and in humility, and with a young stag in the variety of his virtues and miracles. (Alcuin)
2:11-12 The winter is the time of the synagogue, the rain, the people of the Jews, which could not look upon the Sun, the flowers are the Apostles. (St. Ambrose) Or, the winter and rain is the terrible time of Egyptian slavery, and the flowers is the delightful time of freedom. (Nicholas of Lyra)
2:14: cleft of the rock: Godly faith and true confession: (Theodoret of Cyrus)
2:15 foxes: these are heretics and schismatics. (St. Bede) |
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