| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| 1 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. |
Thou art fair – Possessing the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, faith and love, we are lovely in the eyes of our Beloved. R5862:6
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| 2 Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. |
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| 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. |
Of scarlet – Symbol of the redemption from the Adamic curse through the blood of the ransom of Christ. T34, T109
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| 4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. |
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| 5 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. |
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| 6 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. |
Until the day break – The Millennial day. The Bridegroom, feeling the loneliness of the night, longs, like the Bride, for the day. R303:2*
I – Christ Jesus. R303:2*
Get me to the mountain – To enjoy the freshest odors and to catch the earliest gleams of dawn. R303:4*
Of myrrh – Symbol of wisdom. R4093:2*
To the hill – On that hill let us meet him in faith and watch with him in hope. R303:4*
Of frankincense – Symbol of praise. R3703:4
Showing the relationship between the Bridegroom and the Bride. R84:5*
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| 7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. |
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| 8 Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. |
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| 9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. |
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| 10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! |
Than wine – Symbol of doctrine. R3962:4
Of thine ointments – Symbol of the holy Spirit. T37
The holy anointing oil, the holy Spirit. R4232:2*
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| 11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. |
And milk – Food for spiritual babes. A24; D577
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| 12 A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. |
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| 13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, |
Of pomegranates – Symbol of the rich fruitage of Christ's redemptive work. T30
With pleasant fruits – Symbol of the fruits of the spirit. E206
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| 14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: |
Calamus – Symbol of knowledge which we receive from God's Word. R4093:1*
And cinnamon – Symbol of our understanding of the knowledge which we receive from God's Word. R4093:1*
Trees of frankincense – Representing praise, heart adoration. R3703:4
Myrrh – Symbol of wisdom. R4093:2*
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| 15 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. |
A fountain – Symbol of the Word of God. B266; R565:1
Of living waters – Symbol of truth. C65
North wind – An unseen force. A wind of sorrow, trouble, disagreeableness. R4249:4*, R5815:2*
Come, thou south – A wind of pleasantness, joy, peace, etc. R4249:4*, R5815:2*
Blow upon – Actuate. Let the joys and sorrows try the Church to demonstrate which is true and which is false. R4249:4*
My garden – The great mass of nominal Christianity, including the true Church. R4249:4*
Spices thereof may flow – That the graces of the spirit may become manifest. R4249:4*
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| 16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. |
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