The spouse aspires to an union with Christ, their mutual love for one
another.
1:1. Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are
better than wine,
Let him kiss me. . .The church, the spouse of Christ, prays that he may
love and have peace with her, which the spouse prefers to every thing
delicious: and therefore expresses (ver. 2) that young maidens, that is
the souls of the faithful, have loved thee.
1:2. Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured
out: therefore young maidens have loved thee.
1:3. Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The
king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice
in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the rightous love
thee.
Draw me. . .That is, with thy grace: otherwise I should not be able to
come to thee. This metaphor shews that we cannot of ourselves come to
Christ our Lord, unless he draws us by his grace, which is laid up in
his storerooms: that is, in the mysteries of Faith, which God in his
goodness and love for mankind hath revealed, first by his servant Moses
in the Old Law in figure only, and afterwards in reality by his only
begotten Son Jesus Christ.
1:4. I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the
tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am black but beautiful. . .That is, the church of Christ founded in
humility appearing outwardly afflicted, and as it were black and
contemptible; but inwardly, that is, in its doctrine and morality, fair
and beautiful.
1:5. Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered
my colour: the sons of my mother have fought against me, they have made
me the keeper in the vineyards: my vineyard I have not kept.
1:6. Shew me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where
thou liest in the midday, lest I begin to wander after the flocks of
thy companions.
1:7. If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and
follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the
tents of the shepherds.
If thou know not thyself, etc. . .Christ encourages his spouse to follow
and watch her flock: and though she know not entirely the power at hand
to assist her, he tells her, ver. 8, my company of horsemen, that is,
his angels, are always watching and protecting her. And in the
following verses he reminds her of the virtues and gifts with which he
has endowed her.
1:8. To my company of horsemen, in Pharao's chariots, have I likened
thee, O my love.
1:9. Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove's, thy neck as jewels.
1:10. We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.
1:11. While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the
odour thereof.
1:12. A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my
breasts.
1:13. A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of
Engaddi.
1:14. Behold thou are fair, O my love, behold thou are fair, thy eyes
are as those of doves.
1:15. Behold thou art fair, my beloved, and comely. Our bed is
flourishing.
1:16. The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress
trees.