Admiration by the Bridegroom 1 How beautiful are your steps in sandals, daughter of a noble! The curves of your thighs are like ornaments, the work of a craftsman’s hands.
Jerome · AD 420 The virgin bridegroom, having been praised by the virgin bride, in turn praises the virgin bride and says to her, "How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O daughter of Aminadab," which is, being interpreted, a people that offers itself willingly. For virginity is voluntary, and therefore the steps of the church in the beauty of chastity are praised.
Bede · AD 735 The joining of your thighs is like a necklace, etc. Scripture often uses the thighs to symbolize the succession of offspring. For it says: All the souls that entered with Jacob into Egypt, and came out from his thigh, apart from the wives of his sons, were sixty-six souls (Gen. XLVI).
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 The daughter of the prince is called the holy Church, because she is regenerated into new life by the preaching of Christ, who through the power of his divinity rules over every creature that he made.
2 Your navel is a rounded bowl — let mixed wine not be lacking. Your belly is a heap of wheat, hedged about with lilies.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 His navel is described as a round bowl that never lacks mixed wine, because in all knowledge it is rounded, not lacking in spiritual drink. And his belly is not only nourished by a heap of wheat, that is, by more powerful nourishment of the celestial mystery, but also filled with the sweetness of certain lilies of moral virtue.
Bede · AD 735 Your navel is a rounded goblet, etc. The navel, which is the most fragile member of our body, rightly signifies the frailty of our mortality.
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 The navel is also the order of holy preachers, which is fittingly called a goblet, because while the people are instructed through them, they are intoxicated with spiritual wine by their ministry. It is fittingly called "turned on a lathe," because it is necessary that the tongue of the preacher be turned according to the customs of all people.
3 Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.
Bede · AD 735 Two breasts, etc. We have spoken abundantly about this verse above; but now it should be briefly recalled that rightly after the belly of the bride, her breasts are commended, because indeed the holy Church offers milk to her little ones, whom she generates in Christ from the sacrosanct womb of the saving water, from the nourishment of the neophytes, with gentler doctrine, unti…
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 The two breasts are two peoples: because while they always live in fraternal love, they nourish one another with the milk of piety in charity.
4 Your neck is like the tower of ivory. Your eyes are pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, which looks toward Damascus.
Bede · AD 735 Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, etc. Because by the nose odors and stench are usually distinguished, the dispensers of the word of God, who had previously been designated for certain reasons to the neck and eyes of the Church; now also for the cause of very beneficial discretion, which is proven by the fathers to be the mother of virtues, is designated in the nose, beca…
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 The neck of the bride is said to be like a tower of ivory; because the preachers of the Church are considered both lofty through contemplation, and strong through the exercise of holy works, and precious through divine wisdom. Heshbon is interpreted as the girdle of sorrow.
5 Your head upon you is like Carmel, and the hair of your head like purple — a king is bound in the tresses.
Theodoret of Cyrus · AD 458 "The hair of your head like purple, a king caught in its tresses." Your hair was previously loose and hence was compared with the flocks of goats emerging in Gilead, whereas now it is caught up, and not only caught up but also wondrously dyed, resembling a king clad in purple and hastening in all directions.
Bede · AD 735 Your head is like Carmel, etc. In the head of the bride, the soul of the faithful is rightly understood, because just as the members are ruled by the head, so are thoughts arranged by the mind. Hence, even the thoughts themselves, which emerge countless times every hour and moment from the human mind, are aptly depicted as hair.
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 The head of the Church is Christ, who is fittingly called Carmel, because through the passion He endured, He was exalted to the glory of the Father. Of Him it is written: "And in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of the mountains" (Isa. 2:2).
6 How beautiful you are and how pleasant, love, among the delights!
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 The church is beautiful in [those recently baptized]. So that God the Word says to her: "You are all fair, my love, and there is no blemish in you," for guilt has been washed away.
Bede · AD 735 How beautiful you are, etc.! Previously, in the praise of the bride, it was said, You are beautiful, my friend, sweet and lovely like Jerusalem, terrible like an army set in array. There, therefore, along with beauty and loveliness, she is said to be terrible as an army set in array; here, she is stated to be beautiful and lovely in delights.
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 It should be noted that she is called "most dear" in delights, because no one arrives at the love and intimacy of Christ who does not strive to abound in the delights of Holy Scripture. For thus it is said: 'For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath' (Matt. 13:12).
7 This, your stature, is like a palm tree, and your breasts like clusters.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 Therefore, imitate her, o man, so that it may be said of you as well: "Your stature has become like a palm tree." Preserve the greenness of your childhood and that natural innocence which you received from the beginning, so that, being planted beside the flowing waters, you may have your fruit prepared in your time, and your leaf may not wither. ...
Bede · AD 735 Your stature is compared to a palm tree, etc. For the stature of the Church is indeed the uprightness of its good work, because, despising to bend down to earthly desires, it raises itself entirely to attain heavenly rewards. The Apostle admonishes concerning this, saying, "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave" (1 Cor. 16).
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 For the palm, as it grows, is narrow at the bottom and spreads wide at the top. So the holy soul begins from the lowest and smallest things, and gradually growing to greater things, arrives at the breadth of perfect charity. For no one, as it is written, suddenly reaches the highest.
8 I said, “Let me go up in the palm tree; let me take hold of its branches.” And let your breasts be like clusters of the vine, and the fragrance of your nose like apples,
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 The laurel and the palm are the symbols of victory. The heads of the victors are crowned with laurel, and the hand of the conqueror is adorned with a palm.
Bede · AD 735 And thy breasts, etc. For truly, the first teachers of the Church, that is, the apostles, having completed His passion and resurrection, received a much greater knowledge of salvific doctrine than they had previously had, when appearing after the resurrection He opened their minds so that they might understand the Scriptures; when, having sent the Spirit from above, He granted…
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 He spoke truly, and ascended: because just as before the ages he determined to die for our death, so at the end of the world, merciful and faithful, he fulfilled it. Therefore he ascended the palm tree and took hold of its fruits: because, suspended on the cross, he found fruit, took hold of it, and bestowed it upon us.
The Bride 9 and your palate like the good wine that goes down smoothly for my beloved, gliding over the lips of sleepers.
Bede · AD 735 Worthy of my beloved to drink, etc. Wine, he says, the best, which my throat has compared, is worthy of my beloved to drink, because the word of the Gospel, which He has deigned to place in my mouth, is of such sublimity that it ought to be preached to the world only through Him, my beloved spouse and Redeemer.
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 For the voice is in the throat. Through the throat, therefore, preaching itself is again signified, which is said to be like the finest wine, because it intoxicates the minds of men so that they forget the things behind, as has been said, and running forward to what lies ahead, they do not grow weary.
10 I am my beloved’s, and toward me is his desire.
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 I will offer my beloved praise, and his turning will be toward me. What it calls his turning is either the second advent or the conversion of the Jewish people.
Bede · AD 735 I am for my beloved, etc. I am for my beloved and not for another. To whom I offer the whole gift of my service and devotion.
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 As if she were saying: since by faith and love I cling to Christ alone, follow Him alone, desire to see Him alone as one God with the Father and the Holy Spirit, I joyfully experience the sweetness of His regard, the kindness of His visitation, the delight of His turning toward me.
11 Come, my beloved, let us go out to the field; let us lodge among the henna blossoms.
Bede · AD 735 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field, etc. For even the holy ones of old greatly desired the Lord to come for the salvation of the human race. Thus, praying, they say, "Stir up your might and come to save us" (Psalm 79).
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 While the bride, having experienced the sweetness of the Bridegroom, refreshes herself, she also thinks of her neighbor, whom she loves as herself by the Bridegroom's own command; and because she understands the Bridegroom's precepts, she desires that others may understand them as well. For the field, as Truth itself attests, is this world (Matt. 13).
12 Let us rise early for the vineyards; let us see whether the vine has budded, whether the blossom has opened, whether the pomegranates have bloomed. There I will give you my loves.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 Actually, what has always been condemned by the church is the perverse opinion of those who dare to dissolve the unity of marriage.
Bede · AD 735 Let us see if the vineyard has bloomed, etc. The vineyard blooms when the Church receives the first elements of faith and confession. However, blossoms bring forth fruits when the faith and confession of the saints become prompt, even to the exercise of works of justice, lest their faith be found to be idle or dead without works.
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 He rises early to the vineyards, because after His resurrection, sitting in the glory of the Father, He also defends the churches He has built. He looks to see whether the vineyard has blossomed, because He weighs every advance of the Church with strict examination.
13 The mandrakes have given fragrance, and at our doors is every choice fruit, new as well as old — my beloved, I have stored them up for you.
Bede · AD 735 Mandrakes have given their fragrance at our gates. The gates of Christ and the Church are the same teachers, who have also been expressed by the name of breasts: who, as often said, are breasts because they nurture his little ones and infants, frequently exerting effort so that even from their mouths perfect praise may be produced for the Lord.
Robert of Tombelaine · AD 1078 What is understood by the mandrake, namely a medicinal and fragrant herb, if not the virtue of the perfect? By this virtue, whenever the perfect heal the infirmities of the imperfect, they are proven to be true physicians in the faith which they preach, that is, at the gates of the Church.