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| 1 [HE] I have entered my garden, my sister, bride, I have plucked my myrrh, with my balsam, I have eaten the honey of my thicket, I have drunk my wine, with my milk:–Eat ye, O friends, Drink, yea drink abundantly, ye beloved! |
I am come into – The Lord, speaking after his return. R4249:4*
My garden – That aggregation of individuals which contains both the sister class and the spouse class. R4249:4*
My sister – Foolish virgins, the Great Company. R4249:4*
My spouse – Wise virgins, eventually to be the Lamb's wife. R4249:4*
Gathered my myrrh – Symbol of wisdom. R4093:2*
Have drunk my wine – Spirit of the Lord, truth, righteousness, sound mind. R3962:6
Under the influence of which men are heard for their much speaking. R4249:4*
With my milk – Symbol of food for spiritual babes. A24; D577
"The sincere milk of the Word." (1 Pet. 2:2) R4249:4*
Eat, O friends; drink – Reverently, devotedly, thoughtfully, prayerfully, tearfully perhaps; as we think of our Redeemer's love and sacrifice. R1505:1, R2436:6
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| 2 [SHE] I, was sleeping, but, my heart, was awake,–The voice of my beloved–knocking! Open to me, my sister, my fair one, my dove, my perfect one, for, my head, is filled with dew, my locks, with the moisture of the night. |
I sleep – The great body of nominal Christendom would be asleep when the Lord would come. R4249:5*
My heart waketh – The Little Flock, the wise virgins, would be awake. R4249:5*
Voice of my beloved – Christ, at the second advent. R506:1*
That knocketh – "Behold I stand at the door and knock." (Rev. 3:20) R506:1, * R505:6*
Open to me – The door of the heart, and admit the Lord to govern every action, word and thought. R4249:5*
My dove – Symbol of peace and purity. E212
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| 3 I have put off my tunic, oh how shall I put it on? I have bathed my feet, oh how shall I soil them? |
Have put off my coat – Failed to recognize the necessity of the robe of Christ's righteousness and esteemed it lightly. R4249:5*
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| 4 My beloved, thrust in his hand, at the window, and, my feelings, were deeply moved for him: |
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| 5 I myself, arose, to open to my beloved,–and, my hands, dripped with myrrh, and, my fingers, with myrrh distilling, upon the handles of the bolt. |
Sweet smelling myrrh – Symbol of wisdom. R4093:2*
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| 6 I myself, opened to my beloved, but, my beloved, had turned away, had passed on,–My soul, had gone out when he spake, I sought him, but found him not, I called him, but he answered not. |
Had withdrawn himself – The foolish virgins realized that the thing for which they had been praying for 1800 years was to be consummated. R4249:5*
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| 7 The watchmen who were going round in the city, found me, they smote me, wounded me,–The watchmen of the walls, took away my cloak from off me. |
Went about the city – Babylon, Christendom. D527
Smote me – The zeal of the foolish virgins was aroused to the extent of suffering bitter persecution. R4249:5*
Of the walls – Symbol of civil powers that defend Babylon. D40
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| 8 I adjure you, ye daughters of Jerusalem,–If ye find my beloved, what will ye tell him? That, sick with love, I am. |
Daughters of Jerusalem – Professed children of the Kingdom. R4232:5*
The foolish virgins finally succeed in interesting the Jews in the message of the gospel. R4249:5*
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| 9 [DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM] What is thy beloved more than any other beloved, thou most beautiful among women? What is thy beloved more than any other beloved, that, thus, thou hast adjured us? |
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| 10 [SHE.] My beloved, is white and ruddy, conspicuous beyond ten thousand: |
Chiefest among 10,000 – In the eyes of the Bride, the Church; to those whose eyes are opened. F74; R1063:2*
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| 11 His head, is pure gold,–his locks, are bushy, black as a raven; |
The most fine gold – Symbol of the divine nature. T18
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| 12 His eyes, like doves, by the channels of water,–bathing in milk, set as gems in a ring: |
Of waters – Symbol of truth. C65
Washed with milk – Symbol of foundation truths. (Heb. 5:12) A24; D577
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| 13 His cheeks, like a raised bed of balsam, growing plants of perfume,–His lips, lilies, dripping with myrrh distilling: |
Sweet smelling myrrh – Symbol of wisdom. R4093:2*
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| 14 His hands, cylinders of gold, set with topaz,–His body, wrought work of ivory, covered with sapphires: |
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| 15 His legs, pillars of white marble, founded on sockets of gold,–His form, like Lebanon, choice as cedars: |
As the cedars – Symbol of everlasting human life. T109
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| 16 His mouth, most sweet, yea, altogether, he is delightful,–This, is my beloved, yea, this, is my dear one, ye daughters of Jerusalem. |
His mouth – Utterance. B305
Altogether lovely – Is Christ in the eyes of his Church, yet to the sinful, envious, hateful heart of the fallen man "There is no beauty in him." (Isa. 53:2) E161, E162; R1063:2*
This is my friend – The chiefest of all heavenly treasures is the personal love and friendship of Christ. R1820:3
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