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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 [DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM] Whither hath thy beloved, gone, thou most beautiful among women? whither hath thy beloved turned him aside? That we may seek him with thee. |
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| 2 [SHE] My beloved, is gone down to his garden, to the beds of balsam,–to pasture in the gardens, and to gather lilies, |
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| 3 I, am, my beloved's, and, my beloved, is mine, he that pastureth among lilies. |
I am my beloved's – The Bride rejoices in the Bridegroom's assured love, and her desires and longings are not questionings as to the relationship in which she stands to him, which is to her a settled thing. R303:2*
Only a few will be able to say this. This union with the Beloved (Christ) implies that the step of justification through repentance and faith in the precious blood has first taken place. R4783:5
A positive compact or contract with Christ is implied. R4783:5
There is no possibility for any to get into this elect class without knowing it. R4783:5
My beloved is mine – So long as we continue to be faithful. "He that hath the son hath life"--eternal life. (1 John 5:12) R4784:1
Those who have Christ are really possessors of "all things." (1 Cor. 3:22, 23) R4784:1
The Bridegroom's care, provision, protection and comfort belong to the betrothed even now. R4784:2
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| 4 [HE] Beautiful, art thou, my fair one, as Tirzah, comely, as Jerusalem,–majestic as bannered hosts! |
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| 5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for, they, have excited me,–Thy hair, is like a flock of goats, that are reclining on the sides of Mount Gilead: |
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| 6 Thy teeth, are like a flock of sheep which have come up from the washing-place,–whereof, all of them, are twin-bearers, and bereaved, is there none among them: |
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| 7 Like a slice of pomegranate, are thy temples, from behind thy veil: |
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| 8 Threescore, are the queens, and, fourscore, are the concubines,–and, virgins, there are, without number. |
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| 9 One alone, is my dove, my perfect one, one alone, was she to her mother, Pure, was she to her that bare her,–The daughters, have seen her, and pronounced her happy, Queens and concubines, and they have praised her. |
My dove – Symbol of peace and purity. E212
She is the only one – There is but one Bride of Christ. R4655:1
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| 10 [THEY] Who is this, that looketh forth like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, pure as the sun, majestic as bannered hosts? |
As the morning – Symbol of the Millennial age. A9; E359
Fair as the moon – Symbol of the Law in Matt. 24 and Rev. 12. R499:4; D590
Clear as the sun – Symbol of the gospel light, the truth, in Matt. 24 and Rev. 12. R499:4; D590
With banners – Symbol of the standard of the truth in Isa. 13:1, 2. D40
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| 11 [HE] To the garden of nuts, I went down, to look at the fresh shoots of the ravine,–to see whether: had burst forth the vine, had blossomed the pomegranate:– |
To see the fruits – Symbol of the fruits of the spirit. E206
The pomegranates – Symbol of the fruitage of redemptive work. T30
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| 12 I know not [how it was], my soul, set for me the chariots of my willing people! |
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| 13 [THEY] Return, return, O Shulamite, Return, return, that we may look on thee! [SHE] What would ye look on in the Shulamite? [THEY] As it were the dance of a double camp . . . |
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