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| 1 Oh that thou hadst been a very brother to me, who had sucked the breasts of my own mother,–Had I found thee without, I had kissed thee, Yea, folk would not have despised me! |
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| 2 I would have guided thee–brought thee into the house of my mother, Thou wouldst have instructed me,–I would have let thee drink of spiced wine, of the pressed-out juice of my pomegranate. |
Of spiced wine – Symbol of doctrine. R5633:2
Of my pomegranate – Symbol of the fruitage of Christ's redemptive work. T30
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| 3 His left hand under my head, then, his right hand, embraceth me. |
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| 4 I [HE] adjure you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem,–Why will ye wake, and why will ye arouse the dear love until she please! |
Of Jerusalem – Symbol of the Kingdom of God. A296
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| 5 [THEY] Who is this, coming up out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? [HE] Under the apple-tree, I roused thee, where thy mother, was in pain with thee, where she was in pain who gave thee birth! |
Who is this – The true Church, the protesting Church of God. R1841:6; SM126:1; C65
That cometh up – Cometh forth into prominence. C65
In God's due time his Church emerged from the wilderness. R5501:2
Shortly to come from the wilderness. SM126:1
From the wilderness – At the end of the 1260 years of wilderness hiding and Papal supremacy, from AD 539 to 1799. C65
The true Church is the Church in the wilderness--separate from the world. R1841:6
Upon her beloved – The arm of her beloved, the Word of God. C65
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| 6 [SHE] Set me as a seal, upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm, For, mighty as death, is love, Exacting as hades, is jealousy,–The flames thereof, are flames of fire, The flash of Yah! |
As a seal – Or signet, the emblem of power and authority; symbol of that which was most highly esteemed. R360:4*
Jealousy – Jealousy of another is always an evil quality, a most vicious kind of cruelty, unreasoning and insatiable. Signifies either apprehension of being displaced in the affections of another or of being outdone by a rival. It is closely allied to hatred, malice, envy, strife. R4789:1
To the extent that its presence has defiled the heart a cleansing should be invoked. R4789:2
When the Lord announces himself as a "jealous God" it is not to be considered selfishness, rather he wants all of our affections, confidence and entire trust, for our own good. R4789:2
Jealousy in the Lord's cause is different from jealousy in our own interest. R4789:5
We must be sure that it is not jealousy of another, but jealousy for another. R4789:5
Cruel as the grave – Sheol, oblivion, which engulfs all mankind. E368; R828:5, R2600:2, R4789:1
The Bible plainly states that death is an enemy. SM116:2
It is not only a cruel monster of itself, but its poisonous fangs are almost certain to inflict pain and trouble upon others. R4789:2
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| 7 Many waters, cannot quench love, nor shall, floods, overwhelm it,–If a man would give all the substance of his house, for love, they would, utterly despise, him. |
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| 8 [THEY] A sister, have we, a little one, and, breasts, hath she none, What shall we do for our sister, in the day when she may be spoken for? |
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| 9 If, a wall, she is, we will build upon it a battlement of silver,–but if, a door, she is, we will close it up with a plank of cedar. |
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| 10 [SHE] I, was a wall, and, my breasts, like towers,–Then, became I, in his eyes, one who did indeed find good content. |
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| 11 A vineyard, had Solomon, as the owner of abundance, He put out the vineyard to keepers,–Every man, was to bring in, for the fruit thereof, a thousand silverlings: |
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| 12 Mine own vineyard, is before me,–The thousand belong to thee, O Solomon, and two hundred to the keepers of the fruit thereof. |
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| 13 [HE] O thou fair dweller in the gardens, the companions are giving heed to thy voice, Let me hear it. |
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| 14 [SHE] Come quickly, my beloved, and resemble thou a gazelle, or a young stag, upon the mountains of balsam-trees. |
Make haste – The Bride pleads with the Bridegroom not to tarry. R303:2*
Like to a roe – The Bride's eyes "are toward the hills" over which she expects to behold the Bridegroom coming like a roe. R303:2*
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