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Expanded Comments |
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1 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair;
Thine eyes are as doves behind thy veil.
Thy hair is as a flock of goats,
That lie along the side of mount Gilead.
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Thou art fair – Possessing the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, faith and love, we are lovely in the eyes of our Beloved. R5862:6
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2 Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes that are newly shorn,
Which are come up from the washing,
Whereof every one hath twins,
And none is bereaved among them.
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3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet,
And thy mouth is comely.
Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate
Behind thy veil.
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Of scarlet – Symbol of the redemption from the Adamic curse through the blood of the ransom of Christ. T34, T109
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4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armory,
Whereon there hang a thousand bucklers,
All the shields of the mighty men.
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5 Thy two breasts are like two fawns
That are twins of a roe,
Which feed among the lilies.
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6 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away,
I will get me to the mountain of myrrh,
And to the hill of frankincense.
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Until the day break – The Millennial day. The Bridegroom, feeling the loneliness of the night, longs, like the Bride, for the day. R303:2*
I – Christ Jesus. R303:2*
Get me to the mountain – To enjoy the freshest odors and to catch the earliest gleams of dawn. R303:4*
Of myrrh – Symbol of wisdom. R4093:2*
To the hill – On that hill let us meet him in faith and watch with him in hope. R303:4*
Of frankincense – Symbol of praise. R3703:4
Showing the relationship between the Bridegroom and the Bride. R84:5*
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7 Thou art all fair, my love;
And there is no spot in thee.
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8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
With me from Lebanon:
Look from the top of Amana,
From the top of Senir and Hermon,
From the lions’ dens,
From the mountains of the leopards.
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9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my bride;
Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes,
With one chain of thy neck.
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10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride!
How much better is thy love than wine!
And the fragrance of thine oils than all manner of spices!
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Than wine – Symbol of doctrine. R3962:4
Of thine ointments – Symbol of the holy Spirit. T37
The holy anointing oil, the holy Spirit. R4232:2*
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11 Thy lips, O my bride, drop as the honeycomb:
Honey and milk are under thy tongue;
And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.
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And milk – Food for spiritual babes. A24; D577
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12 A garden shut up is my sister, my bride;
A spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
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13 Thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits;
Henna with spikenard plants,
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Of pomegranates – Symbol of the rich fruitage of Christ's redemptive work. T30
With pleasant fruits – Symbol of the fruits of the spirit. E206
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14 Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense;
Myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices.
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Calamus – Symbol of knowledge which we receive from God's Word. R4093:1*
And cinnamon – Symbol of our understanding of the knowledge which we receive from God's Word. R4093:1*
Trees of frankincense – Representing praise, heart adoration. R3703:4
Myrrh – Symbol of wisdom. R4093:2*
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15 Thou art a fountain of gardens,
A well of living waters,
And flowing streams from Lebanon.
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A fountain – Symbol of the Word of God. B266; R565:1
Of living waters – Symbol of truth. C65
North wind – An unseen force. A wind of sorrow, trouble, disagreeableness. R4249:4*, R5815:2*
Come, thou south – A wind of pleasantness, joy, peace, etc. R4249:4*, R5815:2*
Blow upon – Actuate. Let the joys and sorrows try the Church to demonstrate which is true and which is false. R4249:4*
My garden – The great mass of nominal Christianity, including the true Church. R4249:4*
Spices thereof may flow – That the graces of the spirit may become manifest. R4249:4*
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16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south;
Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.
Let my beloved come into his garden,
And eat his precious fruits. |
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