Commentary on the Song of Songs 1.16

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1897) of the Armenian; neither is shown

[On Song 1:5] “I am black and beautiful, daughters of Jerusalem, like the tent of Kedar and the curtain of Solomon.” This refers to humanity, which had lost its glory in paradise because of sin and became “black,” but is “beautiful” through the hope that we renewed through Christ. And the “daughters of Jerusalem” are the angels and the innocent, who are the daughters of the Jerusalem above; but “as the tent of Kedar”: Kedar means emigration. David says, “I dwelt in the tents of Kedar,” because I went out from paradise and dwelt in the land of emigration. And again David says: “I am a stranger” before you. “The curtain of Solomon”: Solomon means peace, which Christ gave from heaven to us strangers; as Paul says: “He came and preached peace to those far and near,” and he said again: “You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God.”

“Do not look at me because I am so black.” By this humanity says to the angels: Do not look at my sin, but rejoice greatly when I wash away the blackness of my sins by repentance, and the way of righteousness dawns for me, which is Christ himself. “The sons of my mother fought with me”: the devil fought with us, because he too was the creature of the God who created us. “They made me keeper of the vineyard,” that is, set me at the head of the emigration. And “my own vineyard I have not kept”: here he speaks of paradise, which is our inheritance, as David says, “My inheritance was pleasant to me.”

“Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture, where you rest at noon!” Noon here signifies the light of the coming of Jesus. When will be the time of your coming, and where will you be born? And which are the churches that must follow you, which you guard, and which justify the wolves and the sheep of the nations? Create now the light in the darkness, but hold back in the darkness the dragon with the threefold poison, he says in the Revelation. “Am I perhaps not a straying sheep among the flocks of your companions?” Pray in doubt that I may not be a straying sheep of the flock. This the prophets also taught to pray in the place of assembly, the synagogue. And the bridegroom rebuked it afterward and said: “If you do not know yourself, fairest among women, go out in the footsteps of the flocks.” This the bridegroom, Christ, says to his believing people. See, be careful, he says; watch the track of the sheep, which you … for sheep. …

“Because your cheeks became more beautiful than the dove's.” The cheeks are the servants of the spoken commands, compared to the beautiful voice of the dove that loves its mate, which are those who are humble and sorrowful for the sake of the kingdom of God, since perhaps one of them has erred. The other will not be joined with the others, and will not be able to rest in the flock of the many, but turns away from the green places and the blossoming trees and is always sorrowful. We were counted worthy to chew with holy cheek the Lamb, the living body and the blood of our Savior. “Your neck is like a necklace”; but the fourfold chain belongs to the bride. The priests, bearing the Gospel on the breast, became … the Lord asked, both inwardly and outwardly, that is, both with the spirit and with the body.

“The son of my brother bleeds like a grape in the vineyards of Engedi.” The grape is the cluster that grows everywhere on the vine, which the Life-giver declared, saying, “I am the true vine.” But “to bloom” is what he accomplished in mystery for the forgiveness of our sins. And “Engedi” is the cultivated field in the province of Gad, where gardens are laid out, from which also came the patriarch of the house of Issachar, whom Ezekiel too mentions. They hold, he says, the girls “from Engedi to Engaddis.” The beneficent people call it the field of God, as David says: “He shall be like a tree planted by the waterside.”

“Behold, my friend, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves.” “Beautiful” designates the people who rejected all that was old and became naked and accepted the new, which is Christ. The word “beautiful,” repeated a second time, confirms what was said. But “my friend,” because the human being is after the image of God. “Your eyes are doves”: that is, that we always draw near to God, according to the prophet who said, “Lord, to you I lifted up my eyes,” and also, “My eyes are ever toward the Lord.” But “doves,” because people chosen and upright … the preaching of the apostles together with the apostles; for with wisdom he built his house and set up columns or pillars, which formerly were the prophets, and after them the apostles are the pillars of the house of the church.

[On Song 2] “I am a flower of the fields” and “the lily of the valley.” Because David says: “Your fields will be fruitful and multiply.” These are the peoples of the churches, among whom Christ is like a flower. Christ said: “Where two or three of you are gathered in my name” … the manifold proofs of Christ's mercy through signs and wonders. “Because I am sick with love.” Because he himself said: “Your hearts will rejoice” in me, “and your joy no one will take from you.” But “sick” signifies desire. “His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.” He takes me into his bosom, that is, first through the prophets and afterward through the apostles. For the body (sic) is our head, and the right hand the Godhead, which surrounds the church with providence and, embracing her, holds her fast; because you are in me and I in you, and you are “perfect in one.” “I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the power and might of the field, that if you can, you awaken love.” He says it to the company of the angels who are with us, “the watchers” and the “daughters” of the “Jerusalem above.” … the “dove” was … by men as a good bird … “who were beneath the lattice.” The wall is the time during which the laws were proclaimed in Israel but hidden from the Gentiles. To a few righteous his name was preached as through a window. But the lattices are the laws, which preached only the one God, but the Trinity only in mystery, because they were children and immature.

Then “the son of my brother answered and said: Come, my friend, my beautiful one, my dove.” The friend is humanity, which was created by the hands of God, and “beautiful” because it adorned God's footstool; and … chosen. “The winter is past”: the ice grew soft, and he came as the hatred of the devil against humanity … “The rain is gone and departed”: here he thinks of the storm-like confusion of idolatry, which was then in the land. “The flowers appeared in our land”: they are the preachings of the prophets about Christ, which were fulfilled; and Christ came. “The time of fragrance came,” to lay waste the worldly garden and to build and grow the spiritual garden. “The voice of the dove was heard in our land”: the eloquent John, who was bedewed with the dew of repentance; the winter passed, and he was set free from his sins as well. The apostles and Paul too said: We “must … ; but the second call is the forgiveness of sins, which the apostles brought through the Holy Spirit. … The rock is Christ, under whose “shelter” the church desires to sit; hence Christ himself cries: “Come to me, you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” And the supports and the wall are the laws, which were made not to be destroyed but to be fulfilled. “Show me your face and let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet and your appearance beautiful.” … “Let me hear your voice,” that is: Sing with your angels on the height of God, because, he said, … I was created with you with a sweet voice and a beautiful form. Because he says to the girls: “Let us keep away the little foxes, which are the spoilers of the gardens, and then our gardens will blossom.” The foxes are the devils with their followers; but against them holds that right which he gave the apostles, when they themselves said: “Lord, even the evil spirits obey us.” “The spoilers of the gardens” are the characters of human beings … Through the hands … “he gave us authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and on all rulers.” “The son of my brother is mine and I am his.” This is what Paul says: “Who can separate me from the love in Christ?” “I am his,” that is: “Abide in me and I in you.” “Who pastures among the lilies.” This is what Christ said to the rulers: “Feed my lambs and sheep,” that is, the innocent and the guilty. But “lily” signifies the various teachings; therefore Paul says: “I was with the Jews, the Gentiles, and the weak,” who through the graces of the Holy Spirit … a dark place makes bright, until the day dawns and the morning star shines”; because “the shadows” of the laws “moved,” and the truth of Christ began.

[On Song 3] “By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loves.” The bed is like the storehouse of counsels, of which the heart is full; but “by night” refers to the hidden counsels. Therefore David says: “By day,” when I was troubled, I sought God; but what I asked of him, he knows. But “I did not find him.” “I called him,” and did not hear his voice, nor any other voice at all. “I rose and went about the city, in the streets and squares.” In the … of the angels and archangels, whom Paul calls the countless dwellings of God, I did not find him, nor could I learn his being from their words. “The watchmen who go about in the city found me.” “The watchmen” are the angels of the Jerusalem above. “I asked them whether they had seen him whom my soul loves.” “When I had passed a little beyond them, I found him whom my soul loved.” I found him who is truly God and … before the Lord, the Only-begotten. … like branches (or a column) of incense are the fragrant deeds. “The myrrh and the incense of the ointment of all powders” are the deeds. The myrrh is the witness of their mortality; but the powder he changed into ointment through the grace of the Holy Spirit, who adorned them with all boldness. “Behold, the thrones of Solomon,” or rather the sixty armed men around him. … again: “I opened my mouth and drew breath.”

[On Song 4] But “the flocks shorn,” because with our teeth we shear the innocent Lamb. So too a person should cut off the old garment and throw it away, and wash himself in the bath of baptism through holy repentance, and so be like a sheep of Christ. And “twins” are the soul and the body. “Your lips are like the scarlet thread.” “Thread” signifies the uprightness that comes from the heart; “scarlet,” because it is dyed with the blood of the immortal Lamb. “Your heart is like the rind of the pomegranate.” Like the pomegranate, which has its edible fruit hidden behind the rind, so a person too has the fruit of God, which only God knows; they can only say: Lord, my face seeks your face. “Besides your silence.” Although, he says, you call on me in silence, yet your deeds will make known your virtue. “Your neck is like the tower of David, built with a battlement.” The “tower of David” cannot be shaken by enemies, because the Creator of David (sic) … adorned it even more than an unconquerable tower; although he fell through lust, he rose again when the cross stood again. “Fortress” is the name of the citadel, because the site of the tower is excellent and high and always remains untouched by enemies. So too the church, through the Lord and his power, remains without danger in war. “On it hang a thousand shields, all the drawn arrows and spears of the armed men.” “The armed men” and mighty are the angels; therefore David says, “You who do all things with might”; and “the spears” are the powers by which they put the devil to flight with their arrows … and prophets, whose leader is Jesus Christ.” “Your two breasts are like two lambs or twin kids, which feed among the lilies.” “Two,” because knowing and seeing, or soul and body; “kids,” because they run quickly and look about like the human being himself; “twins,” because knowing and seeing were created together; and “among the lilies” signifies holding the bright and fragrant impulses which he placed naturally in our nature, because God at the beginning determined to act according to these impulses. “Until the day comes,” that is, until the Holy Spirit gives his graces to whom he will or whence he will. “And the shadows move”: because after the light appears the darkness goes away. “I went alone to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.” “The mountain of myrrh” signifies when some people crucify their bodies with strength and with desire; then they become “hills of frankincense” and joyful. “You are all beautiful, my friend, and there is no blemish in you.” Those who mortify their body then are fragrant like incense through righteousness. Such people are “all beautiful,” and the innocent friends of the heavenly Bridegroom. “The bride” came “from Lebanon.” This is what Christ says: “Come to me, you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “Lebanon” sometimes roots out fine and sometimes poor cedars, and also various many-toothed eagles, according to the prophet: “You shall not fear before danger.” Although it refers to Babylon and to Cyrus, who abolished most of the idols, he calls him … “… leopards” signify the idolatrous people, because he ordained the peoples of the Jews and the Gentiles into one church and made all of them sons of the faith of Abraham. “You have taken our heart, my bride, you have taken our heart with one of your eyes and with one of your necklaces.” This voice is not the bridegroom's, because the “our” spoken is plural; but it is like the voice of the girls, who are the angels, from whose spirits also the souls of human beings are. “To take the heart” means to marvel spiritually; or: you placed in our spirit and heart envy of the fair conduct of our body, although we, after the image of … to join with his love. “Our sister and bride is like a garden shut up, a garden shut up and a fountain sealed.” Because the garden is shut up not by one plant or growth, but by different plants of flowers and by fragrant and edible growths and by what pleases the eyes. For when a person sows well and reaps righteousness, that is still better than a tree planted by the course of the water, or the fruit. And “the sealed fountain” are the true saints, who neither think of strange fountains nor approach them. “Your message is like the paradise with fruit trees.” It is the spreading of the word from one place to another by the apostles, to preach God, to be content through God, or to pray after good deeds from a holy heart, which brings edible fruit. “The flower with nard, saffron, calamus, and cinnamon, with all the trees of Lebanon, myrrh and aloes with all the best kinds of incense.” These are the good deeds, not simple but manifold; for it is not righteousness not to be angry, but to overcome another's anger by kindness: that is to be virtuous. Righteousness is imperfect that robs no one, if it does not also give of its own to others. It is righteous not to be hostile to others, but still unrighteous if one does not also love one's enemies, or is hypocritical in prayer. This is the fragrance of which the Word spoke, which is truly merciful, held in love without hypocrisy, in prayers without hypocrisy, in true brotherly love and untiring hospitality, brave for good deeds in the effort to be patient, and to receive death for all shining virtues. But “myrrh and aloes” signify death, and the “trees of Lebanon,” which were named by the Gentiles. “With” the “best ointments”: that is his death, which the Life-giver announced, saying: “Anoint my body with this ointment, that is, for my burial.” … “a fountain of gardens, a well of living water” … not a well of mountains or fields, from which three fields drink, or in whose mud swine wallow, but the well of life, which sanctifies humanity. Shut up with the hedge signifies shut up with the law, the prophets, and the apostles, who drink for ever the living water that gives peace in eternal life: it is the true teaching of the Life-giver, flowing from the Holy Spirit, by which humanity is satisfied. It was fulfilled: “The earth was so full of all knowledge” of Christ “as much water as covers the seas” and the earth. “Flowing from Lebanon,” that is, from fishermen, tax collectors, and such men. “Arise, north wind, and come, south wind!” The “north wind” is the rough air that, as all know, makes the winter hard, as sins do human beings. But the “south wind” warms and drives away sins, since the Holy Spirit cleansed us from ignorance and drove away the ice of sins and warmed us through the water of the bath of baptism, according to the prophet: “By the water of rest” (and) nourished; so people learned to depart from evil and …