| Song of Solomon 5:1
| Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat the fruit of his apple-trees. I am come into my garden, O my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrh, with my aromatical spices: I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved.
| Apple-trees. The spouse, submitting to God's will, is content to suffer. (Worthington) --- She addresses her beloved, and as he had praised her, under the similitude of a delightful garden, she invites him into it. (Calmet) --- I, etc. Christ again approves of her patience, and invites the saints to congratulate with her. (Worthington) --- He always hears his Church, Matthew 28:20., and Mark 11:24. (Calmet) --- The saints had prayed for Christ's coming; and accordingly, (Isaias 58:9.) he takes flesh of the most pure virgin. (St. Athanasius, Synop.) --- Comb. Septuagint, "bread." --- Milk. Chaldean, "white wine." But (Calmet) milk and wine may be taken together. (Clem. Paed. 1:6.) --- The chaste delights of retired and penitent souls are thus described: (Calmet) Dulciores sunt lacrymae orantium quam gaudia theatrorum. (St. Augustine, Psalm cxxviii." "The tears of penitents are the wine of angels, because in them is the odour of life." (St. Bernard, ser. 30.) --- Inebriated. Not so as to lose reason, Genesis 43:34. (Calmet) --- Protestants marginal note, "be drunk with loves." (Haydock) (Proverbs 5:19., and 7:18.) This wine of love, is the blessed Eucharist, which maketh virgins to spring forth, (Zacharias 9:17.) and is a foretaste of heaven, Psalm 35:9. It makes us forget the old man, (Calmet) and raises the mind to God. (St. Cyprian, ep. 63.) --- To this feast Christ invites his disciples, Matthew xxvi., and 1 Corinthians xi. (Menochius) --- Myrrh. Implies that they must be mortified. (Haydock)
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| Song of Solomon 5:2
| I sleep, and my heart watcheth; the voice of my beloved knocking: Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is full of dew, and my locks of the drops of the nights.
| Knocking. The spouse had retired to rest, as her beloved delayed longer than usual. But love is ever on the watch. (Calmet) --- She wished to meditate, but is called upon to assist others, and excited by Christ's own example. (Worthington) --- Dew. Having been out in the evening, preceding this fourth night. This denotes imperfect Christians, who remain, indeed, attached to the head, but are a disgrace to it, by their scandalous lives. (St. Augustine, tr. 57 in John) (St. Gregory) (Calmet) --- Such was the state of many in the days of Luther, who accordingly joined the first reformers. See Philips's Life of Card. Pole. p. 364. (Haydock) --- Nights. Anacreon (ode 1.) has something similar. Christ knocks by his inspirations and chastisements, and he is better heard in the night of tribulation, Apocalypse 3:20. (Calmet) --- Heretics began to blaspheme Christ, after the Church had only enjoyed a short peace, (Menochius) after the ten persecutions.
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| Song of Solomon 5:3
| I have put off my garment, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?
| Garment. By this is designated the tunic, which was undermost. (Haydock) --- Feet. People in that climate had their feet bare in the house, and even on journies only wore sandals: so that frequent washing was requisite, Genesis 18:4., and 1 Timothy 5:10. These excuses were vain, and Christ would not regard them, Matthew 25:1., and Luke 12:35. (Theodoret) (Calmet) --- The care of souls brings on many external occupations, which contemplative men would decline. (St. Gregory) (Menochius)
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| Song of Solomon 5:4
| My beloved put his hand through the key-hole, and my bowels were moved at his touch.
| Touch. Of me, (Cassiodorus) or rather of the door or window. I was grieved that I had made him wait so long. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "were moved for him." Protestants' marginal note, "or (as some read) in me." Pagnin prefers this; Septuagint and Montanus the former explanation of halaiv. (Haydock) --- Grace moves us to begin and prosecute good works. (St. Gregory of Nyssa) (Theodoret) --- Christ gives it more abundantly, to make the champions of the Church contend with adversity. (Menochius)
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| Song of Solomon 5:5
| I arose up to open to my beloved: my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the choicest myrrh.
| Arose. The Church employs herself in active life, still retaining a desire to return to contemplation, ver. 8. (Worthington)
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| Song of Solomon 5:6
| I opened the bolt of my door to my beloved: but he had turned aside, and was gone. My soul melted, when he spoke: I sought him, and found him not: I called, and he did not answer me.
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| Song of Solomon 5:7
| The keepers that go about the city found me: they struck me, and wounded me: the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
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| Song of Solomon 5:8
| I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I languish with love.
| Love. She seems insensible to the insults received. (Calmet) --- The Church prays to the saints on earth, and in heaven. (Menochius)
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| Song of Solomon 5:9
| What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O thou most beautiful among women? what manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, that thou hast so adjured us?
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| Song of Solomon 5:10
| My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands.
| Ruddy. Or shining. Et color in niveo corpore purpureus. The divine and human nature, or the conception and sufferings of Christ are thus described. (Calmet) --- The spouse gives this admirable description of her beloved. (Haydock)
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| Song of Solomon 5:11
| His head is as the finest gold: his locks as branches of palm-trees, black as a raven.
| Gold. God is the head of Christ, (1 Corinthians 11:3.) and is most pure. (N.[Menochius?]) --- The guards of Solomon were powdered with gold dust. (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities) --- Branches. Elatae, or fruits of the male palm-tree. (Theodoret) (Pliny, [Natural History?] 13:4.)
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| Song of Solomon 5:12
| His eyes as doves upon brooks of waters, which are washed with milk, and sit beside the plentiful streams.
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| Song of Solomon 5:13
| His cheeks are as beds of aromatical spices set by the perfumers. His lips are as lilies dropping choice myrrb.
| Set by. Protestants, "as sweet flowers." --- Choice. Literally, "the first," ver. 5. (Haydock) --- The modesty and words of Christ excited admiration, 1 Peter 2:21., and John 7:46. (Calmet) --- He exhorted sinners to repent, and rebuked the obstinate. (Menochius)
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| Song of Solomon 5:14
| His hands are turned, and as of gold, full of hyacinths. His belly as of ivory, set with sapphires.
| Hyacinths. Or purple veins. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "hands are as gold rings set with the beryl." Hebrew, "full of Tharsis," (Haydock) or precious stones, (Menochius) from that country, (Exodus xxviii.) with which his rings were ornamented. (Calmet) --- Sapphires. His belt or garment is thus ornamented. (Sanchez) --- The works of Christ proceeded from his infinite charity for mankind, whose salvation he greatly desired, (Mark 7:37., and 1 Corinthians 15:22., and 1 Timothy 2:4.) so that none can perish but by their own fault. (Calmet)
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| Song of Solomon 5:15
| His legs as pillars of marble, that are set upon bases of gold. His form as of Libanus, excellent as the cedars.
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| Song of Solomon 5:16
| His throat most sweet, and he is all lovely: such is my beloved, and he is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem.
| Lovely. Hebrew and Septuagint, "desires." (Menochius) --- The beauty of Christ is chiefly interior; and all must aim at this perfection, who would be his spouses, Psalm 44:3. (Calmet)
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| Song of Solomon 5:17
| Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou most beautiful among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside, and we will seek him with thee?
| Seek. The fervent resolve to seek Christ, wherever he may be. (Worthington) --- His praises excite many to love him. (Menochius)
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