Song of Solomon, who wrote it? what are its characteristics? and What are its different Characters? who are they denoting to? and what are the different symbols of it? and what are its different divisions?
Writer of Song of Solomon is Wise Solomon. “Thus, Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his song were one thousand and five.” (1 KINGS4:30,32)
Thus, Solomon realized the fact behind our earthly life since he said in ECCELSIASTES: “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” (ECCELSIASTES 1:14)
Then, he was touched by grace of the heavenly life in Song of Solomon.
This book has been written in a symbolic order; the beloved is the Messiah; the Saviour, while the Shulamite is the human soul, His people or the Church.
Origin Adamantios, Gerome and Augustinos sees that Song of Solomon explains the relationship between the Christ and the Church as the group of believers.
Characters of Song of Solomon are four. first comes the Beloved who engages the Church a Holy Shulamite to Him. Second, the Shulamite; that it is the Ecclesiast Church or the believer as a member of it.
Third comes, The Daughters of Jerusalem, representing the Jewish nation that it should be better to it to preach of the Christ. Fourth is His friends, the angels.
Chapter1: The Groom and the Bride
Scene1: Pained Messiah
“Your name is ointment poured forth: therefore, the virgins love you. Draw me away! We will run after you. (Song of Solomon (1:3,4)
Upon the cross this fine ointment has bled and He entered with it into the tomb till the dead breathes its fine smell instead of the corruption that has been attached to them.
And by His resurrection he presented to the world this fine bleeding ointment.
As soon as the humanity breathed gently His bleeding name, it moved at Him in a wonderful attraction with Virginius hearts, do not want anything but Him.
“Draw me away! we will run after you. The king has brought me into his chambers.” (Song of Solomon 1:4)
So, the human soul proposed to her beloved saying: Draw me away! to support her and enters her into his spiritual chamber in a charming meeting!
Some of the fathers of the Church sees that this Godly Divine meeting is the Sacrament of Baptism.
“I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, Like the curtains of Solomon.” (Song of Solomon 1:5)
Thus, the human soul acknowledges its own ugly shape or its internal weak but announces, its beauty through its love happened from unity with Jesus Christ.
By saying: I am dark but lovely, Like the tenets of Kedar, but at the same time I am like the curtains of Solomon.
Scene 2: Messiah The Shepherd
“Tell me, O you whom I love, where you feed your flock. Where you make it rest at noon.” (Song of Solomon 1:7)
Thus, Shulamite selected the time of noon to meet her beloved to see Him, greatly clearly, the same as His one church across over all ages to be Enlighted by its Shepheard to be light of the world.
“For why should I be as one who veils herself by the flocks of your companions.” (Song of Solomon 1:7)
Here, the one church wants to know the one real way of the Christ to enjoy Him away from, shepherds working for their own account not for His, till it not to be veiled by their strange teachings.
“If you do not know, O fairest among women, follow in the footsteps of the flock, and feed your little goats Beside the Shepheard’s tents.” (Song of Solomon 1:8)
The Shepheard answers the church saying: You must first, acknowledge yourself realizing its new beautiful nature behold, it became a home of the Holy Spirit, dressed by the Christ Himself and became fit to be His own eternal Shulamite!
Second, He ordered it to get out of its ego, walking according to the steps of the ex-Saints and fathers of the church or with current strugglers.
Third, He asked her to have her own cross presenting a testimony in front of the goats and not to be negative and guide sinners.
“I have compared you, my love, To my filly among Pharo’s chariots.” (Song of Solomon1:9)
He called her, my filly, to announce his care for her through buying her by, His own blood and that it should be united as a filly and in Him, following the steps of the fathers of the church and teaching her goats, her next generations.
“Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, Your neck with chains of gold.” (Song of Solomon1:10)
Your cheeks with ornament to carry the spirit of humbleness and pureness. And your neck is like chains of gold meaning the spirit of obedience and serving others.
“We will make you ornaments of gold with studs of silver.” (Song of Solomon1:11)
you are like ornaments of gold and studs of silver, referring to the law and legislation that should enable you to enjoy the Bible of blessing or the heavenly life.
Scene 3: Messiah The King
“While the king is at his table, my spikenard forth its fragrance.” (Song of Solomon 1:12)
While the king presented His love upon the cross, the queen answered His love with hers by serving Him.
“A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, that lies all night between my breasts.” (Song of Solomon 1:13)
A bundle of myrrh refers to His birth and between my breasts refer to the Old Testament and the New Testament.
“Behold, you are fair my love! Behold you are fair! You have dove’s eyes.” (Song of Solomon 1:15)
Second time He says my fair but this time, He confirms so by repeating the same word my fair! saying my love to announce that the secret behind her beauty is her approaching to Him. And that happened after He came to us on earth.
Her dove’s eyes denote to the second secret of her beauty which is the prevalence of the Holy Spirit.
“Behold you are handsome, my beloved! Yes, pleasant! Also, our bed is green. (Song of Solomon 1:16)
By the Holy Spirit, the church looked at the Christ realizing His Beauty through His love. The bed was green in a reference to its fruits, the spiritual fruits.
“The beams of our houses are cedar, And our rafters of fir.” (Song of Solomon 1:17)
Origin Adamantios sees that: “The beams of the house are cedar denotes to the bishops, as they protect the church from the beams of the Sun, storms and rain, referring to their care of the people of the church.”
“Also, the rafters are of fir denotes to the Briests who lead the people of the church to the Godly port and build the intenal house of the Lord in the heart.”
Scene4: Messiah The Beloved
“I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys.” (Song of Solomon 2:1)
Well, Sharon is a valley in Judea so plenty and full of water, but it has never been cultivated because of its narrowness, while the rose of Sharon is planted naturally without interference of anyone.
So, at the middle of this barren valley, the Lord appears as a Sharon described by Gregory of Nyssa that it is risen up straight forward, its flower at the top faraway from earth. Same is the Lord came to us to raise us over and to be our heavenly flower.
“Like a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.” (Song of Solomon 2:2)
Origin Adamantios says, as the beloved is like Sharon of the valley so is the human soul like a lily when, it comes to Him following His steps.
“Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. (Song of Solomon 2:3)
Thus, Jesus came to us, we; the trees of the woods not as us fruitless but as an apple tree, beautiful, smells good, eaten and drunk.
“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” (Song of Solomon 2:4)
The banqueting house denotes to the house of the new life that came to us through His salvational passion where the human soul makes a new relation with Him to get the teachings of the righteousness and the spiritual wisdom that refreshes it every new day.
Behold, Shulamite gets into the house of her beloved, she adheres to the law of His house, love. So, the human adheres to love God from the heart, the thoughts, the soul and the power and to love your neighbor as yourself.
“His left hand is under my head, And His right hand embraces me.” ( 2:6)
Meaning that, His left-hand disciplines and teaches us till the love of the world and its lusts diminishes, while the right-hand so kindly and gently opens the heart to the heavenly matters.
Chapter2: The Fiancé engages His Fiancée
Scene1: He goes down to her by Himself
“The voice of my beloved! Behold he comes Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle, or a young stag Behold, he stands behind our wall; he is looking through the windows, gazing through the lattice.” (Song of Solomon 2:8-9)
Origin Adamantios sees that, the human soul that wishes meeting the Word of God, leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon hills at its free well, should meet Him upon the mountains of the New Testament and the hills of the Old Testament; that stayed for long not so clear and hard to perceived.
Upon these high mountains the human souls meet its fiancé, asking for her hand and listening to His voice, to experience His love and find out His Godly sacraments, looking over His glory.
The word gazelle means, in Hebrew, beauty, Since Jesus came to ask humanity that has been corrupted by sin and its internal beauty has been distorted to unify with her to pour His beauty.
He stood behind our wall, the temple veil that we created by our rebellion and broke it, this wall that separated us from the Holy Holiness of God by His own blood, opening a new Heavenly way to walk through.
“Rise up, my love, my fair one and come away. For, lo the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flower appears on the earth; the time of singing has come. And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell.” (Song of Solomon 2:10-13)
It is an invitation for the first rise up for the human soul in Jesus Christ from the death of sin and getting out of the lusts of the world to live according to the spirit not the flesh.
For, the winter is past, and the rain is gone, Meaning, that the disturbance of the personality and the rains of the sins have been gone from carrying the strange teachings.
So, when all these matters are gone out of the soul, the flowers of the virtues are to come, and the wisdom of the turtledove is to be said. And the green figs have been appeared referring to the beginning of the fruits of the spirit like love, Joyfulness and peace to appear in our hearts.
“Rise up, my love, my fair one and come away! “O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see your face, let me her your voice; For your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.”” (Song of Solomon 2:13-14)
The Lord repeats His invitation to Shulamite saying, Rise up, my love, my fair’ but, why He repeats, “rise up”?
Gregory of Nessa answers and speaks: “she should rise up again and come to Him, because she is better to do so to enter from a glory to glory while, looking over Him to see herself much less than what should be.”
Here, the beloved asks Shulamite to enter the rock that denotes to Jesus, himself quitting her ego and the visible world to live with him with no barrier and that would enable him, protecting her from the serpent.
Then, he asks her to see her face to unify with him with no masks, hearing her voice clearly, speaking to him about the faith and the rightful teachings away from silly conversations.
Scene2: He warns her from seduction
“Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.” (Song of Solomon 2:15)
The Word of God Has come down to us, giving us His hand, and the man has accepted Him, so, He warns us from rats whose only work is to destroy the unity between God and believers.
Although, those rats are small in size, but they benefit from the small holes in the vines, at the beginning of its growth, to spoil a large amount of the future fruits.
Those rats may be a sin, a cute friend, a specific book or a specific place, so we should keep our internal doors closed against any small fox.
“My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies. Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, turn my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of Bether.” (Song of Solomon 1:16-17)
The church used to nominate the sacrament of marriage, a property and marriage contract because in this sacrament everyone presents himself as a property to the other, so each one do not ask for himself but what he should do to the other.
This sacrament, the human soul sees that it has been accomplished by the cross, when the Lord presented His blood as a dowry for her, so that she adheres to present her life to Him in joyfulness in return.
“You are not your own? For you were brought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20)
“He feeds his flocks among the lilies” means; you are the Shepheard among the lilies since the tree of your cross has fruited a unity made us lilies as you for your church has carried your features sharing you your name!
“Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away.” means; the Lord rising from the dead rises in our internal hearts with his light so that we are the sons of the light and the sons of the day for there are no dark nor night.
“By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him. “I will rise now,” I said, “And go about the city; in the streets and in the squares, I will seek the one I love.” I sought him, but I did not find him. The watchmen who go about the city found me; I said, “Have you see the one I love?” Scarcely I have passes by them, when I found the one, I love. I held and would not let him go, until I had brought him to the house of my mother, and into the chamber of her who convinced me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the doses of the field, do not strip up nor awaken love Until it pleases.” (Song of Solomon 3:1-5)
So, if the church searched for Him, three times; Once upon the cross, Second in the tomb, Third after the resurrection at the empty tomb. So, is the human soul; Once by personal effort, second by the servants, and third by trusting the possibilities of the grace of God with no ignorance to struggling or the services provided by the servants.
Now, the disturbing dream is over by the Resurrection of the Lord, we acknowledged on Him, enjoying unity with Him, having the merit of His resurrection so, His friends, the Angels singing a song thankful for His resurrection and His Shulamite saying:
“Who is this coming out of the wilderness Like pillars of the smoke, Perfumed with Myrrh and frankincense. with all the merchant ‘s fragrant powders?” (Song of Solomon 3:6)
It is a fascinating spiritual dialogue since, while the bride met her celestial groom rising from death to His own heaven, she entered Him into her heart and as a result of so, she joined Him going to heavens.
The Myrrh denoting to that she has been buried with Jesus, so that she might enjoy the new life rising to heavens. Frankincense denoting to the smell of incense of her prayers. While fragrant powders denoting to those which she can buy from Jesus the only one who can make her beautiful.
“Behold, it is Solomon’s couch, with sixty valiant men around it, of the valiant of Israel. They all hold swords, being expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh because of fear in the night. Of the wood of Lebanon Solomon, the King. Made himself a palanquin: He made its pillars of silver, its support of gold, its seat of purple, its interior paved with love by the daughters of Jerusalem.” (SONG OF SOLOMON 3:7-10)
The bed this time denotes to the cross of Jesus Christ was set up by Solomon to announce that it is the secret behind the peace of mind of the church. And the sixty valiant is composed of 3 for the Holy Trinity multiplied by 4 sides of the earth all multiplied by 5 swords, a sign for sanctifying the 5 senses by Jesus Christe so, it gives us 60 as all those members joining the Kingdom of Heaven have sanctified their senses.
“Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding. The day of the gladness of his heart.” (Song of Solomon 3:11)
This is an invitation the church directing to the world to enjoy the wedding feast of the cross asking it to get rid of its ego and go forth to see Him, enjoying looking at Him and His fascinating Crown.
Chapter3: The Celestial Wedding
Scene1: The resurrected bride
“Behold you are fair, my love! behold you are fair! You have dove ‘s eyes behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats, going down from Mount Gilead.” (Song of Solomon 4:1)
Meaning, if Jesus is the head of the church, then the hair surrounding it, the church, certainly lives by Him. Hence, the people of Christ are much like the flock of goats is raised upon the high Mount of Gilead, the Mount of the Word of God rising up the hearts of sons of God to Heavens.
“Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep.” (Song of Solomon 4:2)
It is good for the church to have teeth since, it has grown and matured, and it is no longer enough of milk for raising up, but it should better shew it and digest it.
“Your lips are like a stand of scarlet, and your mouth is lovely.” (Song of Solomon 4:3)
Meaning that the believer should adhere to testimony of the Lord through his lips and mouth.
“Your temples behind your veils are like a piece of pomegranate.” (Song of Solomon 4:3)
Meaning that, like the ephod in the holy garment of the High Priest is made of pomegranate so is the church is dressed in pomegranate as being the garment of the Christ. And the temples behind the veils for that its beauty comes from inside not outside.
“Your neck is like the tower of David, built for an armory, on which hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty Men.” (Song of Solomon 4:4)
Usually, The Lord links the beauty of the church with its struggle till the believer understands that mystery of his beauty in Jesus Christ is his lawful struggle, like the beauty of pomegranate does not stay beautiful without the neck is being stood like the tower of David built for an armory.
A thousand bucklers refer to nature of these weapons that they are Celestial spiritual.
“Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle, which feed among the lilies. Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.” (4:5-6)
If Jesus Christ shows Himself to the Church girded about the Chest with a golden band; (REVELATION 1:13) presenting the two Testaments, the Old and the New, like the breasts feeding the Church, so works the church to its Sons by feeding them as though.
In face of this great love by the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, the bride commits in front of Him, to go with Him all the way along the mountain of myrrh to taste the life of pain and to be buried with him in the grave also going through the hill of frankincense to live all the days of its strangeness in perpetual prayers till the days break and the shadows flee away by the Eternity day.
“You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you.” (SONG OF SOLOMON 4:7)
So, He concludes His dialogue saying: “no speech can describe the beauty of whom went out with Mine to the company of My pains and went through the life of prayer and company with Mine. I Am seeing in you all beauty since, My, love to you conceals all your weakness and My blood covers your all sins; justifying all the beauty I Am putting on you, hence I can see no spot in you.”
“Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, 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.” (Song of Solomon 4:8)
It is an invitation for the human soul to run with its groom in the spiritual war which is for the Lord being protected by Him since, it cannot be defeated and does not know but victory. So, she should get out of Lebanon; denotes to the easy life, to the combat with the darkness hosts with Her Groom the Conqueror of lions and leopards.
“You have ravished My heart, my sister, my spouse; you have ravished My heart with one look of your eyes, with one link of your necklace.” (Song of Solomon 4:9)
The Groom encourages His bride through, her struggle; confirming, His love, that was ravished through all of these by only one look of her eyes and one link of her necklace since, He certainly understands Her look and appreciates her carrying for the commandment; the one link of her necklace, which, refers to the burden of doing so.
“How fair is your love, My sister, My spouse! How much better than wine is your love, and the scent of your perfumes than all spices.” (Song of Solomon 4:10)
What wonderful, are You, our Lord! in the way you see us! although that our love is just a small reflection of Yours, and that our scent is merely a fruit of Yours working on us, and that You are the real source of these, You, tribute it to us and praising us for such doing!
“Your lips, O, my spouse, Drip as the honeycomb; Honey and milk are under your tongue; and the fragrance of your garments Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.” (Song of Solomon 4:11)
As, the Lord promised His people in the ancient age with a land flooding honey and milk to be for them a place of rest and a center of worshiping, He presented His pained struggling Bride, in the most beautiful image to be a place for rest of the Lord flooding honey and milk of the fruits of the Spirit; that is desired by God and His angels and joyful for saints still, even flooding on the unbelievers.
“A garden enclosed Is my sister, my spouse, A spring shut up, A fountain sealed.” (Song of Solomon 4:12)
Then, He, says about her, remember! the possibilities hidden inside you are an enclosed garden, a shut-up spring and a sealed fountain, referring to the Holy Spirit possibilities.
“Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with pleasant fruits, fragrant henna with spikenard, spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon with all trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices_ A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.” (Song of Solomon 4:13-15)
Thus, the Bride of the Christ looks rich in everything, She, has a food saturating like the pomegranate, a henna, spikenard and myrrh and aloes for beautification, saffron for treatment calamus and cinnamon for the sacrifice. Finally, He calls for her: “you are a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters and streams from Lebanon.” since, she carries Him inside her; the living fountain, flooding over her waters moving her, to the eternity.
Scene2: The bride shares her Groom
“Awake, O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its pleasant fruits.” (Song of Solomon 4:16)
The wind may, refer to, the temptations, whether, left ones; sins or, right ones; self-righteousness, which, blow upon the human soul, but supported by, the Lord not only to preserve it, from temptations but to, extract fruits rejoicing Him out of them!
Chapter4: The married life
Scene1: The beginning of the married life
“I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends! Deink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones!” (Song of Solomon 5:1)
From, the beginning the Lord was preparing for going down to, His garden to save man, the subject of His joyfulness and enjoyment. In this garden he came preparing Himself to the cross at the night of His sufferings. So, He, invited His bride to share Him, His sufferings, crucifixion and burying…. As though, these events are extending in the lives of His people!
So, Father Rufinus sees, that the garden here is nothing but, the place of the crucifixion of the Lord where the wise says, that the groom drinks the myrrh mixed with the spice, presented at the moment of His Crucifixion.
He goes down to the heart to live and rest within to pick up its myrrh, the cross and its spice, the blessings of His tomb. Everything in our hearts is sweet like the honey and honeycomb. He drinks His wine; meaning His love poured on us by the Holy Spirit with His milk meaning the purification.
Scene2: The Shulamite's Troubled Evening
“I slept, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, “Open for Me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one; for My head is covered with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.” (Song of Solomon 5:2)
It is an accurate image for the mutual treatments between God and man. Since, man lived for long sleeping, careless despite of the possibilities God gave him to be awake. At the beginning, He gave him the Law of Moses, but man broke the law. Then sent His prophets, but the mankind killed them.
Finally, “He knocks.”; the Word of God, Himself came down to man, knocking the door of his heart. The Sun of righteousness came down unto our time, that man made it dark till he lights us, we who are sitting down in darkness and at the shadows of death to awake us again. So, we really get up of our sleep!
Then, He begs her as being a carrier of its pains and its sadnesses for the sake of her, behold saying, to her, “My head is covered with dew, My locks with the drops of the night.” If you made your times a night without day, I would break through your sleeping life with My love to bear the horrors of the night on behalf of you! As He, really did in the garden of Gethsemane by night. As for She, she presented unsuitable excuses and spoke carelessly, did not call Him, My Lord or My Master or even by His name or one of His titles; saying, “I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; How can I defile them? (Song of Solomon 5:3)
What easy! to make to yourself robe to wear and shoes to take on your feet…………but she made herself busy with her rest from enjoying her Groom as those who presented excuses for not to attend the wedding.
Scene3: The Marital Love Returns by The Cross
So, if the human soul could not hear the voice of her Beloved, He had put His wounded Hand on the cross inside her mind to see the remains of the wounds of her love that he bore for her sake, till her heart is pained profoundly, Saying, “My beloved put His hand by the latch of the door, And my heart yearned for Him. I arose to open for my Beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh on the handles of the lock.” (Song of Solomon 5:4-5)
And this is what happened to His disciples, that, because of, their fear, they closed the doors and could not imagine that this cannot prevent Him; the wounded for them, to come and stand in the midst of them and showed them His hands and His side and that they, were glad for this.
As for the Bride, she enabled to enjoy her Groom’s hand prevailing in her midst, realizing the mystery of His cross and breaking her stony heart and arising to open for her Beloved.
“I opened for my Beloved, but my Beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when He spoke. I sought Him, but could not find Him; I called Him, but He gave me no answer. The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took my veil away from me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my Beloved, that you tell Him I am lovesick! What is your Beloved more than another beloved, o fairest among women? What is your Beloved more than another beloved that you so charge us?” (Song of Solomon 5:6-9)
So, she opened for her Groom, after a long sleep, but He was turned away and was gone, but why?! Because He, Polites man for delaying in response and in such doing, He seems as if, He abandoned us for a time…. This abandonment is considered a sign for interest!
Father Daniel says, there are two reasons behind this, the First, is to pay attention for the weakness of our hearts, so that we may be able to remember what we were before, and that is called the Godly visit to us. The second reason is that when He abandons us, we may find this a temptation to us in persistence, catchment for Him, and real jealous for Him till the real objective of our hearts and our prayers is to be found out by the Holy Spirit, since humans in general, do not appreciate what they can get so easily! resulting in keeping up so strongly our spiritual happiness and the joyfulness of our purity!
In front all of these insults, the true believer does not deviate from sighting at the Groom, but on contrary do confirming for the enemies that, he is lovesick!
Chapter 5: The Mutual Pair Love
Scene 1: The Bride Praises the Groom
“Chief among ten thousand.” (Song of Solomon 5:10). Meaning, He became well-known to humans and demons, the Church knows Him, arising as a flag for peoples, rising over the cross for attracting all the mankind to Him, giving it His glory, and sanctifying it by His blood. And known to demons screaming, get down from the cross as He has taken it, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” (COLOSSIANS2:15)
“His head is like the finest gold; His locks are wavy and black as a raven.” (Song of Solomon 5:11).
If gold denotes to the Celestial life, then, the finest gold refers to His Godhead. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (COLOSSIANS2:9). As to His locks, it is surrounding the Church or as Saint Augustine says, the group of saints who are living by Him, so, they do not have white hair but all of it is black like a raven, renewable like the eagle.
“His eyes are like doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.” (Song of Solomon 5:12)
Although, being a King frightening His enemies, His eyes as a flame of fire (REVELATION1:14), but He shows His eyes simply to His believers like a calm simple dove. Father Victorianus, Bishop of Pateu says: ” Rivers of waters refer to the many peoples that came to God by baptism.” They are washed with milk, refers to the interest of God to present the finest Faith, pure food for their Deliverance. As for, being set fitly refers to, the stability in God’s Care.
“His cheeks are like a bed of spices, Banks of scented herbs. His lips are lilies, Dripping liquid myrrh.” (Song of Solomon 5:13)
His cheeks are like a bed of spices refers to that he did not avoid spitting on His face (MATTHEW 27:30). So, that the Church sees Him as a sacrificing Beloved. His lips are lilies, refer to, the Royal glory when the Lord, Himself, says about: “Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (MATTHEW 6:29). Since, His lips were saying glorious teachings. Tyey are dripping liquid myrrh refers to His words are mixed with the bitterish of His pains and burying.
“His hands are rods of Gold set with beryl. His body is curved ivory Inlaid with sapphires. His legs are pillars of marble Set on bases of fine gold. His countenance is like Lebanon, Excellent as the cedars.” (Song of Solomon 5:14-15)
Rods of gold refers to the eternity since, the rod has no starting point nor an end. His hands are eternal saturating the body and the soul together forever. They are formed of gold, refers to the Celestial characteristic. And the beryl in the Old Testament refers to the strength of the basis.
The body refers to the profound feelings of God fully of love and tenderness. This tenderness is like the ivory since it is formed as a result of, the pain of, the Elephant, extracting his pain through it. Ivory inlaid with sapphires, its color is blue, announcing that His love is eternal celestial not temporary terrestrial.
The two legs refer to the power to walk consistently and the fine gold refers to, Celestial nature as whosoever unifies with Him, can walk continuously to Heavens. His countenance is like Lebanon, which is a beautiful touristic region, a resort for the newly married to begin their lives in a terrific weather, so, is the countenance of Jesus, what, He carries with cheerfulness and tenderness rejoicing the soul; that, wants to live with Him the married spiritual life.
The Sacrament of His beauty is the Excellence like the Cedars in reference to, His long Head with straightforward and its Excellent smell. So, He, really looks like a young man never gets old.
“His mouth is most sweet, Yes, He, is together lovely. This is My Beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!” (Song of Solomon 5:16)
Thus, the believer, finds in His words most sweet since these words are Spirit and Life, he, whosoever eats from returns to Him, hungry and he, whosoever drinks from getting more over thirsty back to Him! the sacrament of His words that it bears power and dominion. Finally, when the bride feels her weakness describing Him, she says: “He, is together lovely, her beloved, and her friend!”
Scene 2: A Dialogue at the Garden
“Where has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned aside, that we may seek Him with you?” (Song of Solomon 6:1)
They became in a great eager to Him, we want to know Him as you meaning that the unbelievers realized that they can’t recognize Him outside the Church.
Hence, the Church answers, “My beloved has gone to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feel his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I’m my beloved is mine. He feels his flock among the lilies.” (Song of Solomon 6:2-3)
So, this Book contains continuous confirmations to the existence of the Groom in the Church and in the human soul even He enters the stony heart to make it a garden-He, Himself looking after- collects the lilies of it.
“O my love, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem. Awesome as an array with banners!” (Song of Solomon 6:4)
Beautiful as Tirzah; Tirzah is the youngest daughter of the five girls of Zelophehad the son of Hepher who asked for inheritance, and it had been decided by God to be taken assimilates the human soul united with God having an intercession to live as a living member in the holy group.
Lovely as Jerusalem; the secret of its beauty is that it is the same as Jerusalem representing the Celestial Holies that God dwells herein. Awesome as an array with banners referring to the Victorious Lord in the midst protecting it does not know any defeat.
“Turn your eyes away from me, for they have overcome me.”(Song of Solomon 6:5)
The mercies of God had been overcome by the tears of the sinner woman and the breezes of the right thief. Since, He can’t bear to see the tears of the man and his contrition.
“Your hair is like a float of goats going down from Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep which have come up from the washing: Every one bears twins, and none is barren among them. Like a piece of pomegranate are your temples behind your veil.” (Song of Solomon 6:5-7)
We previously explained these characteristics in Chapter4: 1-3. And it is repeated here to confirm an important truth that the love of God is consistent, never changing.
“There are sixty queens and eighty concubines. And virgins without number. My dove, my perfect one, Is the only one. The only one of her mother, The favorite of the one who bore her. And called her blessed, The queens and the concubines, And they praised her.” (Song of Solomon 6:8-9)
So, He praised her through the language of numbers since He, assimilated her with the Celestial creatures and saw in them as many ranks as sixty queens, eighty concubines and virgins without number, but, as for His church it is only one that he has bought by His blood and sanctified by His Holy Spirit till it became the only one complete dove; His Bride.
“Who is she who looks forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Awesome as an array with banners?” (Song of Solomon 6:10)
So, She is looking forth as the morning in a refer to Jesus, Sun of the righteousness who rose upon us; whom sitting in the darkness. She is Fair like the moon taking her fairness from Him and Clear as the Sun behold the Holy Spirit has prevailed on her making it Clear. Awesome as an array with banners carrying inside the Lord of hosts; the Leader of the battle against the Sin and the kingdom of Satan.
“I went down to the garden of nuts to see the verdure of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded and the pomegranates had bloomed. Before I was even aware, My soul had made me As the chariots of my noble people. Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon you! What would you see in the Shulamite_ As it were, the dance of the two camps.” (Song of Solomon 6:11-13)
So, here, the Soul went down For work to find out the fruits of the valley realizing in its heart the Spiritual concepts of the Logos that she follows and feeling that she became a noble in her own point of view because, She is attributed to The King Messiah.
Not only this but also, He called Her Shulamite, the female name of Solomon since He is truly the Real Solomon Calling her, with His own Title; since, She carried His Characteristics in her attitude and is called by His name.
Finally, in this magnificent image, He sees her on pride, as, two organized camps ready for the Spiritual War.
Scene 3: He Describes Her
“How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince’s daughter!” (Song of Solomon 7:1)
He calls her prince’s daughter since she is attributed to Him and is borne from water and spirit. As to sandals, it refers to her walk as the Bible of Peace.
“The curves of your thighs are like jewels, The work of the hands of a skillful workman.” (Song of Solomon 7:1)
The thighs are carrying the whole body and makes it moves so, they refer to the unity of the Holy Church. This unity is the same as the jewels linking the mankind with its different language, race and culture. and also across all the successive generations, since the church is carrying the Ecclesiastic Spirit at the level of place; all over the world and at the level of time across the different generations. And it is made by a skillful workman that is the Holy Spirit donating the partnership.
“Your navel is a rounded goblet; It lacks no blended beverage.” (Song of Solomon 7:2)
The navel is sprinkled with chrism in the Installation secret, because the Holy Spirit is sanctifying not only the apparent body members but also, its internal viscera for that the whole of man is for God.
As, the embryo’s navel is cut off when, he comes to the world, the Groom and His bride do the same regarding the home of their parents; They begin a new marital life and practice their Agape love in the unity of Spirit.
“Your waist is a heap of wheat Set about with lilies.” (Song of Solomon 7:2)
The church contains stores of Spiritual food saturating the soul, The Messiah, is living herein; the living bread coming down from Heavens. And this food is set about with lilies; the fair fruits of the church that smells good.
“Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus.” (Song of Solomon 7:4)
This expression refers to the magnanimity and courage of the Holy Church in the truth. And that if it is gentle and lowly in heart but, it is strong and mighty at the same time.
“Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel, And the hair of your head is like purple; A king is held captive by your tresses.” (Song of Solomon 7:5)
The head of the Church is high like Mount Carmel not in arrogance, but, in the victorious power upon the love of the world and its storms. And the king can’t leave the tresses because He can never quit her.
“How fair and how pleasant you are, O love, with your delights! This stature of yours is like a palm tree and your breasts like its clusters. I said: “I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its branches.” Let now your breasts be like the clusters of the vine, The fragrance of your breath like apples, And the roof of your mouth like the best wine. The wine goes down smoothly for my beloved, moving gently the lips of sleepers.” (Song of Solomon 7:6-9)
The Groom rejoices with His Fruitful Bride going up to the palm tree to take hold of its branches to announce the pride and the greatness of the human soul. Behold, He, Himself went down to the world to unify with it, He now goes up to her…. She went up after being down and by this She shares Him, His glory, seeing Himself going up, picking up its fruits that are truly made by His Holy Spirit!
“Come, my beloved, Let us go forth to the field; Let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards; Let us see if the vine has budded, whether the grape blossoms are open, and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love. (Song of Solomon 7:11-12)
Behold, the bride realized his love, she asked Him, to go forth to the field and lodge in the villages far from the noisy City to pick up the fruits.
She meant by villages, her internal heart, thoughts and emotions and all her energies to uncover the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Also, that’s an invitation for servants to serve at the villages; for the poor and the needy more than the rich city.
“The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant fruits, All manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, my beloved.” (Song of Solomon 7:13)
The mandrakes is one of the most beautiful flowers, referring to the marital unity between the man and his wife. This unity showed its fragrance is new ever day and old meaning; original and deep… It is the fruits of the Word of God workable in the souls of the believers!
Source is HOLY BIBLE NKJV. Arabic New van Dyck text C. The Bible Society of Egypt. Fifth Edition Third print2019.ISBN 978-1-84364-188-9. Printed in China.
Reference is Song of Solomon book for the Egyptian Father Briest, Tadros Jakob Malti, Egypt, Abba Rewis Print.
Edited by: Tawfik, S, 38- The facinating Song of Solomon.2024
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/samehstawfi
Views: 150
No comment