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Canticles vi.
Notes & Commentary:
Ver. 1. Lilies.
The church teaches, that God is delighted with the pious desires and works of the faithful. (Worthington) --- She answers
the question which had been put to her. (Calmet) --- God associates lilies, or the perfect, to his angels. He "feeds his flock,"
and "is fed," on works of piety, as Hebrew and Septuagint imply both. (Menochius)
Ver. 2. Beloved.
She speaks thus, when she finds him, and runs to his embraces, having found what trouble her neglect had occasioned. (Calmet)
Ver. 3. Thou.
Christ again commends his Church, which is well composed of distinct orders, some governing, others retired from the world,
and the rest exercising works of mercy, amid its troubles, who altogether form a complete army, terrible to all her enemies.
(Worthington) --- Jerusalem. Which was then one of the finest cities in the east. (Calmet) The Catholic Church resembles
the heavenly Jerusalem. (Theodoret) --- Terrible. So great is the power of love, (Romans viii. 35.) in the martyrs,
and of the Church, against infidels! (Calmet) --- She is lovely to Christ, and terrible to the wicked. Even her spouse is
wounded by her glance. (Menochius)
Ver. 4. Turn.
The more one contemplates God's majesty, the more he will be convinced that it is incomprehensible. (Worthington) --- To pry
into mysteries, may cause Christ to retire. (Theodoret, &c.)
Ver. 7. Number.
The true pastors are numerous, but hirelings more so. The faithful are innumerable, and all are united in the same faith.
(Worthington) --- The spouse and the queens represent the more prefect; the concubines, or wives of inferior
degree, those who are led by fear; and the maidens, such as are languid and negligent. (Origen) --- The Roman Church
is at the head of all metropolitan, episcopal, and parochial Churches. (Haydock)
Ver. 9. Who.
The companions of the spouse, (Calmet) or the synagogue, admire the Christian Church. (Worthington) --- Morning. Aurora.
The Church dissipated the darkness of paganism; she appeared as the moon under persecution, and as the sun, after the conversion
of Constantine. (Calmet) --- The like will happen in the days of antichrist. (Ven. Bede) --- The religion of the patriarchs
may be compared to the morning-star: that of Moses, to the moon; and of Christ, to the sun. (Menochius)
Ver. 11. Aminadab.
The devil, (Theodoret) or probably some renowned general. Aquila explains it "of the people's leader," (Calmet) or "munificent
one." (Montanus) --- I knew not what forced me to flee with such speed, as if I had been panic-struck, (Calmet) or the spouse
professes that she knew not that he had retired into the garden of nuts, or she would not have been under apprehensions of
his being ill-treated by Aminadab, as Christ was by Pilate. (Menochius)
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Bible Text & Cross-references:
The spouse of Christ is but one: she is fair and terrible.
1 My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the bed of aromatical spices,
to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
2 I to my beloved, and my beloved to me, who feedeth among the lilies.
3 Thou art beautiful, O my love, sweet and comely as Jerusalem: terrible
as an army set in array.
4 Turn away thy eyes from me, for they have made me flee away. Thy hair
is as a flock of goats, that appear from Galaad.
5 Thy teeth as a flock of sheep, which come up from the washing, all with
twins, and there is none barren among them.
6 Thy cheeks are as the bark of a pomegranate, beside what is hidden
within thee.
7 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and young maidens
without number.
8 One is my dove, my perfect one is but one, she is the only one
of her mother, the chosen of her that bore her. The daughters saw her, and declared her most blessed: the queens and concubines,
and they praised her.
9 Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon,
bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in array?
10 I went down into the garden of nuts, to see the fruits of the vallies,
and to look if the vineyard had flourished, and the pomegranates budded.
11 I knew not: my soul troubled me for the chariots of Aminadab.
12 Return, return, O Sulamitess: return, return, that we may behold thee.
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