Canticle of Canticles, 2
Christ caresses his spouse: he invites her to him.
[1] I am the flower of the field 1, and the lily of the valleys. •
I am the flower of the field: Christ professes himself the flower of mankind, yea, the Lord of all creatures: and, ver. 2, declares the excellence of his spouse, the true church above all other societies, which are to be considered as thorns.
[2] As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. •
[3] As the apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow, whom I desired: and his fruit was sweet to my palate. •
[4] He brought me into the cellar of wine, he set in order charity in me. •
[5] Stay me up with flowers, compass me about with apples: because I languish with love. •
[6] His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me. •
[7] I adjure you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and the harts of the field, that you stir not up, nor make the beloved to awake, till she please. •
[8] The voice of my beloved 1, behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills. •
The voice of my beloved: that is, the preaching of the gospel surmounting difficulties figuratively here expressed by mountains and little hills.
[9] My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart. Behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices. •
[10] Behold my beloved speaketh to me: Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come. •
[11] For winter is now past, the rain is over and gone. •
[12] The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come: the voice of the turtle is heard in our land: •
[13] The fig tree hath put forth her green figs: the vines in flower yield their sweet smell. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come: •
[14] My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall, shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely. •
[15] Catch us the little foxes 1 that destroy the vines: for our vineyard hath flourished. •
Catch us the little foxes: Christ commands his pastors to catch false teachers, by holding forth their fallacy and erroneous doctrine, which like foxes would bite and destroy the vines.
[16] My beloved to me, and I to him who feedeth among the lilies, •
[17] Till the day break, and the shadows retire. Return: be like, my beloved, to a roe, or to a young hart upon the mountains of Bether. •