Song of Songs — Chapter 7

Quid videbis in Sulamite nisi choros castrorum ut quid aspicis in Sulamite

What shalt thou see in the Sulamitess but the company of camps? Why do you look upon the Sulamitess? The Sulamitess = the converted Synagogue of the Jews (Sulamitis = belonging to Solomon, or peaceful, from Salem). The observers (companions of the Bridegroom, i.e., Elijah and Enoch or holy Gentile Christians) wonder at the beauty of the converted Synagogue, comparing her to an army of camps — beautiful, ordered, and powerful for the preaching of the Gospel. Why look at her? Because her beauty after conversion is remarkable — the same people who for centuries persecuted Christ now become His most fervent preachers. Cassiodorus, Gregory, Philo, Anselm, Rupert: the converted Synagogue will be a spectacle of grace in the last days. The question \"why do you look?\" can also be interpreted as the Bridegroom asking the companions to contemplate the marvel of Israel's conversion at the end of time, as fulfillment of all prophecy.

Quam pulchri sunt gressus tui in calceamentis filia principis

How beautiful are thy steps in shoes, O prince's daughter! The Sulamitess/Synagogue is now praised for her beautiful steps — that is, the strength and grace of her conversion and apostolic activity. \"In shoes\" = properly equipped for the Gospel mission (cf. Eph 6:15: \"your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace\"). \"Daughter of a prince\" = daughter of Abraham, the prince of faith; daughter of David, the royal ancestor of Christ. The beautiful steps = (1) the ordered progression of the converted Synagogue in the virtues; (2) the grace and dignity of her apostolic gait; (3) modesty and decorum in all external actions (Ambrose: \"Quam concinnus et numerosus sit incessus Ecclesiae\"). The joining of feet (junturae femorum) in the following verse = the soul's joints firmly united after the healing of Jacob's limp (Gen 32:25) — the type of the Synagogue's former wavering faith now made firm by conversion.

Umbilicus tuus crater tornatilis numquam indigens poculis venter tuus sicut acervus tritici vallatus liliis

Thy navel is like a round bowl never wanting cups. Thy belly is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies. The navel of the Synagogue/Jerusalem = Jerusalem itself, which is the center (navel) of the earth and of the nations (Ezek 5:5). Like a lathe-turned goblet = always full of the wine of wisdom and never lacking cups to serve it. This refers to Jerusalem in the last days as the center of the renewed preaching of the Gospel by Elijah's disciples. The belly like a heap of wheat = Ambrose (De Instit. Virgin.): the Blessed Virgin's womb, which produced Christ the grain of wheat from which the bread of life is multiplied. But primarily here: Jerusalem/the converted Synagogue filled with priests, teachers, and prophets who nourish the world with the bread of the Word. \"Vallatus liliis\" = surrounded by the lilies of purity and chastity.

Duo ubera tua sicut duo hinnuli gemelli capreae

Thy two breasts are like two young roes, twins of a roe. Repetition of Sg 4:5. In this context (applied to the converted Synagogue), the two breasts = the two Laws (Old and New Testaments) which the converted Jews will now preach as one coherent revelation of Christ. The twin roes = equal beauty, equal fruitfulness in both Testaments. The converted Synagogue, which formerly knew only the Old Testament, now embraces the New Testament as well, and preaches both in their unity. Honorius: the Church's two breasts also signify the two greatest commandments (love of God and neighbor), with which she nourishes her spiritual children. Tropologically: the two breasts of every faithful soul = the two forms of charity — contemplative love of God and active charity toward neighbor.

Collum tuum sicut turris eburnea oculi tui sicut piscinae in Hesebon quae sunt in porta filiae multitudinis nasus tuus sicut turris Libani quae respicit contra Damascum

Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thy eyes like the fishponds in Hesebon, which are in the gate of the daughter of the multitude. Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon, that looketh towards Damascus. The ivory neck = the Synagogue's splendid obedience and noble doctrine, now firm and pure as ivory. The eyes as fishponds = the Synagogue's clear, still, deep spiritual knowledge — as the ponds of Hesebon (= understanding) reflect the sky, so the Synagogue's eyes now reflect Christ. The nose as the tower of Lebanon = discernment, the faculty by which the renewed Jewish Church will detect and forestall the deceits of Antichrist and his pseudoprophets. The tower looking toward Damascus = vigilance against the enemy (Damascus = \"blood of the sack\" = demonic bloodthirst for souls). Ambrose: the nose represents discrimination of spirits — the ability to smell truth from falsehood, as the nose distinguishes good and foul odors. Gregory: the nose of the Church = the Pontiffs and Preachers who discern heresy.

Caput tuum ut Carmelus et comae capitis tui sicut purpura regis vincta canalibus

Thy head is like Carmel, and the hairs of thy head as the purple of a king bound in the channels. The head = the perfection and sovereignty of the converted Synagogue's faith and contemplation. Carmel = \"vinetum\" (vineyard), the place of Elijah's greatest victory over the false prophets of Baal — symbolizing the Synagogue's final triumph, under Elijah's guidance, over Antichrist. The hair purple as a king's = the royal dignity of Elijah and Enoch and their followers, crowned with the martyrdom purple of testimony; their hair (= flowing virtue and counsel) is woven together in channels of discipline and apostolic order. Rupert: the palm tree of v. 7 (statura = height) = the Cross of Christ on which the Synagogue has finally mounted through Elijah's preaching, and from which she collects the fruits (botri) of the grace and wisdom of the Gospel.

Quam pulchra es et quam decora carissima in deliciis

How beautiful art thou, and how comely, my dearest, in delights! Summarizing the beauty of the converted Synagogue/Church at the end of time. \"In deliciis\" = in the delights of the Holy Spirit, in the joys of full faith and apostolic fervor. The verse corresponds to Sg 4:7 (\"Tota pulchra es\") but here it is spoken at the fullness of time, when the Synagogue has completed her conversion and joined the Church of the Gentiles. The end-time Church (Synagogue + Gentiles united) will be the most beautiful of all earthly assemblies, combining the riches of the Old and New Covenants, the prophecies fulfilled and the grace of the Gospel in its final fullness. Honorius: \"in deliciis\" = in the spiritual delights of the Holy Spirit's gifts distributed in the last great outpouring before the final consummation.

Statura tua assimilata est palmae et ubera tua botris

Thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. The palm tree = (1) the lofty virtue and spiritual height of the converted Synagogue; (2) the Cross of Christ, on which the Synagogue finally mounts to gather its fruits (Cassiodorus, Julius, Gregory, Tertullian, Cyprian, Peter Damian); (3) victory and triumph (the palm = symbol of victory), for the Church's missionary work in the last days will be a great triumph over Antichrist. \"Ubera tua botris\" = the Church's two breasts (doctrine, sacraments) are now rich clusters of grapes — full of the wine of spiritual knowledge, mature, pressed out through tribulation into the wine of martyrdom and wisdom. Rupert: Christ ascends the palm tree (= the Cross) with His hands — the wounds of the nails — and takes the fruit (= the elect souls brought to heaven). Aponius: the palm = the Church's victory; the botri = the Apostles' successors who hang like clusters from the vine of the Church's cross.

Dixi ascendam in palmam et apprehendam fructus eius et erunt ubera tua sicut botri vineae et odor oris tui sicut malorum

I said: I will go up into the palm tree, and will take hold of the fruit thereof: and thy breasts shall be as the clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy mouth like apples. The Bridegroom resolves to ascend the palm tree and take hold of its fruits = Christ resolved to mount the Cross and thereby take possession of the elect, His fruit. \"Erunt ubera tua sicut botri vineae\" = the Church's breasts (her ministers) will become rich clusters of grapes — full of the wine of spiritual wisdom and charity that Christ Himself desires to drink. The odor of the mouth like apples = the good report and sweet fragrance of the Church's preaching, which like ripe apples announces spiritual richness to all who approach. Honorius: \"ascendam in palmam\" = Christ's Ascension by the Cross into heaven, from which He draws the elect to Himself. The verse also expresses Christ's perpetual delight in the Church's sanctity and growth.

Guttur tuum sicut vinum optimum dignum dilecto meo ad potandum labiisque et dentibus illius ad ruminandum

Thy throat is as the best wine, worthy for my beloved to drink, and for his lips and his teeth to chew. The throat (guttur) = the preaching of the Church, which like the best wine nourishes, inebriates with divine love, and is worthy of being offered to Christ as well as to souls. Cassiodorus: the Church's preaching is worthy of Christ because it teaches what He taught, in the same spirit. Gregory: \"The wine the Church has set aside for her Lord is the preaching which she gives to the righteous — this is the wine worthy of the Lord.\" Philo Carpathius: the throat = the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ offered to the faithful — the true best wine that inebriates with holy love and cures all spiritual diseases. Theodoret and Julius: the throat/teeth = the hierarchy of preachers (throat = Apostolic succession, teeth = deacons and lower ministers) who ruminate on and digest divine wisdom and distribute it to the faithful.

Ego dilecto meo et ad me conversio eius

I to my beloved, and his turning is towards me. Final declaration of mutual belonging (see Sg 2:16, 6:3), but now even more complete: \"I to my beloved\" places the Church's self-gift first; \"his turning is towards me\" = Christ's attention and love is directed completely to the Church. The \"turning\" = the convertio, the perpetual orientation of Christ's loving gaze and care toward the Church. This mutual belonging in the end times is more perfect than ever before — the Church converted from paganism and Israel converted by Elijah together form the fully complete Bride of Christ. Cassiodorus: this is the declaration of perfect mystical union. Rupert: the convertio of Christ toward the Church = the Incarnation, which was God's ultimate \"turning\" toward humanity. Now the Church, in response, turns entirely toward Christ. Anagogically: in heaven, the beatific vision will be the ultimate expression of this mutual turning.

Veni dilecte mi egrediamur in agrum maneamus in villis

Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field, let us abide in the villages. The Church (or the converted Synagogue) invites Christ to go with her into the world — to the villages and fields = to the humble, rural, simple people, the poor and outcast who are most receptive to the Gospel. Historically: after Constantine, the Gospel had conquered the cities; now Christ's preachers go to the rural population. In the end times: after Elijah's conversion of the Jews, the missionaries go out to all the remaining peoples, including the most remote nations. Cassiodorus: \"veniens divina majestas praesentia... egrediamur in agrum mundi huius: praedicamus tuam incarnationis fidem mundo.\" The \"villages\" = the humble souls of simple faith who flourish precisely because they are not corrupted by sophistication. Ambrose (de Obitu Valentiniani): the going out to the fields = the departure of the soul from the body at death, entering the fields of eternal reward.

Mane surgamus ad vineas videamus si floruit vinea si flores fructus parturiunt si floruerunt mala punica ibi dabo tibi ubera mea

Let us get up early to the vineyards: let us see if the vineyard flourish, if the flowers be ready to bring forth fruits, if the pomegranates flourish: there will I give thee my breasts. Rising early to visit the vineyards = the apostolic zeal that begins at dawn — not waiting, but going out eagerly at the first light to care for souls. The vineyards = the particular Churches throughout the world, examined with pastoral care to see if faith is flourishing (the vines), if virtue is producing fruits, if the martyrs and apostolate are flourishing (pomegranates). \"There will I give thee my breasts\" = the Church promises Christ that where she finds the vineyard flourishing, she will offer Him the fullest milk of her doctrine and charity — a complete return of love and service. Honorius: the morning = the resurrection of Christ; the Anagogical sense = in heaven the blessed rise perpetually in contemplation, visiting the eternal vineyards of God's glory. Ambrose: mane surgamus = the soul rising in spirit to eternal goods.