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1 I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse, I haue gathered my Myrrhe with my spice, I haue eaten my honie combe with my hony, I haue drunke my wine with my milke: eate, O friends, drinke, yea drinke abundantly, O beloued!
2 ¶ I sleepe, but my heart waketh: it is the voyce of my beloued that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my loue, my doue, my vndefiled: for my head is filled with dewe, and my lockes with the drops of the night.
3 I haue put off my coate, how shall I put it on? I haue washed my feete, how shall I defile them?
4 My beloued put in his hand by the hole of the dore, and my bowels were moued for him.
5 I rose vp to open to my beloued, and my hands dropped with myrrhe, and my fingers with sweete smelling myrrhe, vpon the handles of the locke.
6 I opened to my beloued, but my beloued had with drawen himselfe, and was gone: my soule failed when hee spake: I sought him, but I could not find him: I called him, but he gaue me no answere.
7 The watchmen that went about the citie, found me, they smote me, they wounded me, the keepers of the walles tooke away my vaile from me.
8 I charge you, O daughters of Ierusalem, if ye find my beloued, that yee tell him, that I am sicke of loue.
9 ¶ What is thy beloued more then another beloued, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloued more then another beloued, that thou doest so charge vs?
10 My beloued is white and ruddy, the chiefest among tenne thousand.
11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and blacke as a Rauen.
12 His eyes are as the eyes of doues by the riuers of water, washed with milk, and fitly set.
13 His cheekes are as a bed of spices, as sweete flowers: his lippes like lillies, dropping sweete smelling myrrhe.
14 His hands are as gold rings set with the Berill: His belly is as bright iuorie, ouerlayd with Saphires.
15 His legges are as pillars of marble, set vpon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweete, yea he is altogether louely. This is my beloued, and this is my friend, O daughters of Ierusalem.
Christ's answer. (1) The disappointments of the church from her own folly. (2-8) The excellences of Christ. (9-16)1 See how ready Christ is to accept the invitations of his people. What little good there is in us would be lost, if he did not preserve it to himself. He also invites his beloved people to eat and drink abundantly. The ordinances in which they honour him, are means of grace.
2-8 Churches and believers, by carelessness and security, provoke Christ to withdraw. We ought to notice our spiritual slumbers and distempers. Christ knocks to awaken us, knocks by his word and Spirit, knocks by afflictions and by our consciences; thus, #Re 3:20|. When we are unmindful of Christ, still he thinks of us. Christ's love to us should engage ours to him, even in the most self-denying instances; and we only can be gainers by it. Careless souls put slights on Jesus Christ. Another could not be sent to open the door. Christ calls to us, but we have no mind, or pretend we have no strength, or we have no time, and think we may be excused. Making excuses is making light of Christ. Those put contempt upon Christ, who cannot find in their hearts to bear a cold blast, or to leave a warm bed for him. See the powerful influences of Divine grace.
He put in his hand to unbolt the door, as one weary of waiting. This betokens a work of the Spirit upon the soul. The believer's rising above self-indulgence, seeking by prayer for the consolations of Christ, and to remove every hinderance to communion with him; these actings of the soul are represented by the hands dropping sweet-smelling myrrh upon the handles of the locks. But the Beloved was gone! By absenting himself, Christ will teach his people to value his gracious visits more highly. Observe, the soul still calls Christ her Beloved. Every desertion is not despair. Lord, I believe, though I must say, Lord, help my unbelief. His words melted me, yet, wretch that I was, I made excuses. The smothering and stifling of convictions will be very bitter to think of, when God opens our eyes. The soul went in pursuit of him; not only prayed, but used means, sought him in the ways wherein he used to be found. The watchmen wounded me. Some refer it to those who misapply the word to awakened consciences. The charge to the daughters of Jerusalem, seems to mean the distressed believer's desire of the prayers of the feeblest Christian. Awakened souls are more sensible of Christ's withdrawings than of any other trouble.
9-16 Even those who have little acquaintance with Christ, cannot but see amiable beauty in others who bear his image. There are hopes of those who begin to inquire concerning Christ and his perfections. Christians, who are well acquainted with Christ themselves, should do all they can to make others know something of him. Divine glory makes him truly lovely in the eyes of all who are enlightened to discern spiritual things. He is white in the spotless innocence of his life, ruddy in the bleeding sufferings he went through at his death. This description of the person of the Beloved, would form, in the figurative language of those times, a portrait of beauty of person and of grace of manners; but the aptness of some of the allusions may not appear to us. He shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all that believe. May his love constrain us to live to his glory.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.