Fathers

Song of Solomon 3

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By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

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What the Fathers say

Song of Solomon 3:1

Western Saints

Ambrose of Milan

"In my bed, I sought the one whom my soul loves during the nights." Whoever seeks well, let them seek in their bed, let them seek during the nights, neither on holidays nor on nights of rest. Let no time be vacant from the duty of piety; and if it does not find it at first, let it continue in seeking. ... And since we see heavenly mysteries prefigured in the Gospel on earth, let us come to that Mary, let us come also to Magdalene. …

On Isaac and the Soul, 5.38, 42 ↗

Gregory the Dialogist

For we seek the beloved in bed when in some little rest of the present life we sigh with longing for our Redeemer. We seek by night, because even if the mind is now awake in him, nevertheless the eye still grows dim.

40 Homilies on the Gospels, Homily 25 ↗

Bernard of Clairvaux

A Subtle Disputation Concerning the Image, or the Word of God, and the Soul Which Is to the Image: and Concerning the Error of Gilbert, Bishop of Poitiers. 1. Certain of you, as I have learned, bear it with less than a fair spirit that behold, now for several days, while it delights us to dwell upon the wonder and admiration of the mysteries, the discourse which we have administered has been seasoned either with no salt of moral teaching, or with exceedingly little. This indeed is beyond our custom. …

Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 80 ↗