Fathers

Song of Solomon 8

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O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee. Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar. I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour. Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver. My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred. Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it. Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

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What the Fathers say

Song of Solomon 8:7

Eastern Fathers

Cyril of Jerusalem

Though weak in body the women were courageous in spirit. "Many waters cannot quench charity, neither can floods drown it." He whom they sought was dead, but their hope of the resurrection was not quenched.

Catechetical Lecture 14:13 ↗

Western Saints

Ambrose of Milan

And so charity ought to be in us, that we may not be called back from Christ by any dangers. For it is written: 'Many waters cannot quench charity, neither can the floods drown it'; because love passes over the torrent. No storm, no deep peril, no fear of death or punishment can diminish the power of charity. In these things we are tested, in these things a happy life is found, even if it is overwhelmed by many dangers. …

On Jacob and the Blessed Life, 1.7.27-28 ↗

Bede

If a man gives all the substance of his house, etc. This sentence does not require an explanation of words, as both the apostles themselves at the beginning and countless believers afterward have sufficiently proved its truth by their examples, when for the love of the truth they seemed to leave everything they possessed in this world, and appeared to lose nothing to themselves, so long as they would receive true goods in heaven. …

Commentary on the Song of Songs ↗

Bonaventure

A person is disposed to the influx of the gift of fortitude through the inextinguishable fire of charity. "Many waters could not extinguish charity." Do you think you can extinguish a burning furnace with a drop of water? Every power is like a drop of water in comparison to the loving soul. "Love is strong as death": death conquers all, and likewise love conquers all things. "Jealousy is hard as hell": hell does not release what it holds, and so charity conquers all things and holds them fast. …

Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 5 ↗