Fathers

Song of Solomon 6

Tap a verse to read the Fathers. Press and hold, then drag, to make a card.

Where has your beloved gone, you fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you? My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. He browses among the lilies. You are beautiful, my love, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners. Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats, that lie along the side of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, which have come up from the washing, of which every one has twins; not one is bereaved among them. Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil. There are sixty queens, eighty concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my perfect one, is unique. She is her mother’s only daughter. She is the favorite one of her who bore her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed. The queens and the concubines saw her, and they praised her. Who is she who looks out as the morning, beautiful as the moon, clear as the sun, and awesome as an army with banners? I went down into the nut tree grove, to see the green plants of the valley, to see whether the vine budded, and the pomegranates were in flower. Without realizing it, my desire set me with my royal people’s chariots. Return, return, Shulammite! Return, return, that we may gaze at you. Why do you desire to gaze at the Shulammite, as at the dance of Mahanaim?

About · Privacy · Credits · Support VRSZ

What the Fathers say

Song of Solomon 6:11

Eastern Fathers

Cyril of Jerusalem

You wish to know the place? He says in the Canticles, "I came down to the nut garden"; for it was a garden where he was crucified.

Catechetical Lecture 14:5 ↗

Western Saints

Bede

I descended into the garden of nuts, etc. For the garden of nuts is the present Church, where we are scarcely able to perceive each other's consciences. Indeed, nuts are all fruits which are covered with a harder shell; conversely, all soft things are generally called evil. Therefore, the life of the righteous is rightly compared to nuts, where they preserve the sweetness of spiritual fruit in their innermost heart in such a way that they cannot make it known to others, how great it is. …

Commentary on the Song of Songs ↗

Robert of Tombelaine

What do we understand by nuts, if not all the perfect, who while they retain divine wisdom within their bodies, carry as it were a kernel in a fragile shell? For there are very many in the Church who attend constantly to divine Scripture, and tasting how sweet the Lord is, desire to taste yet more; they ruminate on holy joys in their heart, and ruminating they grow stronger more and more. And yet outwardly, to those who do not know them, they appear worthless, because it is unknown what sweet food they carry within their interior. …

Commentary on the Song of Songs, Chapter 6 ↗