THEOSISJerome of Stridon
As I walked by, I observed you trampled in your blood, and I spoke to you, saying, “Live!” when you were still in your blood. I nurtured you like the grass of the field, and you blossomed into the beauty of womanhood. Your breasts became full, your hair grew, yet you were exposed and ashamed. I saw you mingled with your blood, and I declared, “Let life emerge from your blood.” I caused you to flourish like the tender shoots of the earth, and you increased in splendor, entering into the cities. Your breasts were enhanced, and your hair grew, but you remained unclothed, shrouded in shame. When you were cast down upon the ground due to the corruption of your spirit, you felt unworthy of my aid.
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Nevertheless, as I walked alongside you, I perceived your defilement in your blood, which signified your guilt from grievous sins, and I called upon you to seek repentance, saying, “Though you are in blood, live through transformation.”
The richness within you mirrored a bountiful field, adorned with the blessings akin to those Jacob received from his father, who remarked, “The aroma of my son is like the fragrance of a blessed field” (Gen. 27:27). You entered the inner sanctuaries of the Lord, declaring, “The King has brought me into His embrace” (Song of Songs 1:3), achieving the beauty of femininity. According to the LXX, this was expressed as you entered into the cities of the cities, which signifies the grandeur of this age, as observed in the “Song of Songs” and “the ages of ages.” It is said in the Gospel that a city can be a region with a significant overflow of blessings (Luke 19:17-18), deserving to be called not merely a city but a great city, in accordance with Isaiah's words: “I will restore your judges as at the first” (Isaiah 1:26).
In the translations by Symmachus and Theodotion, it is mentioned that you attained the adornment of womanhood, which we interpret as achieving feminine beauty, indicating a time of maturity when young women are suitable for marriage. Thus, your breasts have become full, and your hair has grown. This maturity is symbolically represented by the fullness of breasts and the growth of hair. Even though you were prepared for marriage and possessed physical beauty, you lacked the covering of garments and the protection that comes from God. He who lacks the garb of Christ remains naked. Those who do not embody the virtues of compassion, kindness, goodness, humility, purity, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12) are exposed and their beauty is marred by shame and nudity.