Song of Songs 2:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

She implores the bridegroom to cast aside the barren synagogue and approach the people whose souls have been humbled and led astray by idolatry, those who are destined to rise to the celestial realms.

Await with hope and endurance until the night fades, mother of the lost, until the anger of God subsides, to which we once belonged, being children of darkness. We still bear remnants of that in our bodies, which are dead through sin, “until the day breaks and the shadows disperse.”

Since the Old Testament dictates what those of us in the New Covenant are not required to observe, why do the Jews fail to recognize that they remain in the decayed and forgotten practices, instead of criticizing us, who embrace the new promises, for neglecting the old? As it is beautifully expressed in the Song of Songs: A new day has come, let the shadows disappear (cf. Song of Songs 2:17); the dawn of spiritual enlightenment has already emerged, the celebration of the flesh has grown silent. The God of gods, the Lord, has declared and is summoning the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting (Ps. 49:1).

If someone is transformed in spirit, having been reborn of the Spirit, they will no longer subsist on earthly sustenance but will find nourishment in the Spirit, which is akin to the purity and fragrance of the crinum flower. Consequently, one who partakes will themselves embody purity and the fragrance of the crinum, transformed by the nature of the sustenance they receive. This day overflows with light, or breathes forth rays, as the Divine Word describes the outpouring of light produced by the Spirit, referring to it as breath.

At the outset, as if beginning a journey, the soul can only see mere silhouettes, untouched by the illuminating Word that is drawing near, and thus the brightness of the Gospel has not yet illuminated its path. In this state, it embraces the fragrance of faith free from the darkness of uncertainty.

Before dawn arrives and the shadows shift, it is essential to recognize that the Bridegroom first refers to Himself as a "crone" in relation to humanity, stating, "I am a flower of thorns, and a crone of elders" (Song 2:1). The Bride also characterizes herself similarly, saying, "as the crone of thorns, so is my sincere one in the midst of the daughters" (Song 2:2). Here, the Bride even refers to the pasture as a "crone." The phrase "Shepherded in crinæ" suggests that the pasture provided to the sheep is filled with fragrance. According to the interpretation by the Seventy, and as Simmachus suggests, "krin" refers to the shepherds themselves. "Until the day, and the hay shall move," denotes the temporary nature of worldly possessions like wealth, fame, glory, power, and physical beauty.

O Bridegroom, come and cast out the evil spirits—the serpents that torment us and infuse our hearts with their venomous desires. The act of leaping over the mountains symbolizes the Divine essence of the Bridegroom, serving as a reminder that He enters our existence in a remarkable manner.

When You, O Most Holy Mother of God, shone forth into the world as a beacon of light, revealing the Sun of righteousness, the profound darkness was shattered, the might of the oppressor was vanquished, death was conquered, hell was cast down, and all hostility vanished before creation. The harmful afflictions retreated in the presence of salvation that had come, and the entire cosmos was illuminated by the brilliance of unblemished truth. As Solomon proclaimed in the Song of Songs, “My beloved is mine, and I am his; he feeds among the lilies, until the day breathes coolness and the shadows flee away.”

While the day is refreshed with coolness and the shadows withdraw (Song of Songs 2:17), meaning as long as the everlasting light of the coming age shines forth and the darkness of this worldly existence, filled with ignorance and sin, retreats into oblivion, it is during this time that we, the faithful, who bear the lamp of God's Word, are significantly veiled from clarity.

The cherished one, upon hearing the call of her beloved, extols his rapid approach, recounting how he arrived at her abode. She paints a picture of the beauty found in the Palestinian spring, inviting her to the mountain ravines and vineyards to delight in his presence and voice. Now she summons him to her, sharing how she sought him in the city's streets during the night, inquiring with the city's watchmen about his whereabouts, and ultimately, after finding him, leading him to her mother’s home. Once more, she pleads with her companions to respect her peace and tranquility.