Song of Songs 4:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But this is what is spoken of the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him want to receive’ (John 7:37-39). Hence, the concept of living water signifies the essence of God, and it is not a mistaken affirmation of the Word that validates the bride as the source of the water flowing from Lebanon. This is truly remarkable, as all reservoirs store water, yet the bride alone possesses water that spills forth, embodying both the depth of a storehouse and the perpetual flow of a river. Who could adequately describe the wonders reflected in her, as if they were to emerge from her likeness? It might be that she finds nothing greater than herself, fully mirroring that original beauty. Just as a spring parallels the Source, life corresponds to Life, and water mirrors Water. The Word of God is vibrant, and the soul that embraces the Word is alive. That Water proceeds from God, as the Source declares: ‘From God I went out, and I came in’ (John 8:42). It encompasses all that is infused into the soul’s storehouse, making it a treasury of living water, which flows, or rather, as the Word articulates, flows audibly from Lebanon. Let us partake of this bounty, having acquired this storehouse, so that following the directive of wisdom, we may drink our own water and not that of another (Proverbs 5:15) concerning Christ Jesus our Lord. To Him be glory forever and ever! Amen.

In raising the bride to such lofty heights, the Word brings her yet higher, proclaiming that her garments emit a fragrance akin to that of frankincense, thus affirming that she is clothed in Christ. The culmination of every courageous life is unity with God, and frankincense symbolizes the divine nature. Furthermore, the soul, ever guided by the Word toward the sublime, does not remain static. Rather, likened to the essence of frankincense, it becomes a garden akin to paradise—but not the kind that the first humans experienced, which was unrestrained and unprotected; instead, it is fortified against all sides by the remembrance of the commandment.

To elucidate the kind of plants that the Word sows in the hearts of the faithful, the song designates pomegranates as the trees cultivated by the words that flow from the bride's lips. The pomegranate resists the thief, armed with prickly thorns under a hard, bitter exterior that contains and nurtures fruit. In due time, when ripe, the exterior falls away to reveal the fruit, which is inwardly delightful and visually appealing, akin to honey, and possesses a taste akin to wine. Therefore, it seems to me that the words emanating from the bride create gardens of pomegranates within the souls of the listeners, teaching us to avoid indulgence and excess in this life, and instead embrace a life of restraint. In this manner, the fruit of virtue remains safeguarded from thieves, protected by the strong barrier of self-control, a noble and austere state that acts like thorns against those with harmful intentions.

To clarify the seemingly interchangeable terms "well" and "spring," the Gospel provides further context. It states that Jesus visited a town in Samaria named Sychar, near the land Jacob entrusted to his son Joseph, where Jacob’s well lay. He, weary from His travels, sat by the well (John 4:5-6). Thus, we perceive that this well serves as a symbol of spiritual teaching, for there, the Samaritan woman—representing the Church and entrusted with divine mysteries—drew forth revelations, realizing God is Spirit and is worshipped in spirit rather than in a specific location, recognizing that the Messiah—Christ, whom the Jews anticipate—has already arrived. Upon hearing this, the woman, who symbolizes the Church, grasped the Law's mysteries and expressed her faith.

Thus, the pomegranate indeed reveals divisions among its seeds, leading to the comparison of the bride’s offspring to a garden of pomegranates.

This garden also includes the spring of living waters and the channels from Lebanon (Song of Songs 4:15). It offers not only the openly shared teachings of the Gospel but also the well of the law, termed the well of living waters, which holds hidden streams that bubble, echoing as they flow forth from Lebanon. In Jerusalem, the path of life has attained its fullness, aligning with the law, often renowned as Lebanon; yet this well has come under the guardianship of the Lord's bride, the Church, and though concealed, it continues to flow vigorously, nourishing the garden of the Church.