Song of Songs 4:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When the Only Begotten appeared in the flesh, beauty descended upon us like that seen atop the mountains (Isaiah 52:7). We who had lost the splendor of every virtue and the beauty of our own souls now flourish in Him, filled with spiritual abundance, enabling us to express what is found in the Song of Songs: “Let my brother go down into his own heptagon, and let him eat the fruit of his vegetables.”

The garden of Christ is the church, which is represented through the bride in the Song of Songs as she proclaims: “Let my brother go down into his own heptagon, and let him eat the fruit of his vegetables” (5:1). As a chestnut or a ripe fruit among plants, the souls of the saints manifest beautiful and pleasing virtues in the eyes of God.

For those eager to nurture and embrace the works of righteousness, it will surely be granted by God to dwell in every good thing, to experience abundant spiritual productivity, and to cherish what might be likened to an inner garden flourishing with various virtues and ripe fruits. Thus, they can boldly proclaim what is inscribed in the Song of Songs: “Let my brother go down into his heptagon, and let him eat the fruit of his vegetables.” The fruits of virtue and the sweetness of spiritual fruitfulness serve as sustenance for God.

If our spirits are inspired by tales of Elijah, and we envision our thoughts ascending in a chariot of fire, transformed by heavenly delights (as the Holy Spirit ignites the fire that Christ intended to bring to the earth, Luke 12:49), then it is fitting for us to approach these divine truths, which enlighten our souls through celestial and spiritual language.

I encourage you, dear listener, to perceive this with your spiritual senses, recalling the Lord's words to Abraham, "Look up to this heaven" (Genesis 15:5), and contemplate the stars, pondering the depth of these divine truths. Reflect on the authority of the queen, and through her commands, grasp her sovereignty. The royal authority found in her declarations does not rely solely on prayer; rather, she embodies the promise of the One who proclaimed, "the faithful and wise steward" will be set over "all" belonging to the Lord (Luke 12:42-44). Accepting this authority, the bride commands the two winds as a sovereign, instructing the north wind to depart from her presence and beckoning the south wind to come swiftly to her aid, as expressed in the words, "Rise up, north, and come, south."

This directive resonates with the centurion's words that evoked admiration from Christ, as recorded by the evangelist: "But when Jesus heard it, He marvelled" (Matthew 8:10). The Lord distinguishes the centurion's faith not by the standards of Israel, but in contrast to that generation of Israel, which barely escaped peril through divine assistance, yet remained imperfectly guarded against its adversary, akin to Jacob wrestling with the angel (Genesis 32:24). This centurion, with regal authority, sends away what does not serve him and draws near what delights him. I believe this man's commendable nature shines through his commands, for he instructs those under him with decisive power, commanding some to depart and summoning others in their stead. There seems to be wise strategy in the centurion's approach; he does not summon back the one he has sent away but instead calls forth another. When he states, "go, and he goes" (Matthew 8:9), he continues by calling forth another servant, illustrating that the Word teaches us the nature of relationships between opposing forces. As the Apostle notes, there can be no communion between "light and darkness" (2 Corinthians 6:14); rather, when darkness flees, light is revealed, and virtues take the place of vices. This transition occurs when the wisdom of the flesh no longer resists the spirit, as its capacity to defy has dwindled, becoming ready for rightful service and yielding to the spiritual authority.

When the warrior, who defends vice, is driven out and is succeeded by the champion of virtue—armed in the armor of truth and wielding the spiritual sword, covered by the protection of salvation and the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:14-17)—then the body submissively obeys its Master, allowing virtue to flourish in its service. This is exemplified in the centurion's statement: "I say to my servant, ‘Do this, and he does it’" (Matthew 8:9). Now, let us heed the queen's intention in sending away the north wind. Unlike the Lord who commanded the storm to be silent (Mark 4:39), she does not seek to pacify it; instead, she commands this wind to depart, ensuring the south wind may blow freely without obstruction. The reason behind this removal lies in the nature of the north wind: "the north wind brings forth cruelty," as it has been described, yet it is pleasant by its very name (Proverbs 27:16). The north wind serves no one well unless they have the east—symbolically representing Christ—behind them, while they venture forth into the world’s west, where darkness prevails.

Indeed, it is understood that the one who journeys from the east—identified with Christ in prophetic terms—towards the west, where shadow reigns, is accompanied by the north wind, which brings forth negative influences leading them into darkness. Thus, the promiscuous individual finds this north wind stirring with illicit desires, while the greedy see it as a deceitful breeze, gathering covetousness like sand or ashes. By perpetuating every sinful inclination, it appears 'pleasant' to those it entices, hiding its cruel nature beneath allurements. For this reason, the one empowered over passions issues the decree, "Arise, north." This name signifies resistance, which becomes evident to those who understand the order of the visible world.

Who does not observe that the sun travels from east to south, ultimately bending towards the west? Considering the earth’s spherical shape, as the knowledgeable have described, one side shines in sunlight, while the opposite remains shrouded in darkness. Thus, where the absence of light prevails, the prince of darkness surfaces like a water that renders the soul languid, hardening it and fostering cruelty, represented by the north wind—the harbinger of winter, described as a time fraught with peril (Matthew 24:20), as during such seasons, the vibrancy of virtue diminishes. Therefore, it is remarkable that the queen's command forcefully dispels this wind while summoning forth the midday breeze, warm and perpetually radiant—the south wind—which bestows pleasure and invites a flourishing harvest of fragrances. She calls out, "Come and blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow," desiring a breath akin to that which blessed the disciples in the upper room, invigorating the plants of God, bringing forth a bounty of fragrances, allowing the prophesying and saving truths of faith to be expressed in various tongues with uninhibited richness.

Thus, the one hundred and twenty disciples were established in God's house, producing fragrant doctrines through such southern winds. Therefore, the bride beckons to the south wind: "Breathe upon my garden." She, the mother of the Church, as the Bridegroom speaks of her fruitfulness, desires that her garden—filled with life—bears sweet fragrances. The prophet declares, "His Spirit shall blow, and the waters shall flow" (Psalm 147:7), and the bride magnifies herself with royal splendor, transforming streams into rivers of fragrance flowing from her flourishing trees—a distinction between the Old and New Testaments. The former’s rivers are filled with water; the latter’s with fragrant doctrines. The apostle Paul was such a fragrant river, exuding the aroma of Christ, flourishing from the church’s bounty through the Spirit's guidance. Others like John, Luke, Matthew, and Mark were also rivers of sweetness, enhancing the garden of the Church, pouring out the Gospel fragrance through the midday south breeze.

"Let my brother go down," says the bride, "into his garden and consume the fruit of his pleasant trees." What a bold assertion! What a generous and noble spirit, surpassing all measures of generosity! Who does He host at His banquet of divine fruits? Who is invited to partake of His abundant provisions? It is to the One from whom all things originate, through whom all things exist, and in whom all things are sustained, who provides "food in due season, opens His hand, and satisfies the desires of every living being" (Psalm 145:15-16); He is "the bread that came down from heaven and gives life to the world" (John 6:33), nurturing all existence from His source—this is whom the bride presents a meal. This meal signifies a garden abundant with living trees; these trees represent us if we offer Him a nurturing salvation for our souls. For He who regards life as a festivity states, "My food is to do the will of My Father" (John 4:34). The will of the One who "desires all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4) is apparent. Thus, this is what is set before Him: our salvation. The fruit represents our willing hearts, akin to branches yielding their harvest here, placing our souls in the hands of the Divine reaper.

From this, it is evident that at first, the bride delights in the apple tree's fruit, declaring, "and its fruit is sweet to my taste" (Song of Solomon 2:3). Eventually, the fruit becomes ripe and sweet, ready to bring joy to the laborers. When expressing "let it come down," she conveys a petition reminiscent of "hallowed be Thy name" and "Thy will be done." Just as these phrases bear the essence of prayer, so too does her request for the blessings to descend signal the bride's imploring the Lord to acknowledge the abundant fruit of righteousness. This descent denotes a human response; for, as one cannot ascend to the Most High without being humble on earth, "The Lord saves the humble" (Psalm 146:6), thus the soul reaching towards the Divine, seeking guidance from Above, earnestly desires His descent from glory to commune with the lowly.

The fierce north wind assaults the senses, stirring relentless storms and tempests within human hearts. However, this wind has begun to lose its grip on those it once tormented: it has toppled the entirety of the Jewish nation; all the tribes it conquered and dominated were influenced by it. We refer to the northern allies of the prince of this world as his companions. Just as a wife stands faithfully by her husband's side in a sacred union, those who followed the will of the devil were aligned with him. But now, they have become Mount Zion! They seek the eternal God day and night. Consider Paul! When he persecuted the Church of the Lord, he was among the followers of the north wind. But observe his present state! Now, he is honored within the Church, serving as a watchtower from which we behold and understand the glory of Christ. The Greek term for mountains, όρη, illustrates why the servants of Christ are referred to as mountains. They surround Him like the mountains encircle Jerusalem (Psalm 124:2), and within them resides the Church of the Lord, the hail of the great King! The Lord endured suffering at the Place of the Skull, έν Κρανίω, located upon that northern slope. Here lies Mount Zion, the earthly Jerusalem. It is evident that the assembly of God's people, initially mingled with the north wind due to sin, was transformed into the Church of Christ through grace, moving from being labeled as a synagogue to being known as the Church of Christ. The remnant of the Jews was saved through the election of grace (Romans 11:5), and in them, God is revealed: in Peter, Paul, John, and James! These admirable and distinguished leaders became both the foundation and pinnacle of the Church. They served as a solid base, impervious to the harshest blasts of the north wind; steadfast, they upheld the foundation of faith, ensuring that the entire Church remained firm. Rising like summits, they elevated the Church through the towers of their virtue. Thus, the Creator is recognized through His creations, just as the builder is understood through His structures; even when His name is not mentioned, the beauty of creation reveals the Creator. And it is no surprise that we can perceive and understand the unseen in human artistry, for we also recognize the invisible traits of the eternal Creator, whom we cannot witness directly, through His creations (Romans 1:20). Look, God is acknowledged as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob (Exodus 3:15); if He dwells in splendid and spacious houses, we are those houses, provided we hold steadfast to the foundation of freedom and glory until the end. He is the true God who strengthened Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through His commandments. Hence, in them, He demonstrated His eternal nature. When the hail of the great King was taken under His protection, the Psalmist notes that He filled the doorways of the homes with the light of His knowledge, enabling them to clearly receive His words, heed His commandments, and strive to obey them, so they would not lose the steadfastness of the house built upon the rock.