Song of Songs 5:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Bride expresses, “His hands are like gold, filled with purity.” This statement suggests that the characteristics praised in the Head are likewise applicable to the hands. The Head refers to Christ, in Whom “God was reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Cor. 5:19), as Paul articulated, and Who manifested Himself through power and miracles in the flesh. Thus, if the Head, to whom we refer, is described as the purest gold, being devoid of sin (as it is written, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth” (1 Pet. 2:22)), then what the Bride says about the hands being golden indicates that they must also reflect purity in every sense—sinless, free from and avoiding all vice. By the hands, we denote those that manage the Church’s affairs according to divine commandments, and it is commendable for them to mirror the Head in their purity and blamelessness. The hands become pure when all that detracts from beauty is removed. Just as sculptors eliminate excess material from marble to achieve a form resembling their model, the Church’s hands require a similar refinement, shedding unnecessary thoughts to achieve true gold and purity. It is evident to all that various vices harm the beauty of these hands if allowed to remain, including gluttony, pride, greed, an obsession with external appearances, and distracting oneself from gaining what is in the hands by indulging in pleasures derived from good deeds. It is imperative to eliminate these distractions by purifying thoughts, leaving behind only the genuine gold of a will aligned with the pure Head. The Apostle gives us further clarity, noting that God is “faithful” (1 Cor. 1:9) and that we should search for faithfulness in those who serve, stating, “It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2). Thus, the faithful and wise builder, acting in place of the Church’s hands while emulating the example of the Master, illustrates that the hands of the body, like the Head, are golden. In contrast, Judas, who was wretched and corrupt and was entrusted with the financial resources of the poor, did not act as such a hand within the body of the Apostles. He failed to purge his greed and, while ostensibly safeguarding the treasury, became a thief, pilfering what belonged to others, prioritizing wealth over God’s commandments—resulting in a self-imposed bondage, a detachment from life, and a grave detriment to his soul that endures. Therefore, the hands must be purified and refined, so that after removing all that hinders, they reflect gold consistent with the beauty of the Head. The term "purity," as used in Scripture, carries various meanings, not always conveying the same implication; frequently, it suggests condemnation, while at times, it conveys divine acknowledgment and favor. When the Prophet Jonah fled from God’s presence, he sought “a ship going to Tarshish” (Jon. 1:3). Likewise, the great David recounts that the ships of Tarshish are shattered by fierce winds (Ps. 47:8). I believe the Spirit that descended upon the disciples in the upper room was first discerned audibly as “the sound of a mighty wind” and subsequently manifested visually as tongues resembling flames (Acts 2:2, 3). Through this, the vices that plague humanity, referred to by the Prophet as the ships of Tarshish, are dismantled in various manners. Such references denote the negative connotation of this name. Conversely, the esteemed Ezekiel, in recounting his vision of Divine manifestation, described it using language that conveys something of a transcendent nature, saying, “the appearance of the wheels was like the color of beryl” (Ezek. 1:16). It has been noted that the term often signifies something ethereal, spiritual, and lacking physical substance. Therefore, recognizing that this word is employed in a positive light here (for no one would regard a rebuke as commendation), we must understand the hands being extolled as those that, by shedding every unnecessary and corporeal aspect, transition into something divine and spiritual. Just as craftsmen refine a piece of emerald, removing all dark and earthly distractions until only the pure green luster remains, this parallels the divine instruction that emphasizes disengaging from the material and aspiring toward the spiritual. The Apostle counsels, “We do not look at what is seen, but at what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). In the exaltation of the hands, we recognize how being refined from material entanglements leads them to purity, transforming them through deliberate practice into something immaterial and spiritual. The Bride further states, “His hands are like gold, filled with purity.” We now must contemplate the next phrase, addressing the symbol of the womb. It reads, “His belly is like an elaborate vessel, set upon a foundation of sapphire.” When the divine lawgiver instructed Moses to inscribe the law on stone tablets, He referred to them as tables of stone. He commanded Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, the law and commandments” (Ex. 24:12). After the temporal and earthly aspects of the law have been clarified through the Gospel, it is no longer stone tablets that receive the sacred writing, but rather a vessel of luminous, newly polished ivory. In her imagery, the Bride likens the womb, which receives the commandments, to an elephantine vessel set on sapphire stone. Firstly, I feel it necessary to illuminate the sensory aspect of the phrase before delving deeper into its meaning. The term “pixis” (Greek) describes a dense and creamy wood used for creating writing surfaces. Thus, this board, crafted for inscription, even if made from other materials, is denoted as a writing board. When we encounter the term "pixion," we denote some smooth surface suitable for writing. Since “pixion” serves as a generic term for these boards, Scripture specifies the quality of the material it refers to, indicating that the surface is not merely wood, but ivory. Ivory, due to its density and durability, withstands decay and remains unaffected by time. Furthermore, sapphire, with its deep blue hue, provides comfort to weary eyes that scrutinize the written text, as such colors soothe ocular strain. Consequently, this serves as the template to which the esteemed womb of the Church is compared. In reflecting upon the prophecy where God commands, “Write the vision of the Lord on the tablet of the heart” (Hab. 2:2), one can discern what this revered vessel signifies within the body of Christ. The command that Divine revelation be inscribed upon the womb may suggest that the purity of the heart is what retains the Divine visions. Just as the Lord opened the mouth of Ezekiel, placing within it “the scroll of the book” (Ezek. 2:9)—which was filled with writing on both sides—and instructed him, “Eat this scroll, and fill your belly with it” (Ezek. 3:3), thereby referring to the womb as the intellectual capacity of the soul containing the teachings of the Divine; similarly, Jeremiah outlines the tumult of his thoughts when he describes, “My heart is distressed and my innermost being trembles” (Jer. 4:19). If we seek further scriptural affirmation regarding this understanding, we see that the Lord stated that “rivers of living water will flow from the hearts of those who believe in Me” (John 7:38). Hence, all of this leads us to interpret “the womb” as synonymous with the pure heart, which becomes a repository for Divine law, identifiable in those who, “as the Apostle notes, exhibit the law written in their hearts” (Rom. 2:15), “not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God,” so that such inscriptions are made not “on tablets of stone,” but rather on the pure, smooth, and lustrous “tablets of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:3). Thus, our souls must serve as the means by which the clear and unwavering memory of God’s words are deeply etched within, as if meticulously engraved. The sapphire is also mentioned in relation to the commendation of the womb, as its brilliance reflects a divine nature. This depiction serves as counsel for our hearts to elevate themselves and seek higher aspirations, calming our gaze upon the source of our treasures, ensuring we remain vigilant in our attention to Divine wisdom, for heavenly hope brings tranquility to the vision capability of the soul.