Song of Songs 5:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The bride responds to the Word, embodying what she has received: she becomes a sister, a neighbor, a dove, and the fullness of womanhood; she sheds her earthly garments, cleanses her feet from impurity, refrains from wearing her old, tattered attire, and no longer treads upon the ground.

Hearing the call of the Bridegroom, she acts on His command; she opens the door, lifting the veil from her heart and the veil that covers the door, which represents the flesh. She unlocks all the barriers of her soul, ensuring that the King of Glory may enter. However, the broad entrance reveals itself as a confined, narrow well, where the Bridegroom Himself struggles to enter, with only His hand able to penetrate, merely brushing against the one longing to behold Him. In this touch, the bride finds recognition and solace, understanding that the hand reaching her is that of her Beloved. The rich truths in this noble description can be further explored if we do not linger too long on the words alone.

The human soul exists in a dual nature; it is both incorporeal, spiritual, and pure, as well as corporeal, material, and ignorant. Yet once it disentangles itself from earthly distractions through virtuous endeavors and turns its gaze heavenward, it eagerly seeks the origins of creation—what is the Source of its beauty, where does the power flow from, what reveals the wisdom inherent in its essence? Undeterred in its quest, it mobilizes all faculties of reasoning and exploration in pursuit of understanding, limiting itself only by the reach of God’s grace, which we experience in our lives.

Just as air rises from the depths of a lake, not resting at the bottom, but seeking to merge with its kindred above, so too does the soul reach towards the Divine. Upon achieving insight into the wonders of His work, it finds itself in awe, unable to venture further in its exploration, but marveling at the One whose essence is known only through His actions. The bride witnesses the splendor of heaven, the brilliance of heavenly bodies, the swift motion of the celestial sphere, the regular cycles of the stars, the rhythmic return of the seasons, and the earth adapting and responding to its celestial counterparts. She observes the multitude of creatures in water and on land, the diverse plant life exhibiting their unique qualities, strengths, appearances, and the properties of fruits and juices. From all these manifestations of divine workmanship, the soul deduces profound truths about the visible world.

Yet, in the age to come, when all visible things fade, as prophesied in the Lord’s words, ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away’ (Matthew 24:35), we will enter a life beyond sight, sound, and thought. It is then, without mere representations or through observable deeds, that we will come to know the true nature of the Good, experiencing a kind of bliss that surpasses what is currently fathomable. At present, the soul's understanding is limited to the divine efficacy manifested in creation, which is symbolically referred to as ‘the hand.’ Thus, we are taught this doctrine through the sacred discourse: the pure soul, having moved beyond earthly existence to avoid leaving any trace of defilement, eagerly anticipates the arrival of the Bridegroom, who has fully entered the dwelling, recognizing only His hand within the well as representative of His divine power.

‘My brother,’ she declares, ‘has sent His hand down through the well,’ for humanity lacks the capacity to contain the indefinable and unfathomable. ‘And my womb shall tremble for Him,’ she further proclaims. In her trembling lies a profound amazement and wonder at the miracle before her, for all of her reason is stirred by the marvels wrought by the hand of God, the understanding of which transcends her human limits, illuminating the incomprehensibility of His nature. All creation exists through this divine hand, which is manifested to us ‘through the well,’ as John speaks and the Prophet attests. One affirms, ‘All things were made by this hand’ (John 1:2), while another states, ‘My hand has made all these things’ (Psalm 66:2).

If such wonders and the celestial beauty have emerged from this creativity, how can our minds grasp the essence of man, the sun, or any visible marvel? The heart trembles before God's handiwork, reasoning that if it cannot comprehend these, how could it comprehend what is transcendent? Another may view the bride's words through a different lens; perhaps not deviating from the truth, they suggest that the bride represents the entirety of human experience. This creative hand, having briefly engaged with the temporality of human existence, takes on our nature in ‘every likeness except sin’ (Hebrews 4:15). When He draws near, our souls are filled with awe and wonder: How can God take on flesh? How can the Word become flesh? How does the Virgin conceive? How can light coexist with darkness, and life with death? How does this humble well of life contain the hand that encompasses all creation, the measure of heaven, earth, and sea?

It is plausible that the bride’s hand symbolically signifies the grace of the Gospel. When the Lord manifested Himself on earth and lived among humans, we recognized the pure and ethereal beauty of the Bridegroom, the Deity of the Word, the radiance of true light, through His miraculous hand. By ‘hand,’ we denote His divine power—the source by which the dead are raised, the blind regain sight, and illnesses are healed. Since there are dual interpretations of the term ‘hand’, where one observes the Divine Nature as utterly incomprehensible and known only through its effects, while the other considers the bride's words as foretelling Gospel grace, we leave this decision to the listener to discern which resonates more profoundly with the provided truths. Whichever view proves most beneficial to the soul may it guide us towards goodness.

Acknowledging that ‘the invisible things of God,’ as Paul indicated, ‘from the creation of the world are clearly seen’ (Romans 1:19-20), may we refrain from futile inquiries into the incomprehensible, lest such reasoning distract us from the truth. However, if we approach this conception of the hand with an eye to the Gospel, we may find our faith in these mysterious teachings strengthened, grounding us firmly in the proclamation of the truths concerning Christ Jesus. To Him be glory forever and ever! Amen.

Arise, open up: Christ stands at the door, and knocks at the entrance of your heart; should you choose to open, He will enter in and commune with you and the Father. He rewards not only upon entering but even sends forth blessings before His arrival. Long before, the soul is stirred, seeking within its dwelling and reaching for the door where Christ awaits; beforehand, it breaks free from earthly restraints and fleshly barriers, as Christ knocks at the door.

Thus, we have discovered Christ and possess Him; we have found Him who reaches through your window. What is this window we recognize? It is indeed that which allows us to perceive the works of Christ—namely, our spiritual vision and understanding. Therefore, let Christ enter through your window; may He extend His hand through it so that the love of the Word, rather than that of the flesh, may come to you. Thus, when the Divine Word extends His hand through your window, consider how you shall prepare it, ensuring it is cleansed of all sinful residue. The window of a pure heart must harbor nothing shameful, nothing adulterous. It should be free from any distractions and false adornments, distancing itself from the temptations of illicit love. Similarly, the ears should remain free from burdens; nothing should weigh them down, nor should they be marred by painful pricks. Their sole ornamentation should be the attentive listening to what is truly beneficial.

While she expresses these thoughts, the Word has dispensed His presence as if through a passage, though we do not yet have the face to face encounter (1 Cor. 13:12), yet it is as if He reached out His hand. She remarks, “And my soul stirred before Him. I arose to open for my Brother, my hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers poured myrrh upon the locks.” Let us reflect on the significance of this. As mentioned, the Word of God becomes perceptible through His works, resembling an opening, though not fully realized. Consequently, love escalates and matures, conceived from the seeds planted by Him, which the soul receives as if from the womb of understanding, with the fullness of His divinity dwelling in Him in the flesh, as we read, yearning to behold.

In my desperation, I wept and searched for my beloved, even to the merchants of distress, who not only tormented and struck me but left me wounded and stripped of my outer garments. It seems that the Bride is alluding to the powers and oppressors—the ones who once turned against the Church and the triumphant martyrs, who, having separated the body from the soul, caused their demise as if shedding an outer garment.