Song of Songs 8:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Hence, when many called out in prayer, asking, "Who will bring salvation from Zion to Israel?" (Psalm 52:7) - the bride, as articulated in the Song of Songs, offered this supplication: "Oh, if you were my brother, who nursed at my mother’s breasts!" (Song of Songs 8:1), expressing a desire for Him to become like us and bear our sorrows in our stead. Thus, the Lord of Hosts, the Creator of times and years, who understands our needs more profoundly than we do, like a skilled healer, is aware of the appropriate time to celebrate the healing of those restored. Therefore, when the moment is right, the Father will send forth the Son as promised.

The Church responds, "Who will grant me You, my brother, nourished at my mother's breast? When I encounter You outside, I will embrace You without shame. I will welcome You into my mother’s house, into the chamber of my birth, where You will instruct me." Do you see how she, filled with joy from this gift of grace, yearns to delve into the profound mysteries, dedicating all her love to Christ?

In my mother’s house, You would teach me. Observe how the Church, joyful in the grace bestowed upon her, yearns to explore the most sacred mysteries, entrusting all her love to Christ. She continues to seek, stirring up love within herself and asking that it be awakened by the daughters of Jerusalem—friendly souls who will inspire the bridegroom to a greater love.

What are the nourishing breasts of the Church if not the Sacrament of Baptism? It is aptly stated, "suckling," indicating one who, upon baptism, seeks out spiritual nourishment. She proclaims, "Finding You in the street, I would kiss You" (Song 8:1), which means, "Upon discovering You beyond the physical realm, I embrace You through the sacraments. You will not be scorned or humiliated; I will bring You into the sanctuaries of the mother Church and the chambers of the sacraments, that You may partake of the cup of divine grace."

For He descended from the fullness of glory, not for His own benefit, but for the benefit of others, emerging from the bosom of Eternity to step into the world, like the Bridegroom leaving the bridal chamber (cf. Ps. 19:5). He seeks the weak, choosing not to remain in the hidden throne of the Father, in a light unendurable for the frail, but rather to be welcomed into the bride’s throne and secret places. May He exist beyond Himself yet dwell within us, present in our midst though unseen (cf. Jn. 1:26).

“Taken up and brought in” (Song 8:1), indeed, the Word of God is accepted and invited. It knocks on the heart, seeking an opening; should the heart remain closed, it does not enter. However, when someone opens the door, He comes in and dines with them. Thus, the bride receives the Word, and having welcomed Him, she is instructed.

Do not hold back the young maidens, as it is written, "For the virgins love You" (Song 1:2), and they have welcomed You into my mother’s house (Song 8:2). Ultimately, do not exclude even the little ones from love for Christ; even those confined within their mothers’ wombs prophesied with joy about Him (Cf. Lk. 1:41).

Who will grant you, my brother, to nurse at my mother’s breasts? When I find you outside, I will kiss you, and thus none will bring me shame. I will comprehend you; I will lead you into my mother’s house, and into the embrace of my child: there I will instruct you; I will offer you drink from the wine of the house and the essence of my fruits. The Bridegroom Himself, in His humanity, received the grace of the Holy Spirit. It is written of Him: ‘But the boy grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.’ Therefore, the Bride, marveling at His indescribable human nature—that He too ‘nursed at the breasts of her mother’—expresses: ‘You, who out of Your immense kindness took on my flesh, nursed not from necessity but to guide me in how to partake of the nourishing teachings. Who will grant you, O my Brother, to nurse at my mother’s breasts? When I find you outside, I will kiss you, and this will not bring me disgrace.’ I, entranced by Your love, will come to You not only in the palace and in the embrace but also openly in the world; I will kiss You, and none shall condemn me if they see my fervor for You. But when I find You, ‘I will understand You; I will bring You into my mother’s house.’ The Holy Temple, a representation of the Celestial Jerusalem, is termed ‘home’—‘I will offer You drink from the wine that fills the place with aroma and from the essence of my fruits.’ By wine, He signifies the doctrine rich in grace and perfumed with spirituality, and by the essence of my fruits, He refers to the blessings borne from love. In these words, the Bride and the Bridegroom address the maidens: His embrace is beneath my head, and His right hand will search me. I am not afraid of any threat of judgment; I am enveloped in the blessings of the Bridegroom. This is why His embrace rests under my head, and His right hand encompasses me. I urge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the might and strength of the strongholds: if you wish to awaken and cultivate love, do so as He desires. You must continually ignite love in your hearts so that you may yearn for Him with greater zeal and attain the fulfillment of His will. When the maidens heard this and beheld all her splendor, they were filled with awe and spoke: