SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:2
¶ Yo duermo, pero mi corazón vela por la voz de mi amado que toca a la puerta : Abreme, hermana mía, compañera mía, paloma mía, perfecta mía; porque mi cabeza está llena de rocío, mis cabellos de las gotas de la noche.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Song of Solomon 5:2
Verse 2. I sleep, but my heart waketh - This is a new part; and some suppose that the fifth day's solemnity begins here. Though I sleep, yet so impressed is may heart with the excellences of my beloved, that my imagination presents him to me in the most pleasing dreams throughout the night. I doubt whether the whole, from this verse to the end of the seventh, be not a dream: several parts of it bear this resemblance; and I confess there are some parts of it, such as her hesitating to rise, his sudden disappearance, &c., which would be of easier solution on this supposition. Or part of the transactions mentioned might be the effects of the dream she had, as rising up suddenly, and going out into the street, meeting with the watchmen, &c., before she was well awake. And her being in so much disorder and dishabille might have induced them to treat her as a suspiciovs person, or one of questionable character. But it is most likely the whole was a dream.
For my head is filled with dew - She supposed he had come in the night, and was standing without, wet, and exposed to the inclemency of the weather.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. I sleep, but my heart waketh , etc.] Like persons that are half awake, half asleep, whom Cicero calls “semisomni”. Christ and the church having feasted together at his invitation, she soon after fell asleep, as the disciples did after a repast with their Lord; yet not so fast asleep but that she was sensible of it; for this was not the dead sleep of sin, in which unconverted men are, and are insensible of; nor a judicial slumber some are given up unto, and perceive it not, yet a frame of spirit unbecoming saints, and displeasing to Christ; though consistent with grace, which at such a time is not, or very little, in exercise; they are slothful in duty, and backward to it; the phrase is sometimes used to describe a sluggish, slothful man f313 ; they are indifferent and lukewarm about divine things, content themselves with the bare externals of religion, without the lively exercise of grace, and without fervency and spirituality in them, and seem willing to continue so; (see Gill on “ Matthew 25:6”); but the church here was not so overcome with sleep but her “heart was awake”. Jarchi, and some ancient Jewish writers f314 , interpret this and the former clause of different persons; the former, “I sleep”, of the bride; this, “my heart waketh”, of the bridegroom; and then the sense is, though I am in a sleepy frame, he who is “my heart”, a phrase used by lovers f315 , my soul, my life, my all, he never slumbers nor sleeps, he watches over me night and day, lest any hurt me; but both clauses are rather to be understood of the same person differently considered, as having two principles of grace and corruption, as the church has, which are represented as two persons; (see Romans 7:18,20 Ephesians 4:22,24 Galatians 5:17); as the carnal part in her prevailed, she was the “sleeping I”; as the new man, or principle of grace appeared, her “heart [was] awake”; for, notwithstanding her sleepy frame, she had some thoughts of Christ, and stirring of affection to him; Some convictions of her sin, and some desires of being in her duty perhaps, though overpowered by the fleshly part; the spirit was willing, but the flesh weak. Christ’s response to his church in this case follows, and is observed by her; he spoke to her so loud, that though sleepy she heard him, and owns it, [it is] the voice of my beloved : in the ministration of the Gospel, which is to be distinguished from the voice of a stranger, even when dull and sleepy under hearing it, and little affected with it. Christ was the church’s beloved still, had an affection for him, though not thoroughly awaked by his voice, but sleeps on still; this method failing, he takes another, or repeats the same with an additional circumstance, that knocketh , saying, “open to me”: which is to be understood not so much of his knocking by the ministry of the word to awaken her out of sleep, but in a providential way, by taking in his hand the rod of affliction, or scourge of persecution, and lashing therewith in order to bring her out of her carnal security; (see Revelation 3:20); and he not only knocked but called, [saying], open to me , open the door unto me, and let me in; so lovers are represented as at the door or gate to get admittance, and know not which to call most hard and cruel, the door or their lover f316 : there is an emphasis on the word “me”; me, thy Lord, thy head, thy husband, thy friend, that loves thee so dearly; to whom her heart was shut, her affections contracted, her desires towards him languid; wherefore he importunes her to “open” to him, which denotes an enlarging of her affections to him, an exercise of grace on him, an expression of the desires of her soul unto him; which yet could not be done without efficacious grace exerted, as in ( Song of Solomon 5:4); but, the more to win upon her, he gives her good words, and the most endearing titles, expressive of love and relation, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled , which are all made use of before, excepting the last; (see Song of Solomon 1:9,14 Song of Solomon 4:9); that is, “my undefiled”, which she was, not as a descendant of Adam, nor as in herself, but as washed in the blood of Christ, justified by his righteousness, and sanctified by his Spirit; and as having been enabled by divine grace to preserve her chastity, and keep the “bed undefiled”, ( Hebrews 13:4); not guilty of spiritual adultery among all her infirmities, even idolatry and superstition; (see Revelation 14:4); or “my perfect one” f317 ; not in a legal, but in an evangelical sense, being completely redeemed, perfectly justified, fully pardoned, and sanctified in every part, though not to the highest degree; and perfect in Christ, though not in herself: other arguments follow to engage her attention to his request; for head is filled with dew, [and] my locks with the drops of the night ; through standing so long at the door, in the night season, waiting to be let in; so lovers represent their case in such circumstances, as dealt very hardly with f318 : by which may be meant the sufferings of Christ, either in the persons of his ministers, who are exposed to the rage and reproach of men for ministering in his name to the church; or which he endured in his own person, in his estate of humiliation; and particularly in the night he was betrayed, and during the time of darkness he hung upon the cross, when he bore the sins of his people, and his Father’s wrath; compared to “dew”, and “drops of the night”, because of the multitude of them he endured in soul and body, and because so uncomfortable to human nature; though as dew is useful and fructifying to the earth, so were these the means of many fruits and blessings of grace, and of bringing many souls to glory; now though these arguments were expressed in the most strong, moving, and melting language, yet were ineffectual.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Christ's answer. (Song 5:1) The disappointments of the church from he own folly. (Song 5:2-8) The excellences of Christ. (Song 5:9-16)
Song 5:1 See how ready Christ is to accept the invitations of his people. What little good there is in us would be lost, if he did no preserve it to himself. He also invites his beloved people to eat an drink abundantly. The ordinances in which they honour him, are means of grace.
Song 5:2-8 Churches and believers, by carelessness and security provoke Christ to withdraw. We ought to notice our spiritual slumber and distempers. Christ knocks to awaken us, knocks by his word an Spirit, knocks by afflictions and by our consciences; thus, Rev. 3:20 When we are unmindful of Christ, still he thinks of us. Christ's love to us should engage ours to him, even in the most self-denyin instances; and we only can be gainers by it. Careless souls put slight on Jesus Christ. Another could not be sent to open the door. Chris calls to us, but we have no mind, or pretend we have no strength, or we have no time, and think we may be excused. Making excuses is makin light of Christ. Those put contempt upon Christ, who cannot find in their hearts to bear a cold blast, or to leave a warm bed for him. Se the powerful influences of Divine grace. He put in his hand to unbol the door, as one weary of waiting. This betokens a work of the Spiri upon the soul. The believer's rising above self-indulgence, seeking by prayer for the consolations of Christ, and to remove every hinderanc to communion with him; these actings of the soul are represented by the hands dropping sweet-smelling myrrh upon the handles of the locks. But the Beloved was gone! By absenting himself, Christ will teach his people to value his gracious visits more highly. Observe, the sou still calls Christ her Beloved. Every desertion is not despair. Lord, believe, though I must say, Lord, help my unbelief. His words melte me, yet, wretch that I was, I made excuses. The smothering and stiflin of convictions will be very bitter to think of, when God opens ou eyes. The soul went in pursuit of him; not only prayed, but used means sought him in the ways wherein he used to be found. The watchme wounded me. Some refer it to those who misapply the word to awakene consciences. The charge to the daughters of Jerusalem, seems to mea the distressed believer's desire of the prayers of the feebles Christian. Awakened souls are more sensible of Christ's withdrawing than of any other trouble.
Song 5:9-16 Even those who have little acquaintance with Christ, cannot but see amiable beauty in others who bear his image. There are hopes of those who begin to inquire concerning Christ and his perfections Christians, who are well acquainted with Christ themselves, should d all they can to make others know something of him. Divine glory make him truly lovely in the eyes of all who are enlightened to discer spiritual things. He is white in the spotless innocence of his life ruddy in the bleeding sufferings he went through at his death. Thi description of the person of the Beloved, would form, in the figurativ language of those times, a portrait of beauty of person and of grace of manners; but the aptness of some of the allusions may not appear to us He shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all that believe. May his love constrain us to live to his glory __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
אני 589 ישׁנה 3462 ולבי 3820 ער 5782 קול 6963 דודי 1730 דופק 1849 פתחי 6605 לי אחתי 269 רעיתי 7474 יונתי 3123 תמתי 8535 שׁראשׁי 7218 נמלא 4390 טל 2919 קוצותי 6977 רסיסי 7447 לילה׃ 3915
