Song of Solomon 2:9

Son 2:9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.

Ver. 9. My beloved is like a roe or a young hart,] viz., For sweetness and swiftness, as in the former verse. His help seems long, because we are short. In the opportunity of time he will not be wanting to those that wait for him. The lion seems to leave her young ones till they have almost killed themselves with roaring and howling; but at last she relieves them; and hereby they become the more courageous. God seems to forget his people sometimes, but it is that they may the better remember themselves, and remind him. He seems, as here to have taken a long journey, and to be at a great distance from them, whenas indeed he is as near us as once he was to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection; but she was so bleared she could not see him. If he at any time absent himself for trial of our faith and love to him, and to let us know how ill we can be without him, yet he is no further off than behind some wall or screen. Or if he get out of doors from us, yet he looks in at the window, to see how we take it, and soon after shows himself through the lattice, that we may not altogether despond or despair of his return. Yea, he flourisheth or blossometh {a} through the lattices, like some flower or fruit tree that, growing under or near unto a window, sends in a sweet scent into the room, or perhaps some pleasant branches, to teach that Christ cometh not to his without profit and comfort to their souls.

{a} מציץ, Apparuit instar floris exorientis.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Son 2:9. My beloved is like a roe — In swiftness. He is coming to me with all speed, and will not tarry a moment beyond the proper season. He standeth behind our wall — And while he doth, for wise reasons, forbear to come, he is not far from us. Both this and the following phrases may denote the obscure manner of Christ’s manifesting himself to his people, under the law, in comparison of his discoveries in the gospel. He looketh forth at the window — This phrase, and that, through the lattice, intimate that the church does indeed see Christ, but as through a glass, darkly, as it is said even of gospel revelations, (1Co 13:12,) which was much more true of legal administrations.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Forasmuch as his divinity was hid under the cloak of our flesh.

So that we cannot have full knowledge of him in this life.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 9. He standeth behind our wall] This may refer to the wall by which the house was surrounded, the space between which and the house constituted the court. He was seen first behind the wall, and then in the court; and lastly came to the window of his bride's chamber.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(9) Wall.—As an instance of the fertility of allegorical interpretation, the variety of applications of this passage may be quoted. The wall = (1) the wall between us and Christ, i.e., our mortal condition; (2) “the middle wall of partition,” the law; (3) the iniquities separating man from God, so that He does not hear or His voice cannot reach us; (4) the creatures behind whom God Himself stands speaking through them, and “si fas dicere, (5) the flesh of Christ itself spread over His Divinity, through which it sounds sweetly and alters its voice” (Bossuet).

Looketh forth.—Rather, looking through, as in next clause, where the same Hebrew particle occurs. and may = either out or in, as context requires. Here plainly in at.

Shewing himself.—Marg., flourishing. The primitive idea seems to be “to look bright.” Hence the Hiphil conjugation = “to make to look bright;” here “making his eyes glance or twinkle as he peers in through the lattice.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9. My beloved is like a roe or a young hart] Preferably, like a gazelle or a young hart.

our wall] The possessive pronoun here must, on the hypothesis we have adopted, refer to the Shulammite and the court ladies among whom she is. She speaks of her lover as having now arrived, as standing outside the wall and looking into the chamber.

he looketh forth at the windows] Lit. he gazeth from the windows, glanceth from the lattices. These phrases may mean, either that the person referred to looks out, or that he looks in. All they imply is that the person looking directs his glances from the windows, and so they may legitimately be rendered, looketh in at the windows … glanceth through the lattices. The allegorical interpreters all made the bridegroom look out from a safe and quiet dwelling into which the bride desired to come. But, obviously, when the scene actually portrayed is realised, it is seen that he is outside, seeking her, and comes close up to the windows and lattices and peers in. The word translated glanceth denotes glimmering, shining, and indicates that the charakkim = ‘lattices’ are openings narrower than windows, and the lover had come so close to them that the gleam of his eyes could be seen.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hart, (Proverbs v. 18.) which is swifter that the dogs. (Xenophon, Cuneg.) --- This animal is said to destroy serpents, as Christ did the power of the devil. (Theodoret) --- Wall. Under the old law, Christ was only seen in figure. He manifested himself in the new. Yet our sins separate him from us, Isaias lix. 2. He is concealed in the sacred mysteries, (Calmet) and his humanity keeps from our sight the glory of his divinity, which alone can impart full content. (St. Ambrose; St. Bernard) --- He shewed a glimpse of it at his transfiguration, and by his miracles. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Like a roe or a young hart; either,

1. In loveliness. Or rather,

2. In swiftness, by comparing this verse with the former. The swiftness of roes is noted 2Sa 2:18; 1Ch 12:8. He is coming to me with all speed, and will not tarry a moment beyond the appointed and proper season.

He standeth behind our wall; and whilst he doth for wise and just reasons forbear to come, he is not far from us. Though he be not yet come into the door of our house, yet he stands behind the wall of our house, and is always at hand, to give me that succour and comfort which I do or may need or desire. Both this and the following phrases seem to note the obscure and imperfect manner and degree of Christ’s manifesting himself to his people, either,

1. Under the law, in comparison of his discoveries in the gospel. Or,

2. In this life, in comparison of what he will do in the future life.

He looketh forth, from his high and heavenly palace, towards me, to watch over me, and refresh me with the prospect of his favour.

At the window: this phrase, and that,

through the lattice, intimate that the church doth indeed see Christ, but, as through a glass, darkly, as it is said even of gospel revelations, 1Co 13:12, and was much more true of legal administrations.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

9. Like a… hart — He came quickly like the animals to which he is compared.

He standeth — More strictly, Now he stood behind our wall, he looketh through the window: showing himself through the lattice. The windows of Jewish houses were very narrow, and set with lattice-work, not glass.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

My beloved is like a roe or a young hart; behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh in at the windows, he showeth himself through the lattice. The tsevi is the gazelle, Arabic ghazal. Our word is derived through the Spanish or Moorish gazela. The young hart, or chamois, is probably so called from the covering of young hair. (cf. 2Sa_2:18 Pro_6:5 Heb_3:19) Shulamith represents herself as within the house, waiting for her friend. Her beloved is standing behind the wall, outside before the house; he is playfully looking through the windows, now through one and now through another, seeking her with peering eyes of love. Both the words employed, convey, the meaning of searching and moving quickly. The windows; literally, the openings; i.e. a window broken through a wall, or the meaning may be a lattice window, a pierced wooden structure. The word is not the common word for a window, which is shevaka (now shabbaka), from a root meaning "to twist," "to make a lattice." Spiritually, we may see an allusion to the glimpses of truth and tastes of the goodness of religion, which precede the real fellowship of the soul with God.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Like a roe - In swiftness. He is coming to me with all speed and will not tarry a moment beyond the proper season. He standeth behind - And while he doth for wise reasons forbear to come; he is not far from us. Both this and the following phrases may denote the obscure manner of Christ's manifesting himself to his people, under the law, in comparison of his discoveries in the gospel. The window - This phrase, and that through the lattess, intimate that the church does indeed see Christ, but, as through a glass, darkly, as it is said even of gospel-Revelations, 1 Cor. xiii, 12, which was much more true of legal administrations.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

our wall

"Our wall." The bride had returned to her own home: the Bridegroom seeks her.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

My beloved resembles a gazelle in the swiftness of his running, for he hastened to come like a gazelle and like a fawn of the hinds. עֹפֶר is a young hind.

behold, he is standing, etc. I had expected to remain detained for many more days, and behold, he informed me that he was standing and peering from the windows of heaven at what was being done to me, as it is written (Exod. 3:7): “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people, etc.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.