Song of Solomon 4:5

Son 4:5 Thy two breasts [are] like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

Ver. 5. Thy two breasts are like two young roes, &c.] From the neck he descendeth to the breasts, and by these descriptions of beauty in all parts (for the rest are to be understood, though not here specified) is signified, that the spirit of regeneration worketh upon the whole man in all manner of virtue. Holiness in the heart, as the candle in the lantern, appears in the body, and every member thereof. Spirit, soul, and body are sanctified throughout, {1Th 5:23} like as the most holy place, the sanctuary, and the outer court of Solomon’s temple, were filled with the cloud. The Church’s breasts here are said to be fair, full, and equally matched. Hereby some understand the two testaments, those "breasts of consolation," {Isa 66:11} fair and full, strutting with "sincere milk," that her children may all suck and be satisfied - viz., batten, grow up, and increase with the increase of God, to a full stature in Christ. {1Pe 2:2} These breasts are also suitable and equal, as twins. The two testaments are so in sundry respects; for, as the Old Testament hath four sorts of books - viz., legal, historic, wisdom, prophetic, so hath the New in a due proportion. Answerable to the legal are the evangelical; to the historical are the Acts of the Apostles; to the wisdom or dogmatic are the epistles - wherein, as St Paul principally presseth faith, so St Peter hope, and St John charity - and to the prophetical, Apocalyps, ut sic mira sit conformitas, saith Bonaventure, non solum in continentia sensuum, sed in quadriformitate partium, so that there is a wondrous conformity of one testament to another, not only in the similarity of sense, but in the quadriformity also of parts. And this was mystically set forth, saith he, by Ezekiel in his vision of the wheel with four faces, and this wheel within a wheel, implying the Old Testament in the New, and the New Testament in the Old.

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.

4:5 Your breasts are like two fawns . . . grazing among the lilies: The comparison can be seen in terms of physical softness, firmness, beauty, and roundness.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Wherein are knowledge and zeal two precious jewels.

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

Verse 5. Thy two breasts are like two young roes] I have met with many attempts to support this similitude, or rather to show that there is a similitude; but I judge them unworthy of citation. The poet speaks the language of nature; and in a case of this kind, where the impassioned lover attempts to describe the different perfections of his bride, language often fails him, and his comparisons and similitudes are often without strict correctness. In love songs we have heard ladies' necks compared to that of the swan, not only for its whiteness, but also for its length! The description here shows more of nature than of art, which I consider a high recommendation.

Feed among the lilies.] It may be the nipples especially, which the poet compares to the two young roes; and the lilies may refer to the whiteness of the breasts themselves.

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

5. two young roes, &c.] two fawns that are twins of a gazelle.

which feed among the lilies] pasturing among the lilies. Probably the comparison is meant to be limited merely to the twin fawns, and the feeding among the lilies is simply a familiar and somewhat conventional background (cp. Son_2:16 and Son_6:2-3), intended to complete the picture of the fawns in their native haunts.

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.

Roes. This comparison does not seem happy: but exactitude is not required. (Calmet) --- Indeed if we were to take all in the literal sense, a very grotesque figure would arise, with a head like Carmel, a nose like a tower, &c., which shews that the tropological or allegorical sense must be adopted. (Du Hamel) --- The two Testaments given for our instruction, (chap. i. 2.) or the charity towards God and our neighbour, may be meant. (Theodoret)

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).

Thy two breasts; another part in which beauty consists, Eze 16:7. By which some understand the two testaments, or the two sacraments; but these are rather Christ’s than the church’s breasts. Others, the church’s fervent love to Christ, and to all the saints, for the breasts signify love, Pro 5:9; Son 1:13. Others, her fruitfulness, both in good works, and in bringing up children unto Christ, like a nurse with her breasts. But the following similitude seemeth not to respect the use of the breasts, or the love which is signified or manifested by them, but their comeliness. And therefore this is generally to be understood of the church’s beauty in all parts, as hath been said.

Among the lilies, i.e. in the fields where lilies grew, as is evident, both from Mat 6:28, where they are called the lilies of the field, and from other scriptures, and from the testimony of other writers. The lilies being white and swelling, and the roes of a reddish colour, and their bodies being hid from sight by the lilies, their heads only appearing above them, bear some resemblance to the red nipples appearing in the top of the lily white breasts. But we must remember that this book is a sacred pastoral, and the Bridegroom is represented as a shepherd, and the bride as a country maid; and therefore such similitudes are used as are agreeable to persons of that quality, and such are usual in profane writers of this kind, as the learned have observed. They are compared to

roes for their loveliness, of which see Pro 5:19; to young ones for their smallness, which in breasts is a beauty; to twins for their exact likeness.

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

5. Roes… which feed — The red kids feeding upon the white lilies, which, springing up in profusion, carpet their pasture-ground, form a true and natural comparison, given in the style of warm oriental poetry.

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

Thy two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a roe, which feed among the lilies. This is a beautiful and yet perfectly delicate figure, describing the lovely equality and perfect shape and sweet freshness of the maiden"s bosom. The meadow covered with lilies suggests beauty and fragrance. Thus the loveliness of the bride is set forth in seven comparisons, her perfections being sevenfold. "A twin pair of the young of the gazelle, lying in a bed covered with lilies, representing the fragrant delicacy and elegance of a chaste virgin besom, veiled by the folds of a dress redolent of sweet odour". (cf. Son_1:13) The bridegroom, having thus delighted himself in praise of his bride"s loveliness, then proceeds to declare his desire for her sweet society, but he is interrupted by the bride.

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

Lillies - In the fields where lillies grow.

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

Your two breasts which nourish you. This refers to Moses and Aaron

are like two fawns, the twins of a gazelle It is customary for a gazelle to bear twins so that they are both identical, this one to that one. Another explanation: Your two breasts symbolize the Tablets. the twins of a gazelle exactly corresponding in one measure; the five commandments on this one (side of the Tablets, correspond to) the five commandments on the other (side of the Tablets), each commandment corresponding to a commandment. “I [am the Lord your God]” corresponds to “You shall not murder,” for the murderer diminishes the semblance of the Holy One, blessed be He. “You shall not have [any other gods before Me]” corresponds to “You shall not commit adultery,” for one who commits idolatry is like an adulterous woman, who takes strangers instead of her husband. “You shall not hear [the name of the Lord your God in vain]” corresponds to “You shall not steal,” for one who steals will ultimately swear falsely. “Remember [the Sabbath day to keep it holy]” corresponds to “You shall not bear [false witness against your neighbor],” for one who profanes the Sabbath testifies falsely against his Creator, saying that He did not rest on the Sabbath of Creation. “Honor [your father and mother]” corresponds to “You shall not covet,” for one who covets is destined to beget a son who slights him and honors one who is not his father.

who graze their flocks among the roses and lead them in a tranquil and straight path.

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.