Song of Solomon 2:17
Song of Solomon 2:17
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away: turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe, or a young hart, upon the mountains of Bether.
The former part of these words, "until the day break, and the shadows flee away," may stand connected with either part of the preceding verse; either with those words, my "beloved is mine, and I am, his,"[3658] which are expressly, as has been observed, of that mutual interest, union, communion, satisfaction and delight, which Christ and his church have in and with each other; and then the sense is, as long as day and night continue, and God's covenant with both stands sure, so long will my covenant-interest in, and union to Christ, who is my beloved, abide solid and unshaken; I can no more be separated from his person, and from his love, than day and night can cease; and when they do, I shall be taken up into everlasting and uninterrupted communion with him, which is now subject to the same vicissitudes as these returning seasons are: or else, they may stand connected with the latter part of the preceding verse, "he feedeth among, the lilies, until the day break[3659] etc. and so are expressive of the continual presence of Christ in his church, until his second coming, when the everlasting day shall break, and all shadows of darkness flee away; till then, as in chapter 4:6 he will be on his mountain of myrrh, and hill of frankincense; where he will delight himself with, and feed among his saints, until all his elect ones are called by grace, and till all his lilies are grown up to their full maturity, when he will gather them to himself: though the words may be also considered as connected with the latter part of this verse, "turn, my beloved, etc." and so they contain a prayer of the church's for Christ's speedy access unto her, and continued presence with her, until the day should break, and the shadows flee away. In which may be considered,