In verses 4 and 5 she opened the door.
“My beloved put his hand into the opening of the door, / And my inner parts yearned for him” (v. 4). Her Beloved showed His pierced hand through her narrow opening so that her inner parts were moved to yearn for Him. From experience we know that, on the one hand, we may reject the Lord, but, on the other hand, we may not close the door entirely. After closing the door, we may leave a little opening through which the Lord can stretch His hand. Here the Beloved’s pierced hand reminded her that He was crucified for her.
“I rose up to open to my beloved; / And my hands dripped with myrrh, / My fingers with liquid myrrh, / Upon the handles of the bolt” (v. 5). She rose up to open the door to her Beloved. Her action showed her Beloved her appreciation of His sweet death.
“I opened to my beloved, / But my beloved had withdrawn; he was gone. / My soul failed when he spoke; / I sought him, but found him not; / I called him—he answered not” (v. 6). She opened to her Beloved, but He had withdrawn and gone. Her soul was discouraged when her Beloved spoke. Then she sought Him, but she did not find Him. She called Him, but He did not answer.
“The watchmen who go about the city found me. / They struck me; they wounded me; / The keepers of the walls took my veil from me” (v. 7). The ones who watch over God’s people (Heb. 13:17), not knowing her problem, struck and wounded her, thinking that she would be helped by their striking. The guards of God’s people took away her veil, her covering, shaming her publicly. Sometimes we may think that we can help others by rebuking them. However, instead of helping them, this rebuking wounds them.
“I adjure, O daughters of Jerusalem, / If you find my beloved, / What shall you tell him? / That I am sick with love” (S. S. 5:8). This indicates that because her sense of failure was so deep, she felt that even the younger believers could help her. She charged them to tell her Beloved that she is sick with love, considering that her Beloved may have some concern about her love for Him.
In verse 9 we have the first question of the ones whom she asks concerning her Beloved: “What is your beloved more than some other beloved, / O you most beautiful among women? / What is your beloved more than some other beloved, / That you adjure us so?” Considering that she is the most beautiful among females, they asked her what was so much better about her Beloved than some other beloved that she adjured them so.
In verses 10 through 16 she answered by giving her impression of her Beloved, appraising Him with many excellent and detailed expressions.
“My beloved is dazzling white yet ruddy, / Distinguished among ten thousand” (v. 10). Her Beloved is pure yet full of life and power, and He is distinguished as an uplifted banner against the enemy (Isa. 59:19) and for the drawing of the sinners (John 12:32).
“His head is the finest gold; / His locks are wavy, / As black as a raven” (S. S. 5:11). His headship is of God (1 Cor. 11:3), and His submission to God is flourishing and strong.
“His eyes are like doves / Beside the streams of water, / Bathed in milk, / Fitly set” (S. S. 5:12). His expression of sentiment is single and pure, flowing like the river of life, distinct and clear and in proper order.