Verses 11 and 12 say, "I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib." The last clause can be translated, "My soul set me upon the chariots of my willing people." If these two verses describe the maiden, the only problem is in the expression "my willing people." Other than this, the two verses seem to be an answer of the maiden; she considers whether there is any progress or advance in God's work. In the process of doing this, her heart is set upon the chariots of the King. (But the problem, as we have said, lies in the expression "the chariots of my willing people," for only the King can sit in the chariots.)
Verse 13 says, "Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies." "Shulamite" means daughter of peace and is the feminine form of Solomon. The Holy Spirit speaks as a third person and pleads earnestly for her to return so that they can behold her. She has gone away on a chariot. She advances and overcomes, and there is no obstacle or limitation. Now others want to see her and know the kind of preparations she went through in order to arrive at her progress and victory. On the one hand, this request reflects the heart of all those who have similar pursuits, those who are eager to find out the reasons for her present advance. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit shows those coming after her the kind of preparation necessary for the work. He shows it through a request by a third party and an answer by another third party.
Here the Holy Spirit reveals His mind through two groups of third parties. He sends out the request through one group and provides the answer through another group. In this way, He provides the opportunity for others to know the process which the Shulamite passed through in order to prepare herself for the work. She is now indeed a Shulamite, because her union with Solomon has become insoluble. Moreover, she has made Solomon's work her own work.
The company of two armies can be translated the dance of two armies. This is the place where Jacob saw God's angel (Gen. 32:2). It must be a very exciting place, a place which attracts people. Dancing is a sign of victory (Exo. 15:20; 1 Sam. 18:6). Hence, the dance of two armies must mean victory. This question implies, "Why do you have to look at the Shulamite like looking at two heavenly armies celebrating a victory dance? What virtues does the Shulamite have that you consider her as two armies?"