Canticles 4:5
Thy two breasts like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
Challoner: Thy two breastsMystically to be understood: the love of God and the love of our neighbour, which are so united as twins which feed among the lilies: that is, the love of God and our neighbour, feeds on the divine mysteries and the holy sacraments, left by Christ to his spouse to feed and nourish her children.
Open Canticles 4:5 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Duo ubera tua sicut duo hinnuli, capreæ gemelli, qui pascuntur in liliis.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- δύο μαστοί σου ὡς δύο νεβροὶ δίδυμοι δορκάδος οἱ νεμόμενοι ἐν κρίνοις.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- שְׁנֵ֥י שָׁדַ֛יִךְ כִּשְׁנֵ֥י עֳפָרִ֖ים תְּאוֹמֵ֣י צְבִיָּ֑ה הָרוֹעִ֖ים בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים
Haydock's commentary
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)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.