Canticles 5:15
His legs as pillars of marble, that are set upon bases of gold. His form as of Libanus, excellent as the cedars.
Open Canticles 5:15 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Crura illius columnæ marmoreæ quæ fundatæ sunt super bases aureas. Species ejus ut Libani, electus ut cedri.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- κνῆμαι αὐτοῦ στύλοι μαρμάρινοι τεθεμελιωμένοι ἐπὶ βάσεις χρυσᾶς· εἶδος αὐτοῦ ὡς Λίβανος, ἐκλεκτὸς ὡς κέδροι.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- שׁוֹקָיו֙ עַמּ֣וּדֵי שֵׁ֔שׁ מְיֻסָּדִ֖ים עַל אַדְנֵי פָ֑ז מַרְאֵ֨הוּ֙ כַּלְּבָנ֔וֹן בָּח֖וּר כָּאֲרָזִֽים
The Fathers on this verse
St Ambrose Exposition of the Christian Faith, Chapter X. Observations on the words of John the Baptist (John i. 30), which may be referred to divine fore-ordinance, but at any rate, as explained by the foregoing considerations, must be understood of the Incarnation. The precedence of Christ is mystically expounded, with reference to the history of Ruth
74. Who, indeed, but Christ could dare to claim the Church as His bride, whom He alone, and none other, hath called from Libanus, saying: “Come hither from Libanus, my bride; come hither from Libanus”? Or of Whom else could the Church have said: “His throat is sweetness, and He is altogether desirable”? And seeing that we entered upon this discussion from speaking of the shoes of His feet, to Whom else but the Word of God incarnate can those words apply? “His legs are pillars of marble, set upon bases of gold.” For Christ alone walks in the souls and makes His path in the minds of His saints, in which, as upon bases of gold and foundations of precious stone the heavenly Word has left His footprints ineffaceably impressed.