“Behold, you are fair, my love, behold you are fair. Your eyes are as doves.”
The beloved speaks to her of her fairness, and likens her eyes to a dove. This was a tender compliment for doves' eyes were well known for their appealing and gentle look. He was clearly very attracted to her.
In similar terms did God sometimes speak to Israel as He appealed for her to return to Him. She too had once been the delight of His eyes, ‘the apple of His eye' (Deuteronomy 32:10), and He wanted to give her every opportunity to seek Him (Isaiah 55:6-7). And so speaks Christ to the church in which He delights, for He has ‘chosen us in Himself before the foundation of the world that we might be holy and without blame before Him in love' (Ephesians 1:4), so that He can declare, ‘I know whom I have chosen' (John 13:18). ‘You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and appointed you to go forth and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit might remain' (John 15:16). And He has chosen us to be ‘as harmless as doves' in a cruel world (Matthew 10:16), and to be so fair that we show forth His excellencies (1 Peter 2:9).
The YOUNG MAIDEN replies, revealing her country origins.