Song of Solomon 5:2 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

I sleep, Heb. I was asleep, i.e. I was dull, and sluggish, and insensible of his kind expressions and offers of grace. But my heart waketh; yet in my very sleep my thoughts were running upon my Beloved, as is not unusual in such cases, which at last awakened me. Thus she implies the conflict which was between the flesh and the Spirit, and the Spirit's victory in the combat. It is the voice of my Beloved; between sleeping and waking I fancied that I heard his voice. That knocketh, by his word, and providence, and Spirit, at the door of mine heart, desirous that I would receive him by faith and love. Compare Revelation 3:20. Saying, Open to me; inviting me to accept of his gracious offers, and to let him in to my soul. My sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: this heap of kind compellations signifies Christ's sincere and fervent affection to his people, notwithstanding her manifold imperfections and infirmities. The title of dove signifies her chastity and constant faithfulness to her Husband, for which doves are famous. How she is undefiled, See Poole on "Song of Solomon 4:7". My head is filled with dew, whilst I wait without thy door. He alludes to the custom of lovers, which oft and willingly suffer such inconveniences for their hopes and desires of enjoying their beloved, and signifies his sufferings for the church's good. The drops of the night; the dew which falls in the end of the night, or towards the morning, whence it is called morning dew, Hosea 6:4.

Song of Solomon 5:2

2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.