Song of Solomon 2:14

O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

O my dove - here expressing endearment: and the defenseless innocence of the Church (). Doves are noted for constant attachment emblems, also, in their soft, plaintive note, of softened penitents (): other points of likeness are their beauty, typifying the change in the converted (); the dove-like spirit breathed into the saint by the Holy Spirit, whose emblem is the dove; the message of peace from God to sinful men, as Noah's dove, with the olive branch, intimated that the flood of wrath was past; timidity fleeing with fear from sin and self to the cleft Rock of Ages (margin, ); gregarious, flocking together to the kingdom of Jesus Christ (); harmless simplicity ().

That art in the clefts - the refuge of doves from storm and heat (; contrast a different use of the "clefts" by the wicked ). Gesenius translates the Hebrew from a different root, 'the refuges.' But see, for "clefts" (a different Hebrew term). . It is only when we are in Christ Jesus (; ) that our 'voice is sweet (in prayer, ; ; ; : because it is His voice in us; also in speaking of Him, ); and our countenance comely' (; ). Contrast the clefts in which the proud hide themselves ().

Stairs (, margin) - a steep rock, broken into stairs or terraces. It is in "secret places" and rugged scenes that Jesus Christ woos the soul from the world to Himself (). So Jacob amidst the stones of Bethel; Moses at Horeb; so Elijah (1 Kings 19:9); Jesus Christ with the three disciples on a "high mountain apart," at the transfiguration; John in Patmos. 'Of the eight beatitudes, five have an afflicted condition for their subject. As long as the waters are on the earth, we dwell in the ark; but when the land is dry, the dove itself will be tempted to wander' (Jeremy Taylor). Jesus Christ does not invite her to leave the rock, but in it (Himself), yet in holy freedom, to lay aside the timorous spirit, look up boldly as accepted in Him, pray, praise, and confess Him (in contrast to her shrinking from being looked at, ); still, though trembling, the voice and countenance of the soul in Jesus Christ are pleasant to Him. The Church found no cleft in the Sinaitic legal rock, though good in itself, wherein to hide; but in Jesus Christ stricken by God for us as the rock smitten by Moses, there is a hiding grace (). She praised His "voice" (; ): it is thus, that her voice also, though tremulous, is "sweet" to Him here.