Song 4:1 | CPDV | STEP | Groom to Bride: How beautiful you are, my love, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are those of a dove, except for what is hidden within. Your hair is like flocks of goats, which ascend along the mountain of Gilead.

Song of Solomon 4:1

Christ sets forth the graces of his spouse: and declares his love for her.

1 Groom to Bride: How beautiful you are, my love, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are those of a dove, except for what is hidden within. Your hair is like flocks of goats, which ascend along the mountain of Gilead. ^{▼▼4:1If one translates ‘ascenderunt de’ in an overly literal manner, it would seem to say ‘ascend from.’ But the word ‘de’ actually has a broader range of meaning than the English word ‘from.’ The flock is going higher up the mountain, but they are not ascending as quickly and directly as they could, nor are they going all the way to the top, so they ‘ascend along.’ +The Church shows its peacefulness and holiness, yet She has depths that are hidden within and not apparent to most observers. The Virgin Mary likewise is easily seen to be as peaceful as a dove, yet she has hidden depths that are mostly unknown.(Conte)
,} ^{▼▼4:1 How beautiful are you: Christ again praises the beauties of his church, which through the whole of this chapter are exemplified by a variety of metaphors, setting forth her purity, her simplicity, and her stability.(Challoner)}