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, 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.
The Song is a figurative parable and poetic love picture of Christ and His church, written in the warm figurative language of the East. The chapter gives a poetic picture of spring. It expresses Christ's love for the church and the church's answering love, though her faithfulness and constancy may fail.
The dove in the clefts of the rock depicts the Church of Christ in a hidden, secluded condition in her history from Abraham to the present. That hidden state stands in contrast to times when she is in the broad way in the streets of the great city, and together the two prove her to be variable as the wind and changeable as the weather, carried about by the slightest circumstances. The bridegroom calls to the mourning dove and invites His beloved, the soul, to come near and speak to Him in private, longing to hear her voice because it is sweet to Him.
In secret prayer the sincere soul is the dove sheltered in the clefts of the rocks. God finds the heartfelt cries and groans, the broken and repentant heart, beautiful and pleasing. Hearing the soul's voice is part of His desire to bless it. In discipleship the verse is Jesus' loving call, which people hear when they listen for Him and heed His invitation to come to Him and follow Him.