Song of Solomon 2:9, commentary and pictures

The verse belongs to an Oriental love poem written in warm, figurative Eastern language, understood as a poetic picture or parable of Christ and His church, with chapter 2 presenting a poetic picture of spring. It displays Christ's wonderful love and the church's answering love, which can be lacking in faithfulness and constancy. Together with the preceding verse it shows the church from Abraham to the present day in her changeable character, variable as wind and weather. Being like a young deer moving quickly over mountains and hills is one passing state she takes up after coming up out of the wilderness leaning on her Beloved, and the Beloved's voice coming over the hills and echoing among the mountains at one time leaves her unmoved like distant thunder while at another time His soft whisper of love gains all her attention.

The roe is an Arabian gazelle swift as the wind, a comparison made four or five times in the book, whose point is swiftness. Unlike a roe that speeds away from the hunter, Christ speeds toward His people. He was quick enough to catch Peter when the water gave way under his feet and is always in quick pursuit of His children, so that when a sinner seeks pardon or a baffled soul needs help His grace comes immediately, since grace that comes too late is no grace at all.

His showing Himself through the window lattice describes a gracious season when God draws near and reveals Himself to the heart, calling the soul to seek Him in prayer. The Beloved briefly visible through the lattice describes a first glimpse of Christ in conversion, when sorrow leads a person to the Comforter and the heart is overcome. Pardon then drives away fear and faith breaks the bars of bondage, an experience that may be remembered as a decisive hour, though not every Christian can identify its exact date. His looking through the lattice portrays Jesus glimpsed through the mists that obscure the heavenly city, standing ready to receive His people.