Song of Solomon 2:14

clefts of the rock Rather, hiding places of the rock. The word chaghwçoccurs only here and in the quotation from an older prophet which is found in Jeremiah 49:16 and Obadiah 1:3. There is no root known in Heb. from which the word can be derived, but its meaning is fixed by the Arab. hagan, -a place of refuge" (cp. Oxf. Heb. Lex. s.v.), and this meaning is supported by the parallelism, for we have -secret place" or -covert" in the next clause.

in the secret places of the stairs Better, as R.V., in the covert of the steep place. The word madhrçghâhoccurs again Ezekiel 38:20 in the phrase "the steep places shall fall." It probably has the same meaning here. Stairsrests entirely on the analogy of Arabic, and is here quite inappropriate. There is no necessary reference to the character of the place where the bride is. The wild dove chooses high and inaccessible rocks as its resting-place because of its shyness. The shyness and modesty of the bride is meant to be indicated. There may however be some reference to the fact that the lover cannot approach the place where she is.

let me see thy countenance let me have sight of thee, for thy form is comely.