Song of Solomon 5:4

by the holeof the door] Lit. from the hole, i.e. the hole usually to be found in doors. This was not an opening through which the hand was inserted to unbolt the door, but one through which women could look out upon and speak with men, without being unduly exposed to observation themselves. Through this the Shulammite's lover puts his hand, either to beckon to her, or as an expression of his longing to be near her.

my bowels were moved for him R.V. my heart was moved for him. The heart (lçbh) was for the Hebrew the seat of the intellect. The viscera or internal organs (mç-îm) were regarded as the seat of the affections, and were named where we should say -the heart." Cp. Psalms 40:8, "Thy law is within my mç-îm," i.e. within my heart. Budde proposes to add the third clause of Song of Solomon 5:6 to this verse, because he thinks it out of place there. He would read

"My love sent forth his hand, And his right hand from the hole.

And my heart was moved for him, My soul went forth when he spake."