THE HOLY BIBLE Douay-Rheims

Notes on Solomon's Canticle of Canticles (Author Bishop Richard Challoner (ed.))

5:4 My beloved put his hand through the key hole, etc: The spouse of Christ, his church, at times as it were penned up by its persecutors, and in fears, expecting the divine assistance, here signified by his hand: and ver. 6, but he had turned aside and was gone, that is, Christ permitting a further trial of suffering: and again, ver. 7, the keepers, etc., signifying the violent and cruel persecutors of the church taking her veil, despoiling the church of its places of worship and ornaments for the divine service.

Original Douay-Rheims from Project Gutenberg - Massive cleanup of OCR problems and editing done locally.