Your Name Poured Out and the Unkept Vineyard
'Your name is ointment poured out' (Song of Songs 1:3). This also points to the name of the Only-begotten, called upon among all the nations, for all the nations that bear His name give off a sweet fragrance toward Him.
'Therefore the maidens…' (Song of Songs 1:3). Paul too was one of the maidens, for he says, 'I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me' (Philippians 4:13). That is why he loved so deeply, saying, 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?' (Romans 8:35). And how did the maidens draw Him (Song of Songs 1:4)? By following in His footsteps and enjoying the ointments of the Gospel.
As for 'we will run' (Song of Songs 1:4), the words are the maidens', and they mean that we shall walk after the Lord God. In the present words she calls this kingdom a 'chamber' (Song of Songs 1:4).
'They made me keeper…' (Song of Songs 1:6). Perhaps she is accusing herself because she did not keep her own vineyard, but left it for everyone who passes along the road to plunder, for the boar from the forest to ravage and the lone wild beast to graze on (Psalm 80:12–13). Or perhaps she is also glorifying God, because, though she was not able to keep her own vineyard, by neither tilling it nor keeping it she advanced so far that she could keep many vineyards.
That is, by 'the sons of her mother' (Song of Songs 1:6), her mother being the Synagogue, she means the scribes and Pharisees, who fought against those who believed in Christ and commanded them to keep the worship prescribed by the Law; for this is the vineyard. 'But I,' she says, 'did not keep it; for whatever was gain to me, I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ,' as the blessed Paul says (Philippians 3:7).
'Like one who wraps herself beside the flocks of your companions' (Song of Songs 1:7). By His companions she means the apostles, for He said, 'No longer do I call you servants, but friends; for you are friends' (John 15:14–15). By 'one who wraps herself' she means 'one who is veiled', as Paul says, 'To this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart' (2 Corinthians 3:15).
Greek
ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΛΛΟΥ ΑΛΕΧΑΝ∆ΡΕΙΑΣ ΕΙΣ ΤΑ ΑΣΜΑΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΑΣΜΑΤΩΝ ΑΠΟΣΠΑΣΜΑΤΙΑ Μῦρον ἐκκενωθὲν ὄνομά σου. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τὴν εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τοῦ Μονογενοῦς κληθεῖσαν ἐπωνυμίαν, καθ' ὃ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη εὐωδιάζουσι πρὸς αὐτὸν τὴν αὐτοῦ φέροντα προσηγορίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο νεάνιδες, κ.τ.λ. Νεᾶνις ἦν καὶ Παῦλος, Πάντα, λέγων, ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με Χριστῷ. ∆ιὸ καὶ λίαν ἠγάπησε φάσκων· Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρήσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Πῶς δὲ αὐτὸν εἵλκυσαν; Ἀκολουθήσασαι τοῖς ἴχνεσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν ἀπολαύσασαι μύρων. Εἰ δὲ δραμοῦμεν, ἔχων [cod. ἔχον] τῶν ‹69.1280› νεανίδων ὁ λόγος, κατὰ τὸ ὀπίσω Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ πορευσόμεθα. Ἥντινα βασιλείαν ταμιεῖον ἐν ταῖς παροῦσι προσαγορεύει. Ἔθεντό με φυλάκισσαν, κ.τ.λ. Τάχα δὲ κατηγορεῖ ἑαυτῆς, ὅτι τὸν ἴδιον οὐκ ἐφύλαξεν ἀμπελῶνα, πορθεῖν αὐτὸν ἀφεῖσα πάντα τὸν παραπορευόμενον τὴν ὁδόν· λυμήνασθαί τε αὐτὸν ἦν ἐκ δρυμοῦ, καὶ μονιὸν ἄγριον κατανεμήσασθαι αὐτόν. Τάχα δὲ καὶ δοξάζει τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι μὴ δυνηθεῖσα φυλάξαι τὸν ἴδιον ἀμπελῶνα, τῷ μήτε γεωργῆσαι μήτε φυλάξαι ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον προέκοψεν, ὡς πολλοὺς ἀμπελῶνας δυνηθῆναι φυλάξαι. Ἤγουν υἱοὺς μητρὸς αὐτῆς λέγει τῆς Συναγωγῆς, τοὺς Γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαίους οἵτινες ἐπολέμουν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς Χριστὸν, τηρεῖν ἐντελλόμενοι τὴν κατὰ τὸν νόμον λατρείαν· αὕτη γὰρ ἀμπελών. Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ταύτην, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐφύλαξα· ἅτινα γὰρ ἦν μοι κέρδη, ταῦτα ἥγημαι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ζημίαν, ὥς φησιν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος. Ὡς περιβαλλομένη ἐπ' ἀγέλαις ἑταίρων σου. Ἑταίρους αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἀποστόλους καλεῖ. Ἔφη γάρ· Οὐκ ἔτι λέγω ὑμᾶς δούλους, ἀλλὰ φίλους· φίλοι γάρ ἐστε. Περιβαλλομένη δὲ λέγει Καλυπτομένη· λέγοντος Παύλου, ὅτι Ἄχρι τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας, ἡνίκα ἀναγινώσκεται Μωϋσῆς, κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται. Φωνὴ οὖν, ἡ