Song of Solomon 3:1

“By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth, etc.] The day being not yet broke, the night of Jewish darkness still on the church, and the shadow of the ceremonial law as yet stretched upon her; and having some knowledge of Christ by types and prophecies, desires more, and seeks it in the use of means: though the words may be taken in a more large sense, and represent the state and condition of the church and of all true believers in any age, and at one time as well as another; who, when their beloved is absent, it is “night” with them; as Christ’s presence makes day, his absence makes night; and it was now night with the Church, either of affliction, or of darkness and desertion, and…”

“By night--literally, "By nights." Continuation of the longing for the dawn of the Messiah (Sol 2:17; Psa 130:6; Mal 4:2). The spiritual desertion here (Sol 2:17; Sol 3:5) is not due to indifference, as in Sol 5:2-8. "As nights and dews are better for flowers than a continual sun, so Christ's absence (at times) giveth sap to humility, and putteth an edge on hunger, and furnisheth a fair field to faith to put forth itself" [RUTHERFORD]. Contrast Sol 1:13; Psa 30:6-7. on . . . bed--the secret of her failure (Isa 64:7; Jer 29:13; Amo 6:1, Amo 6:4; Hos 7:14). loveth--no want of sincerity, but of diligence, which she now makes up for by leaving her bed to seek Him (Psa 22:2; Psa 63:8; Isa 26:9;…”

“By night - i. e., In the night-hours. return to 'Top of Page'”

“By night - When others compose themselves to sleep, my affections were working towards him. I sought - I sought for Christ's gracious and powerful presence. I sought - This repetition denotes her perseverance and unweariedness in seeking him. Found him not - For he had withdrawn the manifestations of his love from me, either because I had not sought him diligently, or because I had abused his favour. Song of Solomon (Canticles) 3:2”

“night: Psa 4:4, Psa 6:6, Psa 22:2, Psa 63:6-8, Psa 77:2-4; Isa 26:9 him whom: Sol 1:7, Sol 5:8; Joh 21:17; Pe1 1:8 but: Sol 5:6; Job 23:8, Job 23:9; Psa 130:1, Psa 130:2; Isa 55:6; Luk 13:24 Song of Solomon (Canticles) 3:2”

“1 On my bed in the nights I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, and found him not. She does not mean to say that she sought him beside herself on her couch; for how could that be of the modest one, whose home-bringing is first described in the next act - she could and might miss him there neither waking nor sleeping. The commencement is like Job 33:15. She was at night on her couch, when a painful longing seized her: the beloved of her soul appeared to have forsaken her, to have withdrawn from her; she had lost the feeling of his nearness, and was not able to recover it. לילות is neither here nor at Sol 3:8 necessarily the categ. plur. The meaning may also be, that this pain,…”