Verse 7 says, "I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please." Both the Darby translation and the margin of the American Standard Version use the word "gazelles," whereas the King James Version and the text of the American Standard Version uses the word "roes." The Revised Standard Version, the American Standard Version, and Darby’s translation all use the word "hinds." The word "he" should not be in the masculine gender. We dare not say whether it should be in the feminine gender or the neuter gender. But according to the context, it should be in the feminine gender. "I charge you." This is in the imperative mood; it is the tone of a king.
Song of Songs 1:2 through 2:7 constitutes one section of spiritual experience. Then the Lord causes the maiden to pause a little. At this point, a person has reached the stage that he should arrive at, not sensationally, but peacefully and steadily. He has come out of the chambers and entered the house of wine. At this point a believer has smoothly reached the house of wine, and the Lord is asking him to halt a little.
The daughters of Jerusalem love excitement, and they love to meddle with many things. Therefore, the Lord tells them not to stir up the maiden.
Roes and hinds are by nature animals that are easily stirred up. The King gives this charge because the maiden has become sick of love. There is no need to stir her up any more; she can pause a little while. She is in the Lord’s hand, and there is no need for others to arouse her. If others try to meddle with her affairs, it will not help her. Instead, it will only stir her up. She should rest for a while and wait for this period to end before she engages in a second pursuit. Do not stir her up. Wait for her to rise by herself. Do not think that she is too soulish and that she needs help. This is where her lessons have brought her, and there should be a pause.
Love has reached its climax. The King is present; therefore, be still (Hab. 2:20). He (the Lord) will rest in His love (Zeph. 3:17). This means He will love you in repose.
(1) The maiden sees the cross in the first chapter; she has not seen the vitality and power of resurrection.
(2) The danger in the first section is indulging in an inward fellowship.
(3) She still does not understand the meaning and significance of consecration and of the obedience of the cross, because she has not yet passed through the test. She has not practically taken up the cross and has not practically taken up the way of the cross.
(4) There is another danger. Although she has seen the error of presumptuousness, she has not seen that the Master of the work is greater than the work itself. (Although she has realized that it is wrong to keep other vineyards, she still thinks that it is very important to keep her own vineyard.)
(5) There is also a lack. During all this time, she has only seen the Lord’s worth to her; she has not seen the position she should take before the Lord. In other words, she has enjoyed the fruit of the Lord’s travail, but she has not allowed the Lord to enjoy the fruit of His travail. This means that she has gained the Lord, but the Lord has not yet gained her.
(6) In the first section, it is only Christ for me; it is not yet me for Christ.
(Collected Works of Watchman Nee, The (Set 2) Vol. 23: The Song of Songs & Hymns, Chapter 4, by Watchman Nee)