Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me: your hair is as a flock of goats going down from Gilead.
All Commentaries on Song of Songs 6:5 Go To Song of Songs 6
Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
So he says to her, as if to one who is perfect, … “Turn your eyes from me,” because she cannot withstand the fullness of his divinity and the splendor of the true light.
Yet we can also take “turn your eyes from me” as follows: “Although you have been perfected, I must still redeem other souls and strengthen them. For you exalt me by looking upon me, but I have descended so that I may exalt all humankind. Although I have risen up and possess the throne of the Father, still I will not leave you orphans bereft of a father’s help, but by my presence I will strengthen you. You find this written in the gospel: ‘I am with you even unto the consummation of the world.’ Turn your eyes from me, therefore, because you exalt me.” The more anyone strives toward the Lord, the more he exalts the Lord and is himself exalted. On this account also the psalmist says, “I will extol you, O Lord, because you have upheld me.” For the holy person extols the Lord; the sinner brings him low. Therefore he wishes that she turn her eyes away. Otherwise, by contemplating her he may be exalted—for now he can attain to the higher regions—and may leave the other souls behind. Likewise in the gospel he showed his glory, not to all the disciples but to those who were more nearly perfect.
Now imagine some teacher who desires to explain an obscure matter to his hearers. Although he is himself an accomplished speaker and well informed, nevertheless let him lower himself to the ignorance of those who do not understand, and let him use simple, rather plain, everyday speech so that he can be understood. Then whoever is more quick-witted among his hearers, and can follow easily, disparages and questions him. Looking on such a one, the teacher restrains him, so that the latter may permit him to spend time rather on those who are more humble and lowly, in order that the rest may also be able to follow.
