The bride is here speaking to her Beloved and as she leans on His arm and rests her head on His breast she appeals to Him, ‘Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm’. The word ‘seal’ occurs fourteen times in the Old Testament and nine of these are translated ‘signet’. The signet was often in the form of a signet ring. This was sometimes carried on a string on the breast, but more usually worn on the finger, as in the case of King Ahasuerus, Esther 3. 10, 12. The signet was a precious personal possession, and its impress was used to indicate ownership, authenticity, or genuineness. It was such a ring that Pharaoh gave to Joseph as a token of delegated authority, Gen. 41. 42. Interesting, however, is the fact that, of the fourteen references to the seal or signet already mentioned, six of these are in connection with the garments of Israel’s high priest.
Now the bride says, ‘Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm’. Her desire is to be pressed upon, and worn upon, the breast and the arm of her Beloved, and many see an allusion here to the breast and shoulders of the high priest. He carried the names of the people engraven upon the twelve stones of the breastplate and upon the onyx stones of the ephod, on his shoulders. Symbolically, of course, the heart was the seat of affection, of love, of the emotions, just as the shoulders implied strength and security. The cause of the people of God was in this manner borne in priestly ministry into the holy place.
The bride’s desire is therefore obvious. She wants an assured place in the affections of her Beloved, pressed like a seal upon His heart. She wants too a place in His arms, firmly held in His strong embrace. How rightly do His people sing today, ‘Safe in the arms of Jesus; safe on His gentle breast’, F. V. Alstyne. And how also may they sincerely sing, ‘Nearer, still nearer, close to thy heart; Draw me my Saviour, so precious thou art’, L. N. Morris.
The little Song is drawing to a close now but it ends as it began, with the bride longing after her Beloved, fervently looking for love and security in Him.
