Arise, my darling

Isaiah 35 shares a number of fairly rare terms with Song of Songs 2.  Both refer to the crocus or rose (Isaiah 35:1; Song of Songs 2:1).  Both have people leaping (Isaiah 35:6; Song of Songs 2:8) and in both the leaping person is compared to a stag (Isaiah 35:6; Song of Songs 2:9).  Isaiah 35 prophesies the outbreak of life in the wilderness of Israel that will occur when “they see the glory of Yahweh, the majesty of our God” (Isaiah 35:2).

Given the verbal connections of the two passages, we might give Isaiah 35 a romantic gloss: The barren will blossom like the rose, the lame will leap, eyes will be opened, waters will spring up in the desert and turn it to a garden of delights when the Lover comes to His beloved, and says to her “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one!  Arise and walk!”