Cheeks And Turtle Doves

Τί ὡραιώθησαν σιαγόνες σου ὡς τρυγόνος... Ἀλλὰ καὶ μέλη Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησίαν νύμφης ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· ἧς οἱονεὶ πρόσωπον, οἱ τῷ κάλλει τῶν λοιπῶν διαφέροντες, αἰσχρὸν οὐδὲν ἐννοοῦντες· τὴν δὲ τῆς σωφροσύνης αὐτῇ καρποφοροῦντες αἰδῶ, οἱ πρότερον ἴσως οὐκ ὄντες καλοὶ, τοσοῦτον μετέβαλον ὡς εἰρῆσθαι τῇ νύμφῃ· Τί ὡραιώθησαν σιαγόνες σου, μὴ ἔχοντες σπῖλον ἢ ῥυτίδα; τάχα δὲ καὶ τῷ τὸν ἕνα μόνον γινώσκειν Θεόν· καὶ ἡ τρυγὼν γὰρ ἑνὶ μόνῳ συνέρχεται. Ὠριγένης, Εἰς Τo Ἀσμα Των Ἀσμάτων, Κεφάλαιον Α´ Source: Migne PG 17.257c

Your cheeks are as fair as turtle doves... 1 For indeed Paul calls bridal church members of Christ, 2 and thinking of the face, these by beauty are more excellent than the others, and contemplating nothing vile, they bear the fruit of wisdom in modesty, who perhaps before were not fair, but have so changed that it is said to the bride: 'How fair your cheeks, as turtle doves having neither wrinkle nor spot.' 3 And perhaps this may even refer to the knowledge of the one true God, for the turtledove is bound only to one. Origen, Commentary On The Song Of Songs, Chapter 1 1 Song 2.10-13 2 Ephes 5.28-30 3 cf Ephes 5.27