Albert Barnes Commentary Song Of Solomon 8:5

"Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple-tree I awakened thee: There thy mother was in travail with thee, There was she in travail that brought thee forth." — Song Of Solomon 8:5 (ASV)

The scene changes from Jerusalem to the birthplace of the bride, where she is seen coming up toward her mother’s house, leaning on the arm of the great king, her beloved.

Who is this—Compare and contrast with Song of Solomon 3:6. In the former scene, all was splendor and exaltation, but here we find condescension, humility, and loving charm.

I raised thee up...—Beneath this apple tree, I wakened you. The king calls the bride’s attention to a fruit tree they are passing—the trysting spot of their earliest vows, in her own home and birthplace. The Masoretic pointing of the Hebrew text (the most ancient traditional interpretation) assigns these words to the bride, but the majority of Christian fathers attribute them to the king. The whole passage gains in clarity and dramatic expression with the latter arrangement.