Rashi: Hashem and His Beis Din say about Keneses Yisrael, who is this? She is so esteemed - she was elevated from the Midbar with all great gifts - Matan Torah and clinging of Shechinah. Her dearness is seen to all, while she is still in Galus.

Seforno: Hashem asks, who ascends from Egypt and Bavel? They were like a Midbar - no man was there ¹ !

Malbim (Melitzah): What is the essence of this dear Nefesh that rises from the Midbar? I.e. when it goes out to the Midbar, after separating from the body. It ascends the rungs of the ladder to abodes in Shechakim (a level of Shamayim).

Malbim (Mashal): The author asks, who distanced from the city to the Midbar?

Rashi: She joins with her beloved. She thanks that she is His companion and clings to Him. In Arabic, Rafak is an expression of company.

Seforno: She hits herself and laments over the delay of Mashi'ach's coming.

Malbim (Melitzah): She wants to cling to her supreme Beloved, who is clear and red, to be "Tzerurah bi'Tzror ha'Chayim Es Hashem Elokecha" (Shmuel I, 25:29). This is not so for all Nefashos that expire with the body. They themselves do not persist, only their species persists. Why is this Nefesh different? Refer to 8:5:3:4.

Torah Temimah citing Sotah 11b: Yisrael were redeemed from Egypt in the merit of the righteous women. They would arouse their husbands to cohabit with them. When it was time to give birth, they went to the field and gave birth under the apple tree.

Rashi: She says so requesting dearness of her Beloved. Remember that I aroused You under the Tapu'ach - under Har Sinai, which was over my heads like an apple. This is the expression of a wife of youth arousing her beloved at nights; she hugs and kisses him.

Seforno: When I was in Galus, I lodged "b'Tzel Shakai" (Tehilim 91:1), like in the shade of an apple tree. I strove to bring You via Tefilah.

Malbim (Melitzah): Hashem answers, this Nefesh is different, for it was Ne'etzal ('copied') from a high and Kadosh place. When I aroused you to descend to the body, you were under the apple tree in the orchard of Kadosh apple trees, in the supreme Atzeilus - a world of light, the source of Neshamos.

Malbim (Mashal): The beloved answers, the first time, I found you sleeping under the apple tree, and I woke you.

Rashi: We said that Hashem called [Keneses Yisrael] Imo (refer to 3:11:4:1 and the notes there). There, I became ¹ an Em to You. Chibelasecha is an expression of birth. Chavalim (birthpangs) came to me from You. This is like "Banai Yetza'uni" (Yirmeyah 10:20) - Yatz'u Mimeni.

Seforno: Imecha (Kehilas Yakov ² ) was like a pregnant woman about to give birth.

Malbim (Melitzah): When your mother (the body) had birth contractions, you were there, under the supreme apple tree. Your source is there. You were a spiritual entity separated from physicality, alive, and did many actions. Therefore, you returned to your source. The entire Sefer uses the feminine for the Nefesh, and here, the masculine. Sometimes masculine is used for feminine, like Radak wrote. Here, the Nefesh is separated from the body; it does not receive, and others do not act on it, so feminine is not appropriate for it.

Seforno: Adas Hashem of Tzadikim of the generations. Their Tefilah was the reason for Your being in Galus [with Yisrael].

Malbim (Melitzah): The body.

Malbim (Mashal): Your mother, also she was born there [under the apple tree]. She is regularly in the Midbar, and not in the city.