Resumen de Una interpretación judía de Cant 5,2 en Ap 3, 19b-20
The modern exegesis of Ap 3,20 shows that we find ourselves in front of a quotation from Cant 5,2. The present study also sets out to demonstrate that with this quotation the apocaliptic author has very probably recollected an ancient allegoric interpretation of Cant 5,2: To knock at the door is to seek conversionm. The MidraSim interpret Cant 5,2 in this sense. It is studied especially in MIDRASCH SCHJR HA-SCHIRIM, edited by L. Grünhut, and MIDRAS ZUTA. Also R. Aquiba (IInd century) echos this Jewish tradition in his comentary on Cant 5,2. The Targumic exegesis0(Tg Cant 5,2 and parallel texts) equally concur in this interpretation of 1gLet me inm in the sense of conversion, with the peculiarity that this traditional exegesis seems added by the Targumist to its own deras- about Cant 5,2. Thus everything leads towards making us believe that this traditional and allegoric interpretation of Cant 5,2 is ancient, in that, on the other hand, one cannot affirm that the Tg Cant came from the TALMUD OF BABYLON. J. Heinernann is correct in stating that in those cases of considerable sirnilarity it is very probable that both works depended upon a cornmon oral source in Palestine. In any case, whatever may be the epoch when Tg Cant was written, nobody can doubt that it contains ancient Hagadic traditions. The Jewish exegesis of Cant 5,2, LET ME IN / CONVERT YOURSELF, has many possibilities of being ancient. Only this can explain the strange employment of the theme of conversion in Ap 3, 19b. The originality of the quotation from Cant'5,2 in Ap 3,20 is thus not based on the gathering of a chemically pure Biblical text, but on an interpretation already existing in the earlier Jewish tradition..
