Glossa Ordinaria

To my cavalry. As I freed the former people from the Egyptian servitude, so will I free thee from the hands of thy persecutors, dashing Pharao to pieces, if thou shalt know thyself to be my Bride, freeing thee from the servitude of the devil in the font of baptism reddened by the passion, the author of sin being drowned in that same place. To my cavalry. Because the Lord does not wish the Church to be ignorant of herself, but diligently to attend to what gifts she has received and what she ought to suffer, accordingly after the threatening he speaks softly to her, as if he should say: If thou wishest to understand how thou oughtest to know thyself, understand to what I have compared thee, and then thou shalt know thyself to be such, through my benefits conferred upon thee, that thou oughtest not to be troubled. To my cavalry. The horseman is the Bridegroom, as the prophet says: And his salvation is a riding. By how much therefore my cavalry differs from the horses of Pharao, by so much art thou better than all the other daughters. As that people was terrified when the chariots of Pharao came upon them, but was saved by heavenly protection, and, the enemies being drowned, was brought through the waters into the land of promise: so the wave of death, which will meet all mortals, snatches the wicked away into destruction and unlocks for the godly the way to salvation; and all the other things which there were fulfilled bodily are here fulfilled spiritually. He kindly rebukes her as she doubts, and, lest she despair, manfully strengthens her in the faithful love that follows, where he compares her to the chariots of Pharao. In the chariots of Pharao. That is, in the time of the chariots. And note the pride: Pharao is interpreted "dashing to pieces" or "scattering." Nor is it fitting that thou begin to wander, since thou hast me as consoler, and prelates upon whom thou mayest lean, through whom thou mayest stand.