כֻּלָּם֙ אֲחֻ֣זֵי חֶ֔רֶב מְלֻמְּדֵ֖י מִלְחָמָ֑ה אִ֤ישׁ חַרְבּוֹ֙ עַל־יְרֵכ֔וֹ מִפַּ֖חַד בַּלֵּילּֽוֹת׃ (ס)
They all handle the sword, And are expert in war; Every man hath his sword upon his thigh, Because of dread in the night.
Rashi on Song of Songs
Skilled in battle. The battle of Torah, and likewise, the kohanim who surround it, who camp around the Tabernacle, are skilled in the order of their service.
Ezra ben Solomon on Song of Songs
All of this constitutes the context of the parable, as we explained earlier in the introduction to the text. As a similar example we find: “From the mouths of infants and sucklings you have founded strength on account of Your foes, to put an end to enemy and avenger” [Ps. 8:3]. And “Mighty king who loves equity” [Ps. 99:4].
Rashi on Song of Songs
Each with his sword. His weapons are the Masorah [i.e., tradition] and the mnemonics, by which they preserve the correct version and the traditional rendition, so that it will not be forgotten.