Song of Solomon 2:8-17

The Bride Adores Her Beloved

8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping ¹over the mountains, bounding over the hills.

9 My beloved is like ²a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice.

10 My beloved speaks and says to me: ³"Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away,

11 for behold, the winter is past; ⁴the rain is over and gone.

12 ⁵The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing^[a] has come, and the voice of ⁶the turtledove is heard in our land.

13 ⁷The fig tree ripens its figs, and ⁸the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. ⁹Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.

14 O my ¹⁰dove, in the ¹¹clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me ¹²hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is ¹³lovely.

15 Catch ¹⁴the foxes^[b] for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, ¹⁵for our vineyards are in blossom."

16 ¹⁶My beloved is mine, and I am his; he ¹⁷grazes^[c] among the lilies.

17 Until ¹⁸the day breathes and ¹⁹the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like ²⁰a gazelle or a young stag on cleft mountains.^[d]

Song of Solomon 2:8-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SONG OF SOLOMON 2

Here begins a new colloquy between Christ and his church; in which they alternately set forth the excellencies of each other; and express their mutual affection for, and delight and pleasure they take in, each other's company. Christ seems to begin, in an account of himself and his own excellencies, and of the church in her present state, So 2:1,2; then she, in her turn, praises him, and commends him above all others relates some choice proofs she had had of his love to her, and of communion with him in his house and ordinances, to such a degree as to overcome her, So 2:3-6; and then either he or she gives a charge to the daughters of Jerusalem, not to disturb either the one or the other in their sweet repose, So 2:7. Next the church relates how she heard the voice of Christ, and had a sight of him on the hills and mountains, at some distance; then more nearly, behind her wall, and through the lattices, So 2:8,9; and expresses the very words in which he spake to her, and gave her a call to come away with him; making use of arguments from the season of the year, the signs of which are beautifully described, So 2:10-13; and requests that she would come out of her solitude, that he might enjoy her company, whose countenance and voice are so delightful to him; and gives a charge to her and her friends, to seize on such as were harmful and prejudicial to their mutual property, So 2:14,15. And she closes the chapter with expressing her faith of interest in Christ; and with a petition for his speedy approach to her, and continued presence with her, So 2:16,17.

Cross References

• 1. [Isaiah 52:7]
• 2. Song of Songs 4:5; Song of Songs 7:3; Song of Songs 8:14; 2 Samuel 2:18; 1 Chronicles 12:8; [Psalms 18:33; Habakkuk 3:19]
• 3. ver. 13
• 4. [Joel 2:23]
• 5. [2 Samuel 23:4]
• 6. [Jeremiah 8:7]
• 7. [Matthew 24:32]
• 8. Song of Songs 7:12
• 9. ver. 10
• 10. Song of Songs 5:2; Song of Songs 6:9; [Song of Songs 1:15]
• 11. Jeremiah 48:28; Jeremiah 49:16; Obadiah 3
• 12. Song of Songs 8:13
• 13. Song of Songs 1:5; Song of Songs 4:3
• 14. [Ezekiel 13:4]
• 15. [See ver. 13 above]
• 16. Song of Songs 6:3; Song of Songs 7:10
• 17. Song of Songs 4:5; Song of Songs 6:3
• 18. Song of Songs 4:6; [Genesis 3:8]
• 19. Jeremiah 6:4
• 20. See ver. 9

Footnotes

• [a]. Or pruning
• [b]. Or jackals
• [c]. Or he pastures his flock
• [d]. Or mountains of Bether