Song of Solomon 8:4

4 Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you greatly, that ye raise not, neither make the dearworthy spousess to awake, till she will. (Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I strongly command you, that ye raise not up, nor awaken the dearworthy spousess, until she desireth it.)

Song of Solomon 8:4 Meaning and Commentary

Song of Solomon 8:4

I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up,
nor awake [my] love, until he please.
] The phrase, "by the roes [and] by the hinds of the field", used in ( Song of Solomon 2:7 ) ( 3:5 ) ; is here omitted; not as if the charge was less vehement and earnest here, for the form of expostulation seems rather to express more earnestness: for the words may be rendered, "why will ye", or "why should ye stir up, and why awake my love?" ^F9 being apprehensive they were about to do it; and which she dissuades from, as unreasonable and dangerous, and might be prejudicial to them as well as to her. The allusion is to virgins, that sung songs at marriages; one in the evening, lulling to sleep; and another in the morning, awaking and stirring up from it ^F11.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (hm) , "cur", Montanus, Schmidt.
F11 Vid. Theocrit. Idyll. 18.

Song of Solomon 8:4 In-Context

2 I shall take thee, and I shall lead thee into the house of my mother, and into the (bed-)closet of my mother; there thou shalt teach me, and I shall give to thee drink of wine made sweet, and of the must of my pomegranates (yea, my pomegranate wine).

3 His left hand shall be under mine head, and his right hand shall embrace me.

4 Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you greatly, that ye raise not, neither make the dearworthy spousess to awake, till she will. (Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I strongly command you, that ye raise not up, nor awaken the dearworthy spousess, until she desireth it.)

5 Who is this spousess, that goeth up from desert, and floweth in delights, and resteth on her darling? I raised thee (up) under a pomegranate tree; there thy mother was corrupted, there thy mother was defouled. (Who is this spousess, who cometh in from the desert, and who floweth in delights, and then resteth on her darling? I raised thee up under a pomegranate tree; there thy mother gave birth to thee, yea, there thy mother was in labour.)

6 Set thou me as a signet on thine heart, as a signet on thine arm; for love is strong as death, envy is hard as hell; the lamps thereof be [the] lamps of fire, and of flames. (Put thou me like a seal, or a lock, upon thy heart, yea, like a seal, or a lock, upon thy arm; for love is as strong as death, and envy is as hard as the grave; its lamps be lamps of fire, and lamps of flames.)