Song of Solomon 2:4-14

4 The king led me into the wine cellar; he ordained charity in me (he ordained his love upon me).

5 Beset ye me with flowers, compass ye me with apples; for I am sick for love. (Put ye flowers about me, yea, surround ye me with apple blossoms; for I am weak, or I faint, because of love.)

6 His left hand is under mine head; and his right hand shall embrace me.

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

8 The voice of my darling; lo! this darling cometh leaping in mountains, and skipping over little hills. (The voice of my darling; lo! my darling cometh leaping over the mountains, and skipping over the little hills.)

9 My darling is like a capret, and a calf of harts; lo! he standeth behind our wall, and beholdeth by the windows, and looketh through the lattice. (My darling is like a gazelle, or like a hart calf; lo! he standeth behind our wall, and seeth in through the windows, and looketh through the lattice.)

10 Lo! my darling speaketh to me, My love, my culver, my fair spousess, rise thou, haste thou, and come thou; (Lo! my darling speaketh to me, and saith, My love, my dove, my beautiful spousess, rise thou up, hasten thou, and come thou away;)

11 for winter is passed now, rain is gone, and is departed away. (for the winter is now passed, the rains have gone away, yea, they have departed at last.)

12 Flowers have appeared in our land, and the time of cutting is come; the voice of a turtle is heard in our land (the song of a turtledove is heard in our land),

13 the fig tree hath brought forth his buds; the vineries flowering have given their odour. My love, my fair spousess, rise thou, haste thou, and come thou. (the fig tree hath brought forth its buds; the flowering vines have given forth their aroma. My love, my beautiful spousess, rise thou up, hasten thou, and come thou away.)

14 My culver is in the holes of [the] stone, in the chink of a wall without mortar. Show thy face to me, thy voice sound in mine ears; for thy voice is sweet, and thy face is fair. (My dove is in the holes of the stone, in the chink of a wall made without mortar. Show thy face to me, let thy voice sound in my ears; for thy voice is sweet, and thy face is so beautiful.)

Song of Solomon 2:4-14 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.