Song of Solomon 2:7-17

7 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases.

8 The Shulamite The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills.

9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, Gazing through the lattice.

10 My beloved spoke, and said to me: "Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away.

11 For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone.

12 The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land.

13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!

14 "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely."

15 Her Brothers Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes.

16 The Shulamite My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies.

17 (To Her Beloved) Until the day breaks And the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, And be like a gazelle Or a young stag Upon the mountains of Bether.

Song of Solomon 2:7-17 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally Separation