Song of Solomon 2:8-15

Rendezvous in the Countryside

8 The voice of my beloved! Look! Here {he} comes leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills!

9 My beloved is like a gazelle or {a young stag}. Look! {He is} standing behind our wall, gazing {through} the window, looking {through} the lattice.

10 My beloved answered and said to me, "{Arise}, my beloved! {Come, my beauty}!

11 For look! The winter is over; {the rainy season} {has turned and gone away}.

12 The blossoms {appear} {in the land}; {the time of singing has arrived}; the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

13 The fig tree puts forth her figs, and the vines [are in] blossom; they give fragrance. {Arise}, my beloved! {Come, my beauty}!"

14 My dove, in the clefts of the rock, {in the secluded place} {in the mountain}, Let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice [is] sweet and your face [is] lovely.

15 Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes destroying vineyards, for our vineyards [are in] blossom!

Song of Solomon 2:8-15 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 "this one"
• [b]. Literally "the fawn of the stag"
• [c]. Literally "This [is he]"
• [d]. Literally "from"
• [e]. Literally "from"
• [f]. Literally "Arise, you"
• [g]. Literally "And come, you"
• [h]. Literally "the rain"
• [i]. Literally "is over; it is gone"
• [j]. Literally "is seen"
• [k]. Literally "on the earth"
• [l]. Most likely, a subtle word play occurs here since there are two different words in Hebrew spelled the same way: "pruning" and "singing." The former plays upon the first line and the latter upon the third line
• [m]. Literally "the time of the song arrived"
• [n]. Literally "Arise, to you!"
• [o]. Literally "My beauty, come, you"
• [p]. Literally "in the secret place"
• [q]. Or "in the covering"
• [r]. Literally "foothold in the rock"
• [s]. Or "cliff"
• [t]. Or "while"