1 I am a wildflower of Sharon,
a lily of the valleys. y
Man
2 Like a lily among thorns,
so is my darling among the young women.
Woman
3 Like an apricot tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my love among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banquet hall, ,z
and he looked on me with love. ,a
5 Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apricots,
for I am lovesick. b
6 May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me. c
7 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and the wild does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time. ,d
8 Listen! My love is approaching.
Look! Here he comes,
leaping over the mountains, e
bounding over the hills.
9 My love is like a gazelle
or a young stag. f
See, he is standing behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
10 My love calls to me:
Man
Arise, g my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
11 For now the winter is past;
the rain has ended and gone away.
12 The blossoms appear in the countryside.
The time of singing has come,
and the turtledove’s cooing is heard in our land. h
13 The fig tree ripens its figs; i
the blossoming vines give off their fragrance. j
Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
14 My dove, k in the clefts of the rock, l
in the crevices of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice; m
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely. n
Woman
15 Catch the foxes for us o—
the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—
for our vineyards are in bloom. p
Woman
16 My love is mine and I am his; q
he feeds among the lilies.
17 Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,
turn around, my love, and be like a gazelle
or a young stag r on the divided mountains. ,s
2:2. The man turns the woman’s words into a compliment by telling her that she stands out from the other women like a beautiful flower in a field of thorn bushes.
2:3–7. The woman’s desire for her beloved has made her lovesick, and she asks for raisins and apricots, fruits symbolic of love (2:5). The refrain in 2:7 occurs again in 3:5 and 8:4. The woman warns others not to force love or to arouse it lightly; it is too powerful and requires a framework of commitment. The refrain probably also warns about the physical expression of love prior to a commitment in marriage, which in the Bible establishes the proper context for full physical intimacy.
2:8–9. The woman regularly calls her lover “my love” (2:8). The term can also mean “brother” or “cousin” and in the plural can mean “love” or “lovemaking.” Its use in the book makes it clear that this is a term of great intimacy and endearment. The expressions “Look!” (2:8) and “See” (2:9) indicate something present and immediate. Energy and immediacy dominate verses 8–9. The woman is excited and filled with anticipation. The image of gazelles or stags bounding over the hills generates feelings of excitement and delight (2:9). A homonym for “gazelle” means “beautiful” and is likely part of what the metaphor is meant to communicate.
2:10–14. When the man is outside the woman’s house and separated from her by walls and windows, he describes her as a dove in a place inaccessible to him (2:14): the softness and color of the dove convey the idea of gentleness, and the sound the bird makes is soothing. He wants to see her and to hear her sweet voice. The word translated “face” actually means “form” (see the CSB footnote); he wants to experience the delight of looking at her and hearing the sound of her voice.
2:15–17. At the center of this relationship is the mutual commitment of the couple to each other, and this constitutes the foundation that makes growth toward maturity possible. While details are sparse, it is likely that such commitments were publicly formalized through covenants of betrothal and marriage. The woman recognizes that the man finds delight, satisfaction, and nourishment in her charms, and clearly this is mutual (2:16).