BIBLE CHAPTER STUDY
Song of Solomon 2 — Love’s Invitation and Shelter
Love is praised as uniquely beautiful, life-giving, and protective, while longing brings invitation, warning, vigilance, and a plea for return.
Scripture
1I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys.
2As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters.
3As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4He brought me to the banqueting - house, And his banner over me was love.
5Stay ye me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am sick from love.
6His left hand is under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me.
7I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake my love, Until he please.
8The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh, Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills.
9My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: Behold, he standeth behind our wall; He looketh in at the windows; He glanceth through the lattice.
10My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
11For, lo, the winter is past; The rain is over and gone;
12The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing of birds is come, And the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land;
13The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs, And the vines are in blossom; They give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
14O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the steep place, Let me see thy countenance, Let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
15Take us the foxes, the little foxes, That spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom.
16My beloved is mine, and I am his: He feedeth his flock among the lilies.
17Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart Upon the mountains of Bether.
What this passage means
The chapter builds its picture of love through contrasts: a lovely flower among thorns, a treasured tree among other trees, and a beloved hidden and visible through a wall. Such comparisons present the loved one as distinctive and the speaker’s affection as a source of joy.
love grows through movement. The lovers meet in a banqueting house, are held in an embrace, hear a call to rise and go, and look forward to reunion. Even their separation is framed as a temporary pause rather than the end of belonging.
The closing images introduce a warning: small threats can damage what is flowering. The declaration “My beloved is mine, and I am his” holds longing and trust together, while the request for the beloved to return keeps love oriented toward renewal and commitment.
Context
The supplied material identifies the chapter as poetic imagery of love. Its sequence moves from praise of the beloved and the sweetness of closeness to an invitation to go out, a call to protect what is flourishing, mutual belonging, and a final request for return.
The related verses expand this context: Song of Solomon 6:3 repeats the mutual belonging and feeding among lilies, while Song of Solomon 3:5 repeats the charge not to stir up or awake love until it pleases. Other listed references connect the language of love, friendship, humility, and covenant loyalty to broader biblical themes.
Key words in the original
- H2261 The supplied gloss identifies this word as “rose.” It helps present the speaker’s self-description as a plant-image in the opening contrast of beauty amid surrounding growth.
- H7799 The supplied gloss identifies this word as “lily.” Its repeated use links the speaker, the beloved, and the feeding place, making the flower a central image of distinction and belonging.
- H6529 The supplied gloss identifies this word as “fruit.” The sweetness of the beloved’s fruit turns the tree comparison into an image of intimate, sensory delight.
Related verses
- Song of Solomon 6:3 This verse repeats the chapter’s central confession of mutual belonging and the image of feeding among lilies, reinforcing the bond expressed in the present chapter.
- Song of Solomon 3:5 The repeated charge not to stir up or awake love echoes the present chapter’s concern with timing, restraint, and the proper movement of affection.
- John 15:9 This reference provides a broader biblical setting for love as a relationship of abiding and remaining, complementing the chapter’s imagery of dwelling, shelter, and return.
Common questions
What is the main image of love in this chapter?
Love is pictured as a beautiful, living relationship that stands out among surrounding threats, gives shade and sweetness, and seeks both closeness and faithful return.
Why does the speaker ask for refreshment?
The speaker says, “For I am sick from love.” The request for raisins and apples gives bodily form to the exhaustion and longing produced by intense affection.
What do the little foxes represent in this chapter?
The chapter itself only says that the little foxes spoil the vineyards. They therefore function as a warning about small destructive forces that can harm a relationship while it is still flowering.