The big picture
Song of Solomon 2 opens in verse 1 with “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 9 with “My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he…”, and closes in verse 17 with “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe…” Repeated or prominent terms include beloved, love, voice, vines, countenance. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Song of Solomon · King James Version · 17Song of Solomon 2:1-6
1–6: I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
Song of Solomon 2:1–6 opens with “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” and reaches “His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The beloved approaching across the hills as spring returns and the invitation to rise is heard, with particular weight carried by love, hand, lily.
Deep dive
The movement opens with “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” By verse 3, the text has turned to “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down…” It lands on “His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. Its subjects, actions, connecting terms, and consequences reveal how the thought develops before any interpretation is added.
Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as love, hand, lily, apple, apples, banner tie the complete block together. The central idea, “The beloved approaching across the hills as spring returns and the invitation to rise is heard,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.
Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include His, Sharon, Stay. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 3: “As 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…” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.
Words to trace: love, hand, lily, apple, apples, banner
Verse-by-verse path
- Song of Solomon 2:1
“I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” Naming Sharon keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
- Song of Solomon 2:2
“As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.” The line’s distinctive content terms include daughters, lily, love. Its relationship to verses 1 and 3 shows what work it does in this passage.
- Song of Solomon 2:3
“As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great…” The line’s distinctive content terms include apple, beloved, delight. Its relationship to verses 2 and 4 shows what work it does in this passage.
- Song of Solomon 2:4
“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” The line’s distinctive content terms include banner, banqueting, house. Its relationship to verses 3 and 5 shows what work it does in this passage.
- Song of Solomon 2:5
“Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.” Naming Stay keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
- Song of Solomon 2:6
“His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.” Naming His keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Song of Solomon 2:1-6
King James Version1I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
2As the 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 me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
6His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
Song of Solomon 2:7-12
7–12: I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds…
Song of Solomon 2:7–12 opens with “I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye…” and reaches “The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The beloved approaching across the hills as spring returns and the invitation to rise is heard, with particular weight carried by beloved, love, voice.
Deep dive
The movement opens with “I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that…” By verse 9, the text has turned to “My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh…” It lands on “The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 verse with a speech marker. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.
Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as beloved, love, voice, appear, awake, behind tie the complete block together. The central idea, “The beloved approaching across the hills as spring returns and the invitation to rise is heard,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.
Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Jerusalem, Rise. Its number language includes one. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 9: “My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself…” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.
Words to trace: beloved, love, voice, appear, awake, behind
Verse-by-verse path
- Song of Solomon 2:7
“I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
- Song of Solomon 2:8
“The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.” The line’s distinctive content terms include beloved, cometh, hills. Its relationship to verses 7 and 9 shows what work it does in this passage.
- Song of Solomon 2:9
“My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows…” The line’s distinctive content terms include behind, beloved, hart. Its relationship to verses 8 and 10 shows what work it does in this passage.
- Song of Solomon 2:10
“My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
- Song of Solomon 2:11
“For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
- Song of Solomon 2:12
“The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our…” The line’s distinctive content terms include appear, birds, earth. Its relationship to verses 11 shows what work it does in this passage.
Song of Solomon 2:7-12
King James Version7I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till 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 forth at the windows, shewing himself 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 is heard in our land;
Song of Solomon 2:13-17
13–17: The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender…
Song of Solomon 2:13–17 opens with “The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good…” and reaches “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on The beloved approaching across the hills as spring returns and the invitation to rise is heard, with particular weight carried by vines, beloved, countenance.
Deep dive
The movement opens with “The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good…” By verse 15, the text has turned to “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.” It lands on “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. Its subjects, actions, connecting terms, and consequences reveal how the thought develops before any interpretation is added.
Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as vines, beloved, countenance, foxes, tender, voice tie the complete block together. The central idea, “The beloved approaching across the hills as spring returns and the invitation to rise is heard,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.
Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Arise, Bether, Take, Until. Its number language includes one. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 17: “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of…” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.
Words to trace: vines, beloved, countenance, foxes, tender, voice
Verse-by-verse path
- Song of Solomon 2:13
“The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
- Song of Solomon 2:14
“O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me…” The line’s distinctive content terms include countenance, voice, clefts. Its relationship to verses 13 and 15 shows what work it does in this passage.
- Song of Solomon 2:15
“Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.” Naming Take keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
- Song of Solomon 2:16
“My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.” The line’s distinctive content terms include beloved, feedeth, lilies. Its relationship to verses 15 and 17 shows what work it does in this passage.
- Song of Solomon 2:17
“Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the…” Naming Bether and Until keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Song of Solomon 2:13-17
King James Version13The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
14O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, 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 vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
16My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.
17Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.
Questions to keep in mind while reading
- Follow the speaker, images, parallel lines, questions, and emotional movement.
- Notice where tension or suffering resists an easy answer.
- Read a saying as wisdom for faithful discernment, not as a mechanical promise detached from context.
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.
Questions beneath the surface
- What account of God, human freedom, responsibility, and the good life emerges from Song of Solomon 2?
- Which tension does the chapter refuse to resolve quickly?
- What changes when the chapter is read as part of the whole canon rather than as an isolated moral story?
- Where might a sincere reader confuse a familiar tradition with something the text states directly?
Questions for serious personal contemplation
These open-ended questions make room for tension, honest response, prayer, and conclusions that remain accountable to the chapter.
Observe without rushing
What part of Song of Solomon 2 makes you stop, feel unsettled, or feel surprised, and why?
Which detail in the passage would be easiest to overlook? How does that detail change your understanding?
Where do you see tension between what happens and this focus: The beloved approaching across the hills as spring returns and the invitation to rise is heard?
What important question does the passage leave open instead of resolving quickly?
Examine your inner life honestly
Which person, response, fear, or desire in the passage feels most like your own life right now?
What assumption about God, other people, or yourself does this text challenge?
Which part would you rather soften, avoid, or explain away too quickly? What might that reaction reveal?
If this Scripture could ask you one direct question, what do you think it would ask?
Respond with wisdom and courage
What do you need to remember, confess, grieve, thank God for, or trust after reading this passage?
How might another faithful person read this situation differently without ignoring the text?
What obedient response would be costly, uncomfortable, or slow, yet still faithful to Scripture?
What question will you carry into prayer this week, and which verses will you keep in front of you?