Keraia
Song of Solomon 2

Song of Solomon 2:16

The Bride’s Admiration · Song of Solomon 2:1–17
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Translations

Modern
My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies.
Traditional
My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.
Literal
My beloved is unto me and I unto him; he is grazing among the lilies.
Latin
Dilectus meus mihi, et ego illi, qui pascitur inter lilia,

Original

Hebrew
English
My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies.

Notes

Song of Solomon 2:16–17

  • be like a gazelle: The woman sees her lover as strong and fast like a gazelle. She describes his delay as if he is grazing in the countryside.

  • Alternatively, the lover, like a gazelle, grazes among the lilies, which might represent the woman. This suggests their close relationship. The woman is often compared to a garden (see also Song of Solomon 4:12, 15–16; 5:1; 6:2).

  • turn: Her desire to see him in the evening grows stronger by the hour.

Song of Solomon 2:8–17

In this poem, the woman looks forward to her lover's arrival. She describes winter ending and spring beginning, a time of floral scents and new starts. She and her lover are in their country garden, a place of closeness, though there is a hint of danger even here (Song of Solomon 2:15).

Song of Solomon 2:16–3:5

In this dramatic scene, the woman is already apart from her lover and is terrified that she will not see him soon. One night, her worries push her out of bed to search frantically for him. She finds him and takes him to meet her mother.

Theme notes and profiles

Beauty in Nature Human Sexuality

Glossary

Deer Gazelle Hyacinth Song of Solomon

Topics

Sex Union with Christ: Saints: Have, in Love Wedding Ceremony