Tyndale Open Study NotesSong of Songs 2

The couple lovingly describe each other. They admire her unique beauty and appreciate his strong protection and support.

• a lily of the valley: The Hebrew text shows the woman's modesty and humility. She sees herself as just one flower among many in Sharon and the wide valleys of Israel.

• The man agrees with her comparison to a lily but says her beauty is rare; she is a lily among thistles.

• my darling (literally my companion): They are in love and also friends.

• In this short poem, the man and woman exchange compliments. They use flower and tree metaphors to describe their loving relationship. The man is the protector and provider,

• The poem ends (Song of Solomon 2:6) with the man and woman in an intimate embrace.

She is like a small, beautiful flower, while he resembles a large, strong apple tree. In the ancient Near East, an apple tree symbolizes sensuality due to its tasty fruit and pleasant fragrance. In the intense heat of the Middle Eastern climate, a tree's shade is not just refreshing; it can be life-saving (compare Jonah 4:6; Matthew 13:32).

• He has brought me to the house of wine: The woman now describes the man as her provider at a feast, leaving behind the image of the apple tree.

• his banner over me is love: He enjoys telling others how much he loves her.

• The woman's love is intense, and his love is overwhelming.

• If the Song is a collection of poems, the couple may be married. Their lovemaking is so exhausting that she feels faint and asks for raisin cakes and apples. In the ancient Near East, people considered these foods to be aphrodisiacs.

• sustain me: She now relies on him to revive her with fruit from the earlier image—he is the apple tree, so he can provide apples to renew her strength.

• His left hand is under my head: He tenderly supports her with his embrace as they lie together (see also Song of Solomon 8:3).

• I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: This plea is important in the Song; it repeats in Song of Solomon 3:5 and 8:4. A promise is requested, and witnesses were needed. The wild animals were the only witnesses present. These graceful animals suggest a romantic pastoral setting.

• Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right: As in Song of Solomon 8:8–9, virginity is praised. The woman warns the women of Jerusalem to be cautious and not rush into love.

• The man eagerly wants to be with the woman. He finally reaches his lover's home and takes her to the romantic countryside during the fresh spring.

• The woman compares the man to a gazelle, a fast and graceful animal that easily overcomes obstacles to reach its goal.

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).

In the Middle East, winter is the rainy season with clouds, gloom, and cold. After winter, when the rains end, the lively sights, sounds, and smells of spring boost romantic feelings.

• In the dramatic view, the couple plays hide-and-seek. She teases him, and he pleads for her to appear. Even playful separation frustrates him.

• The rocks symbolize the separation he wants to overcome to be with her.

• The foxes might symbolize threats to the relationship. These threats are not specified; they could be the usual ups and downs of love, rival suitors, or anything else that might prevent the couple from enjoying each other's company.

• In the dramatic view, the woman’s role as a vinedresser is still relevant. She is likely instructing the vinedressers who managed her vineyard and received two hundred pieces of silver from her in Song of Solomon 8:12. The concern about catching the foxes may relate to the woman’s personal interest in preserving the value of her vineyards. Eventually, she needs to pay Solomon the lease. If the foxes dig holes and damage the grapevines, she will incur more debt.

• 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.

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.