Song of Songs 2 (abbreviated as Song 2) is the second chapter of the Song of Songs in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Old Testament of the Christian

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

.Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012. This book is one of the

Five Megillot The Five Scrolls or The Five Megillot ( he, חמש מגילות , ''Hamesh Megillot'' or ''Chomeish Megillos'') are parts of the Ketuvim ("Writings"), the third major section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). The Five Scrolls are the Song of Songs, ...

, a collection of short books, together with

Ruth Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ar ...

Lamentations The Book of Lamentations ( he, אֵיכָה, , from its incipit meaning "how") is a collection of poetic laments for the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. In the Hebrew Bible it appears in the Ketuvim ("Writings") as one of the Five Megillo ...

, Ecclesiastes and

Esther Esther is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther. In the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Hadassah, a Jewess who goes by the name of Esther, is chosen ...

, within the

Ketuvim The Ketuvim (; hbo, , Modern: ''Kəṯūvīm'', Tiberian: ''Kăṯūḇīm'' "writings") is the third and final section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), after Torah (instruction) and Nevi'im (prophets). In English translations of the Hebrew Bi ...

, the third and the last part of the Hebrew Bible.

Jewish tradition Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites"" ...

views Solomon as the author of this book (although this is now largely disputed), and this attribution influences the acceptance of this book as a canonical text. This chapter contains a dialogue in the open air and several female poems with the main imagery of flora and fauna.

Text

The original text is written in

Hebrew language Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

. This chapter is divided into 17 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

are of the

Masoretic Text The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; he, נֻסָּח הַמָּסוֹרָה, Nūssāḥ Hammāsōrā, lit. 'Text of the Tradition') is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism. ...

, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and

Codex Leningradensis The Leningrad Codex ( la, Codex Leningradensis [Leningrad Book]; he, כתב יד לנינגרד) is the oldest complete manuscript of the Hebrew Bible in Hebrew, using the Masoretic Text and Tiberian vocalization. According to its colopho ...

(1008). Some fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the

Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the ...

, assigned as 4Q107 (4QCant^b); 30 BCE-30 CE; extant verses 9–17). There is also a translation into

Koine Greek Koine Greek (; Koine el, ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, hē koinè diálektos, the common dialect; ), also known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-reg ...

known as the

Septuagint The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond ...

, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include

Codex Vaticanus The Codex Vaticanus ( The Vatican, Bibl. Vat., Vat. gr. 1209), designated by siglum B or 03 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), δ 1 ( von Soden), is a fourth-century Christian manuscript of a Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Greek Old ...

(B;

\mathfrak

^B; 4th century),

Codex Sinaiticus The Codex Sinaiticus ( Shelfmark: London, British Library, Add MS 43725), designated by siglum [Aleph] or 01 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 2 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscript ...

(S; BHK:

\mathfrak

^S; 4th century), and

Codex Alexandrinus The Codex Alexandrinus (London, British Library, Royal MS 1. D. V-VIII), designated by the siglum A or 02 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 4 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts), is a manu ...

(A;

\mathfrak

^A; 5th century).

Structure

The Modern English Version (MEV) attributes the voices in this chapter as follows: * = The Woman (continued from ) * = The Man * = The Woman

Female: Love in paradise (1:16–2:1)

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Verse 1 closes a poetic section providing a 'picture of the bed as a spreading growth', using a theme of nature's floras, starting from the previous chapter with verses 1:16–17 focusing on the subject of trees and verse 2:1 on the subject of flowers.

Verse 1

:''I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.'' *"

Rose of Sharon Rose of Sharon is a name that has been applied to several different species of flowering plants that are valued in different parts of the world. It is also a biblical expression, though the identity of the plant referred to is unclear and is dis ...

" ( he, חבצלת השרון, '' '';Hebrew Text Analysis: Song of Solomon 2:1
Biblehub

: "''ἄνθος τοῦ πεδίου''";

Vulgate The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...

: "''flos campi''"; Wiclif: "a flower of the field"): is thought to be a kind of crocus growing as a "lily among brambles" ( Song 2:1 -2) in the

Sharon plain The Sharon plain ( ''HaSharon Arabic: سهل شارون Sahel Sharon'') is the central section of the Israeli coastal plain. The plain lies between the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Samarian Hills, to the east. It stretches from Nahal T ...

. *"

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

": is translated from the Hebrew word ''ḥăḇatzeleṯ'', that occurs two times in the scriptures, beside in this verse also in Isaiah 35:1, which reads, "the desert shall bloom like the rose". The word translated as "rose" in KJV is rendered variously as "lily" (Septuagint: "''κρίνον''", Vulgate: "''lilium''", Wiclif: "lily"), "jonquil" (

Jerusalem Bible ''The Jerusalem Bible'' (JB or TJB) is an English translation of the Bible published in 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd. As a Catholic Bible, it includes 73 books: the 39 books shared with the Hebrew Bible, along with the seven deuterocanonica ...

) and "crocus" (

RSV RSV may refer to: Biology and medicine * Respiratory syncytial virus, causing respiratory disease * Rous sarcoma virus, causing cancer in chickens Road vehicles * Several :Aprilia motorcycles, Aprilia motorcycles, e.g.RSV4 * Minicar RSV, a US saf ...

). *" Sharon": the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

coastal plain which spans south of the slopes of Mount Carmel, extending about 30 miles south to the

Yarkon River The Yarkon River, also Yarqon River or Jarkon River ( he, נחל הירקון, ''Nahal HaYarkon'', ar, نهر العوجا, ''Nahr al-Auja''), is a river in central Israel. The source of the Yarkon ("Greenish" in Hebrew) is at Tel Afek (Antip ...

north of Joppa, varying from about 8 to 12 miles in width."Sharon"
''

Harper's Bible Dictionary ''Harper's Bible Dictionary'' is a scholarly reference book of the Bible, containing the texts of the Old Testament, the Apocrypha, and the New Testament. It is written by 180 members of the Society of Biblical Literature, edited by Paul J. Ac ...

'' It is mentioned 5 times in the Old Testament; the other four references are in ; ; ; .

Male: My love is like a flower (2:2)

Verse 2 links to

verse 1 Verse may refer to: Poetry * Verse, an occasional synonym for poetry * Verse, a metrical structure, a stanza * Blank verse, a type of poetry having regular meter but no rhyme * Free verse, a type of poetry written without the use of strict ...

on the use of "lily" (or "lotus"), and forms a parallel with verse 3 on the word order and the use of particles ("as" or "like", "so") as well as the 'terms of endearment' ("my love", "my beloved", or "my darling", "my lover").

Verse 2

:''As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters''. *"Thorns" (Hebrew plural: ''ḥoḥim''; singular: , '): the Hebrew root word is found twelve times in the Bible: aside from this verse, also in ; (twice); (twice); ; ; 1:12 English ; ; ). *"My love" (or "my emalefriend"; Hebrew: , 'Hebrew Text Analysis: Song of Solomon 2:2
Biblehub) a specific term of endearment used by the man for the woman that is used nine times in the book ( Song 1:9, 15; 2:2,, 13; ,; 5:2; 6:4).Strong's Concordance: 7474. rayah
Biblehub The masculine form of the same root word to call the man ("my alefriend"; Hebrew: , 'Hebrew Text Analysis: Song of Solomon 5:16
Biblehub) is used in a parallel construction with "my beloved" (Hebrew: , ') in Song of Songs 5:16.

Female: A pastoral scene (2:3-7)

The verse 3 shows an 'excellent synonymous parallelism' with

verse 2 ''Verse 2'' is the first extended play by South Korean male duo JJ Project. It was released on July 31, 2017 under JYP Entertainment and incorporates a variety of genres like pop, hip-hop and rock. The album contains eight tracks, with two only ...

on the word order and the use of certain words, such as "as" or "like", "so", "among" or "between", "my love"/"my beloved" or "my darling"/"my lover". Each verse begins with a preposition of comparison ("as"), followed by three Hebrew words consisting of a singular noun, a preposition ("among" or "between"; ''be^n'') and a plural common noun with a definite article.

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, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.'' The sensual imagery of "apple tree" as a place of romance is still used in modern times in songs such as "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree" and "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree".

Verse 4

:''He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.'' *"The banqueting house" is a rendering of the phrase ''bet hayyayin'', which is only used here in the Bible, literally meaning "house of the wine". Some near synonyms include "house of the drinking of wine" (''bet misteh hayyayin'') in , and "house for drinking" (''bet misteh'') in and .

Verse 5

:''Sustain me with raisins,'' :''refresh me with apples;'' :''for I am faint with love.'' The first two lines of this verse form a 'distinctive structure', using verbs and preposition of the same ideas: "refresh (sustain) me"/"revive (refresh) me", "with raisins"/"with apples". The word "apple(s)" links to the first word of verse 3, while the word "love" links to the last word of

verse 4 Verse may refer to: Poetry * Verse, an occasional synonym for poetry * Verse, a metrical structure, a stanza * Blank verse, a type of poetry having regular meter but no rhyme * Free verse, a type of poetry written without the use of strict ...

Verse 7

:''I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,'' :''By the gazelles or by the does of the field,'' :''Do not stir up nor awaken love'' :''Until it pleases.'' *Cross references: Song of Songs 3:5; 8:4 *"Charge" or "adjure" The names of God are apparently substituted with similar sounding phrases depicting 'female gazelles' (, ') for od ofhosts ( '), and 'does of the field'/'wild does/female deer' (, '' ha-'') for God Almighty (, '' '').

Female: Her lover pursues her (2:8–9)

This section starts a poetic exposition of lovers who are joined and separated (–). Verses 8–17 form a unity of a poem of the spring by the woman, beginning with 'the voice of my beloved' ('' ''; or 'the sound of his pproach), which signals his presence before he even speaks. Andrew Harper suggests that the scene moves now from

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

("daughters of Jerusalem" in verse 7) to "some royal residence in the country", probably the northern hills.

Male: Invitation to come away (2:10-14)

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Verse 13

:''The 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.'' *"Green figs": is translated from the Hebrew word ''paggâh'', which occurs in its Aramaic form in the city name, "Bethphage".Harper, A. (1902),

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges is a biblical commentary set published in parts by Cambridge University Press from 1882 onwards. Anglican bishop John Perowne was the general editor. The first section published was written by theologi ...

Song of Solomon 2
accessed 28 April 2019 The plural form ''paggîm'' are used to call unripe fruits of the early fig (Hebrew: ''bikkûrâh''), which takes about four months to ripe, usually towards the end of June, in contrast to the late figs (Hebrew: ''tě’çnîm'') that grow continuously on the new branches and ripen usually they ripen from August onwards in Palestine. *"My love": see notes on

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Verse 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 hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.'' *"Dove" (as in Song 5:2, ) serves as a 'metaphor for inaccessibility'.

Couple: Protect our love (2:15)

Verse 15

:''Catch the foxes for us,'' ::''the little foxes'' :''that spoil the vineyards,'' ::''for our vineyards are in blossom.'' *"Foxes": or "jackals". The foxes are associated with the obstacle of the blossoming romantic relationship.

Female: Love affirmed, gratification delayed (2:16-17)

Unlike the ambiguity of the speaker (or speakers) in the previous verse, the two verses in this section are no doubt spoken by the woman, affirming the mutual affection with her lover.

Verse 16

:''My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.'' In reversed order compared to Song 6:3.Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, Andrew Robert; Brown, David. '' Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary On the Whole Bible''
"Song of Solomon 6"
1871.

References

Sources

* * * * * * * *

External links

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

translations: *
Shir Hashirim - Song of Songs - Chapter 2 (Judaica Press)
translation ith_Rashi's_commentary.html"_;"title="Rashi.html"_;"title="ith_Rashi">ith_Rashi's_commentary">Rashi.html"_;"title="ith_Rashi">ith_Rashi's_commentaryat_Chabad.org *__Christian_translations: *
''Online_Bible''_at_GospelHall.org
(ESV,_KJV,_Darby,_American_Standard_Version,_Bible_in_Basic_English)
Song_of_Solomon_Chapter_2_King_James_Version
*__Various_versions {{DEFAULTSORT:Song_02 Song_of_Songs_chapters.html" ;"title="Song_2.html" ;"title="Rashi">ith_Rashi's_commentary.html" ;"title="Rashi.html" ;"title="ith Rashi">ith Rashi's commentary">Rashi.html" ;"title="ith Rashi">ith Rashi's commentaryat Chabad.org * Christian translations: *
''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org
(ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
Song of Solomon Chapter 2 King James Version
* Various versions {{DEFAULTSORT:Song 02 Song of Songs chapters">02