2 3 The Church desireth to rest under the shadow of Christ. 8 She heareth his voice. 14 She is compared to the dove. 15 And the enemies to the foxes.
1 I am the rose of the field, and the lily of the valleys.
2 Like a lily among the thorns, so is my [a]love among the daughters.
3 [b]Like the apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my well-beloved among the sons of men: under his shadow had I delight, and sat down: and his fruit was sweet unto my mouth.
4 He brought me into the wine cellar, and love was his banner over me.
5 Stay me with flagons, and comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
6 His left hand is under mine head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
7 [c]I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor waken my love, until she please.
8 [d]It is the voice of my well-beloved: behold, he cometh leaping by the mountains, and skipping by the hills.
9 My well-beloved is like a roe, or a young hart: lo, he [e]standeth behind our wall, looking forth of the windows, showing himself through the [f]grates.
10 My well-beloved spake and said unto me, Arise, my love, my fair one, and come thy way.
11 For behold, [g]winter is past: the rain is changed, and is gone away.
12 The flowers appear in the earth: the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree hath brought forth her young figs: and the vines with their small grapes have cast a savor: arise my love, my fair one, and come away.
14 My dove, that art in the [h]holes of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, show me thy sight, let me hear thy voice: for thy voice is sweet, and thy sight comely.
15 Take us the foxes, the [i]little foxes, which destroy the vines: for our vines have small grapes.
16 My well-beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies,
17 Until the daybreak, and the shadows flee away: return, my well-beloved, and be like a [j]roe, or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 2:2 Thus Christ preferreth his Church above all other things.
- Song of Solomon 2:3 The spouse testifieth her great desire toward her husband, but her strength faileth her, and therefore she desireth to be comforted, and felt it.
- Song of Solomon 2:7 Christ chargeth them which have to do in the Church as it were by a solemn oath, that they trouble not the quietness thereof.
- Song of Solomon 2:8 This is spoken of Christ, who took upon his our nature to come to help his Church.
- Song of Solomon 2:9 Forasmuch as his divinity was hid under the cloak of our flesh.
- Song of Solomon 2:9 So that we cannot have full knowledge of him in this life.
- Song of Solomon 2:11 That is, sin and error is driven back by the coming of Christ, which is here described by the spring time, when all things flourish.
- Song of Solomon 2:14 Thou that art ashamed of thy sins, come and show thyself unto me.
- Song of Solomon 2:15 Suppress the heretics while they are young, that is, when they begin to show their malice, and destroy the vine of the Lord.
- Song of Solomon 2:17 The Church desireth Christ to be most ready to help her in all dangers.