←Song of Solomon 2→BSB

• 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.

• 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).

• 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.

• 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.