Song of Solomon 2 is a chapter of tender love poetry in which two lovers speak about their longing for each other, their delight in one another’s company, and the joy of the season that is arriving. People read it for a simple reason: they want to understand what this unusual book says about love, and how a chapter so full of imagery can speak to ordinary relationships and to the believer’s relationship with God. This study walks through the chapter section by section, explains its setting, and draws out lessons you can apply today.
Song of Solomon 2 Summary
The chapter opens with the woman describing herself and her beloved in flowers and fruit, and then moves into a scene where she rests under his shadow and feels taken care of. He brings her into a banquet hall, and she says she is weak with love and asks for refreshment. The lovers hold one another, and she calls the women of Jerusalem to leave love alone until the time is right.
The mood then shifts to a memory of expectation. The woman hears her beloved approaching, watches him come over the hills, and listens as he invites her out into the open countryside. He describes the changing season, the blossoms, and the birdsong, and urges her to come away with him. The chapter closes with her answering his call, asking to see his face and hear his voice, and ending with a declaration that she belongs to him and he belongs to her.
Background and Setting
The Song of Solomon is a book of Hebrew love poetry in the Old Testament, traditionally attributed to Solomon, whose name appears in the opening verse. Many scholars date its composition later than Solomon’s reign, sometimes into the post-exilic period, and some read it as an anthology of love songs gathered over time. Its authorship and date remain debated, but its place in the biblical canon is secure and its poetry is widely appreciated.
The book does not name a specific audience in the way a letter does, though the “daughters of Jerusalem” who appear in chapter 2 serve as a kind of chorus, listening in and being addressed by the lovers. Chapter 2 sits early in the poem, after the lovers have begun to speak of their attraction and before the more intense seasons of separation and reunion that follow. It is the stage where affection grows into open delight.
Song of Solomon 2 Section by Section
Verses 1-6: The Shepherd Who Provides
1 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. 2 As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. 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, his fruit was sweet to my taste.
Song of Solomon 2:1-3 (WEB)
4 He brought me to the banquet hall. His banner over me is love. 5 Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am faint with love.
Song of Solomon 2:4-5 (WEB)
The chapter begins with the woman describing herself as a flower of the field, humble yet lovely, and comparing her beloved to a fruit tree among the wild trees. The image is one of shade, sweetness, and rest. She says she has sat down under his shadow and found it pleasant, and that his fruit tastes sweet. The comparison is less about status than about how he makes her feel safe and nourished.
In verses 4 and 5 the scene moves to a banquet hall where love is the banner over them. She asks to be strengthened and refreshed because she is faint with love. Her words are frank about the physical and emotional intensity of desire, and they show a relationship that is warm and open rather than hidden or embarrassed.
Verses 7-9: A Call to Patience
I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, or by the hinds of the field, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires.
Song of Solomon 2:7 (WEB)
Here the woman turns to the women of Jerusalem and urges them not to awaken love before its time. The repeated refrain asks for patience, reminding listeners that love has its proper season. Read this way, it is a call to wait for love to grow rightly rather than forcing it.
Verses 8 and 9 then describe her hearing her beloved coming over the mountains and standing outside the wall, looking through the windows and lattice. The eagerness of the scene is clear: she is watching, listening, and longing for his arrival.
Verses 10-13: Come Away With Me
10 My beloved spoke, and said to me, “Rise up, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. 11 For, behold, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers appear on the earth. The time of the singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. 13 The fig tree ripens her green figs. The vines are in blossom. They give out their fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.”
Song of Solomon 2:10-13 (WEB)
The beloved speaks directly to her, calling her to rise and come away. He points to the signs of spring: the winter is past, the flowers appear, the birds sing, and the fig trees and vines are coming into leaf and blossom. The invitation is to step out of confinement and into the renewed world that the season offers.
The imagery of new life is central. Winter’s end suggests that a time of waiting has finished and that something fresh has begun. The lover’s call is a summons to joy, to shared experience, and to a relationship that belongs to the open air rather than the closed room.
Verses 14-17: Let Me See Your Face
My dove in the clefts of the rock, In the hiding places of the mountainside, Let me see your face. Let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.
Song of Solomon 2:14 (WEB)
16 My beloved is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies. 17 Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be like a roe or a young deer on the mountains of Bether.
Song of Solomon 2:16-17 (WEB)
The woman answers with a tender plea. She calls her beloved her dove hidden in the rock, and asks to see his face and hear his voice, because his voice is sweet and his face is lovely. The desire is for closeness, not just presence.
The chapter ends with the woman declaring that her beloved is hers and she is his, and that he feeds among the lilies. The final verse asks him to turn and be like a swift deer until the day cools and the shadows fade. It is a closing note of mutual belonging mixed with longing for the day to come.
Key Themes in Song of Solomon 2
- Mutual belonging: The chapter repeatedly affirms that the lovers are committed to one another, as in the declaration that each belongs to the other.
- Patience in love: The call not to awaken love before its time shows that affection is meant to grow in its proper season.
- Renewal and spring: The imagery of winter ending and flowers appearing points to hope, new beginnings, and the joy of returning life.
- Delight and tenderness: Shade, sweetness, banquet, and fragrance describe a relationship marked by enjoyment and care.
- Longing for presence: The woman’s desire to see his face and hear his voice reflects a yearning for real, personal nearness.
Lessons From Song of Solomon 2 for Today
The chapter reminds married couples and dating partners that love is nourished by attention, gentleness, and the willingness to be present. A couple who makes time for a walk in the spring evening, or who notices when the other is weary and offers refreshment, is living out something close to what this chapter describes. The call to patience also speaks to those who feel pressure to rush into commitment before the relationship has had time to mature.
For the believer, the chapter can also be read as an image of the longing for God’s presence. Many Christians have understood the Song as picturing the bond between Christ and His people, and the desire to see His face and hear His voice echoes the prayers of the psalmist. Whatever reading you hold, the chapter invites you to take delight in relationship and to wait with expectation for the fullness that is still coming.
Questions for Reflection
- What does it look like in your own life to rest in someone’s shadow the way the woman rests under her beloved?
- Where might you be tempted to rush something that needs time to grow, and how could you practice patience there?
- What signs of renewal have you noticed recently, and how do they stir hope in you?
- How do you cultivate a desire to see God’s face and hear His voice in your daily routine?
A Prayer From Song of Solomon 2
Lord, thank You for the gift of love and for the joy of being known and cared for. Teach me patience when my heart runs ahead of what You have prepared. Help me to notice the new life You are bringing, even when the winter feels long. Draw me close so that I long to see Your face and hear Your voice above all else. Let my relationships reflect the tenderness and faithfulness You show me each day. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Song of Solomon 2?
The book is traditionally attributed to Solomon, based on the opening verse. Many scholars today question that attribution and date the poem later, though the chapter itself is accepted as part of the Old Testament canon.
Why do the daughters of Jerusalem appear in this chapter?
They act as a chorus who hear the lovers’ words and are addressed directly by the woman. Their presence helps frame the poem as something shared and observed.
How should Christians read the imagery of love in this chapter?
Many Christians read the book as celebrating human love while also reflecting the deeper bond between God and His people. The best approach is to honor the poem’s plain meaning and then consider how its themes of delight, patience, and longing shape your walk with Christ.
