# Song of Songs 02 đź“–: The Rose of Sharon
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#đź§ Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## 📜 Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### The Lily among the Thorns and the Apple Tree in the Forest
#### The Beloved to Her Lover:
[[#Verse 01.]] I am a meadow flower from Sharon,
a lily from the valleys.
#### The Lover to His Beloved:
[[#Verse 02.]] Like a lily among the thorns,
so is my darling among the maidens.
#### The Beloved about Her Lover:
[[#Verse 03.]] Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my beloved among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
### The Banquet Hall for the Lovesick
#### The Beloved about Her Lover:
[[#Verse 04.]] He brought me into the banquet hall,
and he looked at me lovingly.
[[#Verse 05.]] Sustain me with raisin cakes,
refresh me with apples,
for I am faint with love.
### The Double Refrain: Embracing and Adjuration
[[#Verse 06.]]Â His left hand is under my head,
and his right hand embraces me.
#### The Beloved to the Maidens:
[[#Verse 07.]] I admonish you, O maidens of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles and by the young does of the open fields:
Do not awaken or arouse love until it pleases!
### The Arrival of the Lover
#### The Beloved about Her Lover:
[[#Verse 08.]] Listen! My lover is approaching!
Look! Here he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills!
[[#Verse 09.]]Â My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Look! There he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the window,
peering through the lattice.
### The Season of Love and the Song of the Turtledove
#### The Lover to His Beloved:
[[#Verse 10.]]Â My lover spoke to me, saying:
“Arise, my darling; My beautiful one, come away with me!
[[#Verse 11.]]Â Look! The winter has passed,
the winter rains are over and gone.
[[#Verse 12.]] Blossoms have appeared in the land,
the time for pruning and singing has come;
the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
[[#Verse 13.]]Â The fig tree has ripened its figs,
the vines have blossomed and give off their fragrance.
Arise, come away my darling;
my beautiful one, come away with me!”
### The Dove in the Clefts of En Gedi
#### The Lover to His Beloved:
[[#Verse 14.]] O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the hiding places of the mountain crags,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
### The Foxes in the Vineyard
#### The Beloved to Her Lover:
[[#Verse 15.]] Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes,
that ruin the vineyards—
for our vineyard is in bloom.
### Poetic Refrain: Mutual Possession
#### The Beloved about Her Lover:
[[#Verse 16.]]Â My lover is mine and I am his;
he grazes among the lilies.
### The Gazelle and the Rugged Mountains
#### The Beloved to Her Lover:
[[#Verse 17.]] Until the dawn arrives and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved—
be like a gazelle or a young stag
on the mountain gorges.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Sharon (2:1) is the fertile coastal plain of Israel between Joppa and Mount Carmel.
2. The flower called the "rose of Sharon" was probably a wild meadow flower like a crocus or narcissus, not a modern rose.
3. The refrain about not stirring up love until it pleases appears three times (2:7; 3:5; 8:4).
4. In Hebrew, "by the gazelles" and "by the does of the field" (2:7) sound similar to divine titles like "God of hosts," which some scholars see as a playful substitute for an oath in God's name.
5. Winter is the rainy season in Israel, so "the winter is past, the rain is over" (2:11) announces spring.
6. The turtledove (2:12) is a migratory bird whose return marked the arrival of spring (Jeremiah 8:7).
7. Foxes and jackals were known to damage vineyards, especially when the vines were in blossom (2:15).
8. The beloved is compared to a gazelle or young stag (2:9, 17), animals known for speed and grace.
9. The bride as a dove hiding in the clefts of the rock (2:14) pictures shyness and safety.
10. Many hymns, including "Jesus, the Rose of Sharon," apply 2:1 to Christ, though in the text the bride says these words about herself.
## đź§ Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the Beloved whose banner over His people is love (2:4). He calls His bride to rise and come away into a new season (2:10-13), and in Him we can say, "My beloved is mine and I am His" (2:16; John 10:14).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. The bride is warned not to awaken love until the right time (2:7). Why does timing matter so much in love and relationships?
2. The little foxes ruin the vineyards (2:15). What small things can slowly damage a marriage or friendship?
3. "My lover is mine and I am his" (2:16). What does mutual belonging look like in a healthy relationship, and in our relationship with God?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 4: He brought her to the banquet hall, and his banner over her was love.
- đź“– verse 7: Do not arouse or awaken love until it pleases.
- đź“– verse 16: My beloved is mine and I am his.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[John 10#Verse 14.|John 10:14]] - I know My own and My own know Me.
- đź”— [[1 Corinthians 13#Verse 04.|1 Corinthians 13:4-7]] - Love is patient and kind.
- đź”— [[1 Thessalonians 04#Verse 03.|1 Thessalonians 4:3-5]] - Control your body in holiness and honor.
- đź”— [[Song of Songs 06#Verse 03.|Song of Songs 6:3]] - I am my beloved's and he is mine.
- đź”— [[Isaiah 35#Verse 01.|Isaiah 35:1-2]] - The desert will blossom with joy.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
📝 SOAP: [[Song of Songs 02 - SOAP|Commitment is King]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes