Song of Songs 2 | |
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![]() Church
fresco showing a lily among thorns according to a quotation from the Song of Solomon, Santa Caterina del Sasso (Varese). | |
Book | Song of Songs |
Category | Ketuvim |
Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 22 |
Song of Songs 2 (abbreviated [ where?] as Song 2) is the second chapter of the Song of Songs in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. [1] [2] This book is one of the Five Megillot, a collection of short books, together with Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther, within the Ketuvim, the third and the last part of the Hebrew Bible. [3] Jewish tradition 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. [3] This chapter contains a dialogue in the open air and several female poems with the main imagery of flora and fauna. [4]
The original text is written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 17 verses.
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008). [5] Some fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, assigned as 4Q107 (4QCantb); 30 BCE-30 CE; extant verses 9–17). [6] [7] [8]
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century). [9]
The Modern English Version (MEV) attributes the voices in this chapter as follows:
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. [10]
Verse 2 links to verse 1 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"). [21]
The verse 3 shows an 'excellent synonymous parallelism' with verse 2 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". [21] 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. [21]
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". [28]
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". [32] The word "apple(s)" links to the first word of verse 3, while the word "love" links to the last word of verse 4. [32]
The names of God are apparently substituted with similar sounding phrases depicting 'female gazelles' (צְבָא֔וֹת, tseḇā’ōṯ) for [God of] hosts (צבאות tseḇā’ōṯ), and 'does of the field'/'wild does/female deer' (אילות השדה, ’ay-lōṯ ha- śā-ḏeh) for God Almighty (אל שדי, ’êl shaddai). [36]
This section starts a poetic exposition of lovers who are joined and separated ( Song 2:8– 3:5). [37]
Verses 8–17 form a unity of a poem of the spring by the woman, [38] beginning with 'the voice of my beloved' ( qōl dōḏî; or 'the sound of his [approach]'), which signals his presence before he even speaks. [39]
Andrew Harper suggests that the scene moves now from Jerusalem ("daughters of Jerusalem" in verse 7) to "some royal residence in the country", probably in the northern hills. [40] Verse 8b refers to her beloved "leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills". [41] St. Ambrose comments by way of a paraphrase,
Let us see him leaping; he leaped out of heaven into the virgin, out of the womb into the manger, out of the manger into Jordan, out of Jordan to the cross, from the cross into the tomb, out of the grave into heaven. [42]
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. [49]
In reversed order compared to Song 6:3. [51]
Song of Songs 2 | |
---|---|
![]() Church
fresco showing a lily among thorns according to a quotation from the Song of Solomon, Santa Caterina del Sasso (Varese). | |
Book | Song of Songs |
Category | Ketuvim |
Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 22 |
Song of Songs 2 (abbreviated [ where?] as Song 2) is the second chapter of the Song of Songs in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. [1] [2] This book is one of the Five Megillot, a collection of short books, together with Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther, within the Ketuvim, the third and the last part of the Hebrew Bible. [3] Jewish tradition 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. [3] This chapter contains a dialogue in the open air and several female poems with the main imagery of flora and fauna. [4]
The original text is written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 17 verses.
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008). [5] Some fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, assigned as 4Q107 (4QCantb); 30 BCE-30 CE; extant verses 9–17). [6] [7] [8]
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century). [9]
The Modern English Version (MEV) attributes the voices in this chapter as follows:
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. [10]
Verse 2 links to verse 1 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"). [21]
The verse 3 shows an 'excellent synonymous parallelism' with verse 2 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". [21] 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. [21]
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". [28]
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". [32] The word "apple(s)" links to the first word of verse 3, while the word "love" links to the last word of verse 4. [32]
The names of God are apparently substituted with similar sounding phrases depicting 'female gazelles' (צְבָא֔וֹת, tseḇā’ōṯ) for [God of] hosts (צבאות tseḇā’ōṯ), and 'does of the field'/'wild does/female deer' (אילות השדה, ’ay-lōṯ ha- śā-ḏeh) for God Almighty (אל שדי, ’êl shaddai). [36]
This section starts a poetic exposition of lovers who are joined and separated ( Song 2:8– 3:5). [37]
Verses 8–17 form a unity of a poem of the spring by the woman, [38] beginning with 'the voice of my beloved' ( qōl dōḏî; or 'the sound of his [approach]'), which signals his presence before he even speaks. [39]
Andrew Harper suggests that the scene moves now from Jerusalem ("daughters of Jerusalem" in verse 7) to "some royal residence in the country", probably in the northern hills. [40] Verse 8b refers to her beloved "leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills". [41] St. Ambrose comments by way of a paraphrase,
Let us see him leaping; he leaped out of heaven into the virgin, out of the womb into the manger, out of the manger into Jordan, out of Jordan to the cross, from the cross into the tomb, out of the grave into heaven. [42]
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. [49]
In reversed order compared to Song 6:3. [51]