Song of Solomon 2 · Verse 14

Song of Solomon 2:14

O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
Song of Solomon 2:14, King James Version

Song of Solomon 2:14 in other translations

BSBO my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely.
WEBMy 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.
ASVO my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the steep place, Let me see thy countenance, Let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
YLTMy dove, in clefts of the rock, In a secret place of the ascent, Cause me to see thine appearance, Cause me to hear thy voice, For thy voice is sweet, and thy appearance comely.
DARBYMy dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the precipice, Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
BBEO my dove, you are in the holes of the mountain sides, in the cracks of the high hills; let me see your face, let your voice come to my ears; for sweet is your voice, and your face is fair.
WebsterO my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

What does Song of Solomon 2:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
14. dove--here expressing endearment (Psa 74:19). Doves are noted for constant attachment; emblems, also, in their soft, plaintive note, of softened penitents (Is 59:11; Eze 7:16); other points of likeness are their beauty; "their wings covered with silver and gold" (Psa 68:13), typifying the change in the converted; the dove-like spirit, breathed into the saint by the Holy Ghost, whose emblem is the dove; the messages of peace from God to sinful men, as Noah's dove, with the olive branch (Ge 8:11), intimated that the flood of wrath was past; timidity, fleeing with fear from sin and self to the cleft Rock of Ages (Is 26:4, Margin; Ho 11:11); gregarious, flocking together to the kingdom of Jesus Christ (Is 60:8); harmless simplicity (Mt 10:16). clefts--the refuge of doves from storm and heat (Jr 48:28; see Jr 49:16). Gesenius translates the Hebrew from a different root, "the refuges." But see, for "clefts," Ex 33:18-23. It is only when we are in Christ Jesus that our "voice is sweet (in prayer, So 4:3, 11; Mt 10:20; Ga 4:6, because it is His voice in us; also in speaking of Him, Mal 3:16); and our countenance comely" (Ex 34:29; Psa 27:5; 71:3; Is 33:16; 2Co 3:18). stairs--(Eze 38:20, Margin), a steep rock, broken into stairs or terraces. It is in "secret places" and rugged scenes that Jesus Christ woos the soul from the world to Himself (Mi 2:10; 7:14). So Jacob amid the stones of Beth-el (Ge 28:11-19); Moses at Horeb (Ex 3:1-22); so Elijah (1Ki 19:9-13); Jesus Christ with the three disciples on a "high mountain apart," at the transfiguration (Mt 17:1); John in Patmos (Re 1:9). "Of the eight beatitudes, five have an afflicted condition for their subject. As long as the waters are on the earth, we dwell in the ark; but when the land is dry, the dove itself will be tempted to wander" [Jeremy Taylor]. Jesus Christ does not invite her to leave the rock, but in it (Himself), yet in holy freedom to lay aside the timorous spirit, look up boldly as accepted in Him, pray, praise, and confess Him (in contrast to her shrinking from being looked at, So 1:6), (Ep 6:19; He 13:15; 1Jo 4:18); still, though trembling, the voice and countenance of the soul in Jesus Christ are pleasant to Him. The Church found no cleft in the Sinaitic legal rock, though good in itself, wherein to hide; but in Jesus Christ stricken by God for us, as the rock smitten by Moses (Nu 20:11), there is a hiding-place (Is 32:2). She praised His "voice" (So 2:8, 10); it is thus that her voice also, though tremulous, is "sweet" to Him here.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 14 My dove - in the clefts of the rock - He compares his bride hiding herself in her secret chambers and closets to a dove in the clefts of the rock.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Song of Solomon 2:14-17
The church is Christ's dove; she returns to him, as her Noah. Christ is the Rock, in whom alone she can think herself safe, and find herself easy, as a dove in the hole of a rock, when struck at by the birds of prey. Christ calls her to come boldly to the throne of grace, having a great High Priest there, to tell what her request is. Speak freely, fear not a slight or a repulse. The voice of prayer is sweet and acceptable to God; those who are sanctified have the best comeliness. The first risings of sinful thoughts and desires, the beginnings of trifling pursuits which waste the time, trifling visits, small departures from truth, whatever would admit some conformity to the world; all these, and many more, are little foxes which must be removed. This is a charge to believers to mortify their sinful appetites and passions, which are as little foxes, that destroy their graces and comforts, and crush good beginnings. Whatever we find a hinderance to us in that which is good, we must put away. He feedeth among the lilies; this shows Christ's gracious presence among believers. He is kind to all his people. It becomes them to believe this, when under desertion and absence, and so to ward off temptations. The shadows of the Jewish dispensation were dispelled by the dawning of the gospel day. And a day of comfort will come after a night of desertion. Come over the mountains of Bether, "the mountains that divide," looking forward to that day of light and love. Christ will come over every separating mountain to take us home to himself.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Song of Solomon 2:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

יוֹנָתִ֞יyo.na.TiO dove myH3123
בְּחַגְוֵ֣יbe.chag.Veiin [the] clefts ofH2288
הַסֶּ֗לַעha.Se.la'the rockH5553
בְּסֵ֙תֶר֙be.Se.terin [the] hiding place ofH5643
הַמַּדְרֵגָ֔הha.mad.re.Gahthe steep placeH4095
הַרְאִ֙ינִי֙har.'I.nilet see meH7200
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מַרְאַ֔יִךְmar.'A.yikhform yourH4758
הַשְׁמִיעִ֖ינִיhash.mi.'I.nicause to hear meH8085
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
קוֹלֵ֑ךְko.Lekhvoice yourH6963
כִּי\־ki-forH3588
קוֹלֵ֥ךְko.Lekhvoice yourH6963
עָרֵ֖ב'a.Rev[is] sweetH6156
וּמַרְאֵ֥יךְu.mar.'Eikhand form yourH4758
נָאוֶֽה\׃\ \סna.Veh[is] lovelyH5000

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Song of Solomon 2:14

  • Ezra 9:5-6

    And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God, And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

  • Song of Solomon 1:5

    I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

  • Song of Solomon 5:2

    I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

  • Exodus 3:6

    Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

  • Song of Solomon 8:13

    Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.

  • Exodus 33:22-23

    And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

  • Ezekiel 7:16

    But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity.

  • Song of Solomon 1:15

    Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes.

  • Hebrews 4:16

    Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

  • Isaiah 51:3

    For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

  • Obadiah 1:3

    The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?

  • Revelation 5:8

    And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
my dove.
5:2; 6:9; Ps 68:13; 74:19; Isa 60:8; Eze 7:16; Mt 3:16; 10:16
that art.
Ex 3:6; 4:11-13; Ezr 9:5,6; Job 9:16; Isa 6:5; Da 9:7; Lu 8:47,48
clefts.
Ex 33:22,23; Isa 2:21; Jer 49:16; Ob 1:3
let me hear.
8:13; Ps 50:14,15; Pr 15:8; Heb 4:16; 10:22
for sweet.
Ps 22:3; 50:23; Isa 51:3; Re 4:8-10; 5:8; 7:9,10
thy countenance.
1:5,8; 6:10; Ps 45:11; 110:3; Eph 5:27; Col 1:22; 1Pe 3:4; Jude 1:24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Song of Solomon 2:13

    The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

  • Song of Solomon 2:14

    O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

  • Song of Solomon 2:15

    Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

Read all of Song of Solomon 2

Song of Solomon 2:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Paloma mía, que estás en los agujeros de la peña, en lo escondido de escarpados parajes, muéstrame tu rostro, hazme oir tu voz; porque dulce es la voz tuya, y hermoso tu aspecto.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ma colombe, qui te tiens dans les fentes du rocher, dans les cachettes des lieux escarpés, montre-moi ton visage, fais-moi entendre ta voix; car ta voix est douce, et ton visage est agréable.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Meine Taube im Geklüft der Felsen, im Versteck der Felswände, laß mich deine Gestalt sehen, laß mich deine Stimme hören; denn deine Stimme ist süß und deine Gestalt anmutig. -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		columba mea, in foraminibus petræ, in caverna maceriæ, ostende mihi faciem tuam, sonet vox tua in auribus meis: vox enim tua dulcis, et facies tua decora.