Song of Solomon 2 · Verse 7

Song of Solomon 2:7

I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.
Song of Solomon 2:7, King James Version

Song of Solomon 2:7 in other translations

BSBO daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
WEBI 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.
ASVI adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake my love, Until he please.
YLTI have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes or by the hinds of the field, Stir not up nor wake the love till she please!
DARBYI charge you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.
BBEI say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes of the field, do not let love be moved till it is ready.
WebsterI charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not, nor awake my love, till he please.

What does Song of Solomon 2:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
7. by the roes--not an oath but a solemn charge, to act as cautiously as the hunter would with the wild roes, which are proverbially timorous; he must advance with breathless circumspection, if he is to take them; so he who would not lose Jesus Christ and His Spirit, which is easily grieved and withdrawn, must be tender of conscience and watchful (Eze 16:43; Ep 4:30; 5:15; 1Th 5:19). In Margin, title of Psa 22:1, Jesus Christ is called the "Hind of the morning," hunted to death by the dogs (compare So 2:8, 9, where He is represented as bounding on the hills, Psa 18:33). Here He is resting, but with a repose easily broken (Zep 3:17). It is thought a gross rudeness in the East to awaken one sleeping, especially a person of rank. my love--in Hebrew, feminine for masculine, the abstract for concrete, Jesus Christ being the embodiment of love itself (So 3:5; 8:7), where, as here, the context requires it to be applied to Him, not her. She too is "love" (So 7:6), for His love calls forth her love. Presumption in the convert is as grieving to the Spirit as despair. The lovingness and pleasantness of the hind and roe (Pr 5:19) is included in this image of Jesus Christ. Canticle II.--(So 2:8-3:5)--John the Baptist's Ministry.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 7 I charge you - by the roes - This was probably some rustic mode of adjuration. The verses themselves require little comment. With this verse the first night of the first day is supposed to end.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Song of Solomon 2:1-7

The mutual love of Christ and his church. (Song 2:1-7) The hope and calling of the church. (Song 2:8-13) Christ's care of the church, Her faith and hope. (Song 2:14-17) Verses 1-7 Believers are beautiful, as clothed in the righteousness of Christ; and fragrant, as adorned with the graces of his Spirit; and they thrive under the refreshing beams of the Sun of righteousness. The lily is a very noble plant in the East…

Read the full comment on Song of Solomon 2:1-7 →

Song of Solomon 2:7 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.

הִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּיhish.Ba'.tiI adjureH7650
אֶתְכֶ֜ם'et.Khem<obj.> youH853
בְּנ֤וֹתbe.NotO daughters ofH1323
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389
בִּצְבָא֔וֹתbitz.va.'otby gazellesH6643
א֖וֹ'oorH176
בְּאַיְל֣וֹתbe.'ay.Lotby [the] does ofH355
הַשָּׂדֶ֑הha.sa.Dehthe fieldH7704
אִם\־'im-ifH518
תָּעִ֧ירוּ\׀ta.'I.ruyou will awakenH5782
וְֽאִם\־ve.'im-and ifH518
תְּעֽוֹרְר֛וּte.'o.Ruyou will arouseH5782
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָאַהֲבָ֖הha.'a.ha.Vah<the> loveH160
עַ֥ד'aduntilH5704
שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ\׃\ \סshe.tech.Patzthat it will pleaseH2654

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

Cross references for Song of Solomon 2:7

  • Song of Solomon 3:5

    I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

  • Song of Solomon 8:4

    I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.

  • 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 5:8-9

    I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

  • Proverbs 5:19

    Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

  • Ephesians 5:22-33

    Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; …

  • Song of Solomon 5:16

    His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

  • Song of Solomon 2:9

    My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
charge you. Heb. adjure you.
Mt 26:63
O ye.
1:5; 5:8,16
by the roes.
3:5; Pr 5:19
ye stir.
8:4; Eph 5:22-33

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

Context

  • Song of Solomon 2:6

    His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.

  • Song of Solomon 2:7

    I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

  • Song of Solomon 2:8

    The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.

Read all of Song of Solomon 2

Song of Solomon 2:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Yo os conjuro, oh doncellas de Jerusalem, por las gamas y por las ciervas del campo, que no despertéis ni hagáis velar al amor, hasta que quiera.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Je vous adjure, filles de Jérusalem, par les gazelles ou par les biches des champs, n’éveillez pas, ne réveillez pas mon amour, jusqu’à ce qu’elle le veuille.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ich beschwöre euch, Töchter Jerusalems, bei den Gazellen oder bei den Hindinnen des Feldes, daß ihr nicht wecket noch aufwecket die Liebe, bis es ihr gefällt!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Adjuro vos, filiæ Jerusalem, per capreas cervosque camporum, ne suscitetis, neque evigilare faciatis dilectam, quoadusque ipsa velit.