Song of Solomon 2:15
in Song of Solomon 2Catch for us the foxes—the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—for our vineyards are in bloom.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, That spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom.
KJV
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
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This verse in Song of Solomon 2
Commentary
18 notes on this verseTake us the foxes - That these were ruinous to vines all authors allow. They love the vine, and they are eaten in autumn in some countries, according to Galen, when they are very fat with eating the grapes. They abounded in Judea; and did most damage when the clusters were young and tender.
This site's exposition
in the clefts of the rock
on Song of Solomon 2:14-15
O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs asks to see her face and hear her voice, a dove hidden in a cliffside called into view: sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes became the poem's single most quoted proverb outside itself, and the readings are named rather than settled: small sins that ruin a young love before it is tested, the daily small quarrels that spoil affection, or simply the real pest of a spring vineyard heavy with tender grapes. Gill and Henry both carry the moral reading; Delitzsch keeps the plain agricultural sense as the verse's own ground.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsConstitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 6 · Written before 380.
proposed
These are they concerning whom the Lord declared His mind with bitterness and severity, saying that "they are false Christs and false teachers;" who have blasphemed the Spirit of grace, and done despite to the gift they had from Him after the grace of baptism, "to whom forgiveness shall not be granted, neither in this world nor in that which is to come;" who are both more wicked than the Jews and more atheistical than the Gentiles; who blaspheme the God over all, and tread under foot His Son, and do despite to the doctrine of the Spirit; who deny the words of God, or pretend hypocritically to receive them, to the affronting of God, and the deceiving of those that come among them; who abuse the Holy Scriptures, and as for righteousness, they do not so much as know what it is; who spoil the Church of God, as the "little foxes do the vineyard;" whom we exhort you to avoid, lest you lay traps for your own souls. "For he that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but he that walketh with the foolish shall be known."
What does "catch" mean? [This means to] come to grips with them, convince, refute them, so that the vineyards of the church may not be spoiled. What else is catching foxes, but overcoming heretics with the authority of the divine law, and so to say binding and tying them up with the cords provided by the testimonies of the Holy Scriptures? [Samson] catches foxes, ties their tails together and attaches firebrands. What's the meaning of the foxes' tails tied together? What can the foxes' tails be but the backsides of the heretics, whose fronts are smooth and deceptive, their backsides bound, that is condemned, and dragging fire behind them, to consume the crops and works of those who yield to their seductions?
"Catch us little foxes that demolish vineyards." Some commentators actually applied "little" to the "vineyards"; but the sense is no different in either case. By "foxes" he refers to those with a deceitful attitude who harm the Lord's churches that are just beginning to flourish—hence …
[Those] who spoil the church of God, as the "little foxes do the vineyard," we exhort you to avoid, lest you lay traps for your own souls. "For he that walks with wise men shall be wise, but he that walks with the foolish shall …
It calls these foxes "little" because there are also greater ones. Indeed, the ruling powers of the world are greater at raging than the fallacies of the heretics are at seducing. They are both equally evil, but their respective powers to punish are unequal, for …
11 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church7 voices
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 63 · Written before 1153.
proposed
"Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vineyards: for our vineyard has flourished" (Song 2:15). It is clear that the visit to the vineyards was not made in vain, since foxes were found there destroying them. This indeed is according to the letter. But …
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 64 · Written before 1153.
proposed
I am present to my promise. "Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vineyards: for our vineyard has flourished" (Song 2:15). Foxes are temptations. It is necessary that temptations come. For who will be crowned, unless he has competed lawfully? (2 Tim 2:5.) Or …
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 65 · Written before 1153.
proposed
I have discussed two sermons for you on one chapter: I prepare a third, if you are not weary of hearing. And I think it necessary. For as regards our own domestic vineyard, which you are, I consider that in two sermons I have done …
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 66 · Written before 1153.
proposed
"Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vineyards" (Song 2:15). Behold, I go after these foxes. They are the ones who pass beyond the way and who plunder the vineyard. They are not content to desert the way, unless they can also lay waste …
This animal, which is very shrewd with respect to deceit and craftiness, represents the Jews, Gentiles and heretics, who are always plotting against the church of God, and, as it were, continuously making a racket with their babbling voices. Concerning them the command is given …
Catch for us the little foxes, etc. Indeed, the foxes that destroy the vineyards are heretics and schismatics, who with the teeth of perverse doctrine are accustomed to tear apart the flourishing vineyards of Christ, that is, the unripe minds of the faithful. If only …
A commentator
Robert of TombelaineCommentary on the Song of Songs, Chapter 2 · Written in the 11th century.
proposed
By the foxes, heretics are designated; by the vineyards, individual Churches. But the foxes destroy the vineyards, because through heretics the Churches are dried up from the greenness of right faith. They are rightly called "little," because although they are inwardly puffed up against the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Take us - The bridegroom gives this charge to his bridemen or friends. By whom he understands those magistrates and ministers to whom, under Christ, the custody of the vineyards, the churches, principally belong.
A charge to particular believers to mortify their own corruptions, their sinful appetites and passions, which are as foxes, little foxes, that destroy their graces and comforts, quash good motions, crush good beginnings, and prevent their coming to perfection. Seize the little foxes, the first risings of sin, the little ones of Babylon ( Ps. cxxxvii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Take us the foxes,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
She had failed in watchfulness before (So 1:6); now when converted, she is the more jealous of subtle sins (Ps 139:23). In spiritual winter certain evils are frozen up, as well as good; in the spring of revivals these start up unperceived, crafty, false teachers, spiritual pride, uncharitableness, &c. "Little" sins are parents of the greatest (Ec 10:1;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
My dove, in the clefts of the rock. This is said regarding the time when Pharaoh pursued them and overtook them camping by the sea.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֶֽחֱזוּ־ | ʾechezu- | seize | H270 → | 67 times |
| לָ֙נוּ֙ | lanu | for <the> us | ||
| שֽׁוּעָלִ֔ים | shualim | foxes | H7776 → | |
| שֽׁוּעָלִ֥ים | shualim | foxes | H7776 → | |
| קְטַנִּ֖ים | ketanim | small | H6996 → | |
| מְחַבְּלִ֣ים | mechabelim | [which] ruin | H2254 → | 27 times |
| כְּרָמִ֑ים | keramim | vineyards | H3754 → | 92 times |
| וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ | ukherameinu | and vineyards our | H3754 → | 92 times |
| סְמָדַֽר׃ | semadar | [are] blossom | H5563 → | 3 times |
אֶֽחֱזוּ־seize
ʾechezu-H270 →67 times
לָ֙נוּ֙for <the> us
lanu
שֽׁוּעָלִ֔יםfoxes
shualimH7776 →
שֽׁוּעָלִ֥יםfoxes
shualimH7776 →
קְטַנִּ֖יםsmall
ketanimH6996 →
מְחַבְּלִ֣ים[which] ruin
mechabelimH2254 →27 times
כְּרָמִ֑יםvineyards
keramimH3754 →92 times
וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּand vineyards our
ukherameinuH3754 →92 times
סְמָדַֽר׃[are] blossom
semadarH5563 →3 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 13:32But Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I will keep driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’
it leads to
- Hebrews 2:10
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
- Hebrews 5:9
And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him
- John 17:4–5
I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.
- John 11:8–10
“Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”
- Hebrews 2:10
Through
Song of Solomon 7:12Let us go early to the vineyards to see if the vine has budded, if the blossom has opened, if the pomegranates are in bloom—there I will give you my love.
it leads to
- Song of Solomon 6:11
I went down to the walnut grove to see the blossoms of the valley, to see if the vines were budding or the pomegranates were in bloom.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:5–6
For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter had somehow tempted you and caused our labor to be in…
- Ephesians 6:24
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
- Song of Solomon 7:6
How fair and pleasant you are, O love, with your delights!
- Song of Solomon 6:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Song of Solomon
This page draws on 19 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Apostolic Constitutions, Constitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 6; Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 364:4; Bede, Commentary on Acts 19:14; Bede, Commentary on the Song of Songs; Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 63; Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 64; Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 65; Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 66; Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes; Gregory of Elvira, EXPLANATION OF THE SONG OF SONGS 4:25; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Nilus of Sinai, CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 6:3.18; Robert of Tombelaine, Commentary on the Song of Songs, Chapter 2 and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS 2.