Song of Solomon 2:17
in Song of Solomon 2Before the day breaks and shadows flee, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart Upon the mountains of Bether.
KJV
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.
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This verse in Song of Solomon 2
Commentary
4 notes on this verseFor thus he says: "I to my brother, and his desire is towards me." He repeats this meaning in a different way three times in the Song of Songs. In the beginning, he says: "My brother to me, and I to him, who grazes among the lilies, until the day breathes and the shadows flee away." Then he says: "I to my brother, and my brother to me, who grazes among the lilies." In the end, he says: "I to my brother, and his desire is towards me."
This site's exposition
My beloved is mine, and I am his
on Song of Solomon 2:16-17
My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies states the poem's first mutual-possession formula, claiming him before naming herself claimed, and the same formula returns twice more, at 6:3 turned around to I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine, and at 7:10 completed as I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me, a progression the bench reads as possession maturing from claiming toward being claimed. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether closes the chapter with him sent away rather than arriving, the same animal images from verse 9 now used for parting instead of approach.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Until the day break - Literally, until the day breathe; until the first dawn, which is usually accompanied with the most refreshing breezes. The shadows flee away - Referring to the evening or setting of the sun, at which all shadows vanish. The mountains of Bether - Translated also mountains of division, supposed to mean the mountains of Beth-horon. There was a place called Bithron, 2Sa 2:29, on the other side of Jordan; and as the name signifies Partition, it might have had its name from the circumstance of its being divided or separated from Judea by the river Jordan.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
2:25, 38); at His rising, the shadows of the law (Col 2:16, 17; Heb 10:1) were to "flee away." So we wait for the second coming, when means of grace, so precious now, shall be superseded by the Sun of righteousness (1Co 13:10, 12; The Word is our light until then (2Pe 1:19).
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַ֤ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| שֶׁיָּפ֙וּחַ֙ | sheiyafuach | that <it> will breathe | H6315 → | 14 times |
| הַיּ֔וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וְנָ֖סוּ | venasu | and they will flee | H5127 → | |
| הַצְּלָלִ֑ים | hatzelalim | the shadows | H6752 → | |
| סֹב֩ | so | turn | H5437 → | 161 times |
| דְּמֵה־ | demeh- | be like | H1819 → | 30 times |
| לְךָ֨ | lekha | <for> yourself | ||
| דוֹדִ֜י | dodi | O lover my | H1730 → | 61 times |
| לִצְבִ֗י | litzvi | <to> a gazelle | H6643 → | 33 times |
| א֛וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| לְעֹ֥פֶר | leofer | <to> [the] fawn of | H6082 → | 5 times |
| הָאַיָּלִ֖ים | haaiyalim | the deer<s> | H354 → | 11 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָ֥רֵי | harei | [the] mountains of | H2022 → | 546 times |
| בָֽתֶר׃ ס | vater | ravine[s] | H1336 → |
עַ֤דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
שֶׁיָּפ֙וּחַ֙that <it> will breathe
sheiyafuachH6315 →14 times
הַיּ֔וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
וְנָ֖סוּand they will flee
venasuH5127 →
הַצְּלָלִ֑יםthe shadows
hatzelalimH6752 →
סֹב֩turn
soH5437 →161 times
דְּמֵה־be like
demeh-H1819 →30 times
לְךָ֨<for> yourself
lekha
דוֹדִ֜יO lover my
dodiH1730 →61 times
לִצְבִ֗י<to> a gazelle
litzviH6643 →33 times
א֛וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
לְעֹ֥פֶר<to> [the] fawn of
leoferH6082 →5 times
הָאַיָּלִ֖יםthe deer<s>
haaiyalimH354 →11 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָ֥רֵי[the] mountains of
hareiH2022 →546 times
בָֽתֶר׃ סravine[s]
vaterH1336 →
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
Romans 13:12The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 18:31–32
Cast away from yourselves all the transgressions you have committed, and fashion for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel?
- Ephesians 5:11
Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7
in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
- Colossians 3:8–17
But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
- Ephesians 6:11–18
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.
- Ezekiel 18:31–32
Through
2 Peter 1:19We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day…
it leads to
- Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”
- Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
- Psalms 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
- Revelation 22:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Song of Solomon
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Isaac and the Soul; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.