Song of Solomon 2:7
in Song of Solomon 2O 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Song of Solomon 2
Commentary
18 notes on this verseAn oath works in two ways. In the present text, the soul is progressing toward great heights, as we have seen. At the same time she is instructing less advanced souls in the way of perfection. She uses the oath not to assure them of the progress she herself has made but to lead them through their oath to a life of virtue. She adjures them to keep their love alert and watchful until his good will come to fulfillment, that is, until all are saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
This site's exposition
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you
The first refrain of adjuration, repeated at 3:5, 5:8 and 8:4, runs "Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right". The oath is sworn "by the gazelles and does of the field," gentle wild creatures, in a book that never names God plainly.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and forces of the field to stir up and awaken love for as long as he wishes," that is, "Do not allow love for God in us to slumber: stir it up and inflame it, and …
"I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and the forces of the field, that you arouse and waken love as far as it pleases." This verse is of great difficulty. However, it is often necessary to let the understanding run towards the …
The Medieval Church3 voices
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 52 · Written before 1153.
proposed
1. "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and the deer of the fields, that you do not rouse or cause to awaken the beloved, until she herself wills" (Song 2:7). The young maidens are forbidden: for he calls these the daughters …
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 52 · Written before 1153.
proposed
3. Come then, let us say if we can, what that sleep may be, in which the Bridegroom wills his beloved to fall asleep, and does not suffer her at all to be awakened except at her own will; lest perhaps when someone reads in …
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 52 · Written before 1153.
proposed
5. But this is the death of men. Yet let my soul die also the death, if it can be said, of the angels, so that, departing from the memory of present things, it may strip itself not only of the desires but also of …
11 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church6 voices
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 52 · Written before 1153.
proposed
6. Think therefore that the bride has withdrawn into this solitude, and there, on account of the pleasantness of the place, has sweetly fallen asleep amid the embraces of the Bridegroom, that is, has gone out in spirit, when the young maidens were forbidden to …
A commentator
Robert of TombelaineCommentary on the Song of Songs, Chapter 2 · Written in the 11th century.
proposed
Deer and goats are said to be clean animals in the law. What then do we understand by deer and goats, if not faith, hope, and charity? While we keep these clean within ourselves, through them we ascend the high mountains of contemplation. But the …
I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and the hinds of the field, etc. The daughters of Jerusalem signify souls burning with the desire for the heavenly homeland. The bridegroom adjures these souls not to awaken the bride resting in His love, neither …
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 52 · Written before 1153.
proposed
7. There are, however, among those sitting here, some who I wish would observe the present chapter more attentively. They would certainly consider how great a reverence is owed to superiors, whom, by rashly disturbing them, they render themselves troublesome also to the citizens of …
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 2 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Then, in this union, the power of the soul is recollected, and it becomes more unified, and enters in its intimate self, and consequently it rises up to its summit: for according to Augustine, the intimate self and the summit are the same. It is …
A commentator
Bernard of ClairvauxSermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 51 · Written before 1153.
proposed
10. "If you sleep between the midst of the lots, the wings of the dove are silvered" (Ps 67:14). Which I think was said for this reason: that there is a place between fear and security, as between the left and the right, namely the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): I charge you, O you daughters of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, the mother of us all, charges all her daughters, the church charges all her members, the believing soul charges all its powers and faculties, the spouse charges herself and all about her, not to stir up, or awake, her love until he please, now that he is asleep in her arms, as she was borne up in his,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Nor awake - That you do not disturb nor offend him. 'Till - Never, as this word, until, in such phrases, is commonly used. For neither can sin ever please him, nor can the church bear it that Christ should ever be offended.
I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem,.... Of whom, see Son 1:
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי | hishba'ti | I adjure | H7650 → | 186 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֜ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּנ֤וֹת | benot | O daughters of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| בִּצְבָא֔וֹת | bitzvaot | by gazelles | H6643 → | 33 times |
| א֖וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בְּאַיְל֣וֹת | beaylot | by [the] does of | H355 → | |
| הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה | hasadeh | the field | H7704 → | 334 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| תָּעִ֧ירוּ׀ | tairu | you will awaken | H5782 → | 80 times |
| וְֽאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| תְּעֽוֹרְר֛וּ | teoru | you will arouse | H5782 → | 80 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאַהֲבָ֖ה | haahavah | <the> love | H160 → | 38 times |
| עַ֥ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ׃ ס | shetechpatz | that it will please | H2654 → | 74 times |
הִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּיI adjure
hishba'tiH7650 →186 times
אֶתְכֶ֜ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
בְּנ֤וֹתO daughters of
benotH1323 →588 times
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙Jerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
בִּצְבָא֔וֹתby gazelles
bitzvaotH6643 →33 times
א֖וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בְּאַיְל֣וֹתby [the] does of
beaylotH355 →
הַשָּׂדֶ֑הthe field
hasadehH7704 →334 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
תָּעִ֧ירוּ׀you will awaken
tairuH5782 →80 times
וְֽאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
תְּעֽוֹרְר֛וּyou will arouse
teoruH5782 →80 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאַהֲבָ֖ה<the> love
haahavahH160 →38 times
עַ֥דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ׃ סthat it will please
shetechpatzH2654 →74 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
Song of Solomon 8:4O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
it leads to
- Song of Solomon 3:5
O 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.
- Song of Solomon 3:5
Through
Proverbs 5:19A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.
it leads to
- Song of Solomon 7:3
Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.
- Song of Solomon 7:3
Through
Song of Solomon 1:5I am dark, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
it leads to
- Song of Solomon 2:14
O 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…
- Luke 15:22
But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
- Song of Solomon 5:8
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you, if you find my beloved, tell him I am sick with love.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- Psalms 120:5
Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!
- Song of Solomon 2:14
Through
Song of Solomon 3:5O 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.
it leads to
- Song of Solomon 8:4
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
- Song of Solomon 8:4
Where this verse is studied
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About Song of Solomon
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on the Song of Songs; Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 52; Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 51; Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 2; Gregory of Nyssa, HOMILIES ON THE SONG OF SONGS 4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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, COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS 49; Robert of Tombelaine, Commentary on the Song of Songs, Chapter 2 and Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS 2.