As a rose among the thorns, so is my beloved among the daughters.13Just as the rose retains its beauty and redness although pricked by surrounding thorns, so does My people Israel maintain her faith despite the attempt of the nations to entice her to follow their strange gods.—Rashi
As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the sons; in its shade I delighted and sat, and its fruit was sweet to my palate.14The apple tree is shunned by all people when the sun is overhead because it provides no shade. So all the nations fled from the Almighty on the day of the giving of the Torah. But I, Israel, delighted and sat in His “shadow.”—Rashi
He brought me to the banqueting-house,15The אהֶל מוֹעֵד , Tent of the Tabernacle where the details and explanations of the Torah were expounded.— Rashi and his banner is raised over me in love.16The Divine Presence, God’s banner, dwelt among Israel demonstrating His profound love for us to all the nations.—Metsudas Dovid
Sustain me with dainty cakes refresh my bed with [the scent of] apples; for I am lovesick.17The Midrash remarks that אַשִׁישׁוּת allude to the Halachos and תַּפּוּחִים to the Haggados which are fragrant like apples. According to Rashi, Israel declares, “I am sick for want of His Divine love because I thirst for Him here in exile.”
I bind you under oath, daughters of Jerusalem by the gazelles and the does of the field; that you do not cause hatred nor disturb this love while it still pleases.18Rashi and others explain this verse as Israel adjuring her neighbors not to seize the opportunity of her sinful periods to provoke her to further sin and cause God to discard her. She declares that despite her sins, God’s love is ingrained within her and He still desires her above all nations.
The voice of my beloved! Behold he comes; leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills.19According to Metsudas Dovid, Israel voices her faith that the ultimate redemption will come speedily and that God’s Divine love for her will be completely restored.
My beloved resembles a gazelle or a young hart; behold, he stands behind our wall, observing through the windows peering through the lattices.20 Rashi interprets this verse as referring to the exodus from Egypt. Israel declares: “I thought I would be an עֲגוּנָה (a woman bereft of her husband while still legally bound to him) for many more days. Then suddenly—behold, He made it known that He was peering through the windows of heaven taking notice of my suffering, as it said [Exodus 3:7] “I have truly seen the affliction of My people.”
My beloved spoke and said to me, “Rise up, my beloved, my fair one, and go forth.21God said to me through Moshe: “Rise up, אַעֲלֶה אֶתְכֶם מֵעָנִי מִצְרַיִם , I will bring you up and take you away from the affliction of Egypt.”— Rashi
The blossoms have appeared on the land, the time of singing has come; and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.23 Rashi interprets blossoms as a reference to Moshe and Aharon who have appeared to care for your needs, and the time has come when you are destined to sing a song praising God for splitting the Reed Sea. The voice of the great guide, תַּיָר [Moshe], is heard when he issues directives to the people.
My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the concealment of the cliff,24Rashi explains that this verse refers to the time when Pharaoh was pursuing the Jews and found them encamped at the sea. They were trapped—with the sea before them and the Egyptians behind them. They resembled a dove fleeing from a hawk. It flew into the cleft of a rock and found a snake lurking there. It could not enter because of the snake nor turn back because of the hawk. show me your countenance, let me hear your voice;25Show me the quality of your deeds—to whom do you turn in time of distress; let Me hear your voice in prayer as it is said, וַיִצְעַקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל , and the Children of Israel cried out [prayed] to God.— Rashi for your voice is sweet and your countenance is comely.
Seize for us the foxes, little foxes that destroy vineyards [for] our vineyards are with tender grapes.”26The foxes refer to the Egyptians who sought to destroy Israel [God’s vineyard] in its early formative stage.—Rashi
Until the sun spreads and the shadows flee; you turned away, my beloved, and became like a gazelle or a young hart on distant mountains.27According to Rashi, Israel’s sin of the golden calf destroyed the intimacy of God’s relationship with her and caused Him to swiftly depart from her and He became distant, far removed from her.
אֲנִי֙ חֲבַצֶּ֣לֶת הַשָּׁר֔וֹן שֽׁוֹשַׁנַּ֖ת הָֽעֲמָקִֽים:
I am a rose of Sharon a rose of the valleys.
כְּשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּה֙ בֵּ֣ין הַֽחוֹחִ֔ים כֵּ֥ן רַעְיָתִ֖י בֵּ֥ין הַבָּנֽוֹת:
As a rose among the thorns, so is my beloved among the daughters.13Just as the rose retains its beauty and redness although pricked by surrounding thorns, so does My people Israel maintain her faith despite the attempt of the nations to entice her to follow their strange gods.—Rashi
כְּתַפּ֨וּחַ֙ בַּֽעֲצֵ֣י הַיַּ֔עַר כֵּ֥ן דּוֹדִ֖י בֵּ֣ין הַבָּנִ֑ים בְּצִלֹּו֙ חִמַּ֣דְתִּי וְיָשַׁ֔בְתִּי וּפִרְי֖וֹ מָת֥וֹק לְחִכִּֽי:
As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the sons; in its shade I delighted and sat, and its fruit was sweet to my palate.14The apple tree is shunned by all people when the sun is overhead because it provides no shade. So all the nations fled from the Almighty on the day of the giving of the Torah. But I, Israel, delighted and sat in His “shadow.”—Rashi
הֱבִיאַ֨נִי֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַיָּ֔יִן וְדִגְל֥וֹ עָלַ֖י אַֽהֲבָֽה:
He brought me to the banqueting-house,15The אהֶל מוֹעֵד , Tent of the Tabernacle where the details and explanations of the Torah were expounded.— Rashi and his banner is raised over me in love.16The Divine Presence, God’s banner, dwelt among Israel demonstrating His profound love for us to all the nations.—Metsudas Dovid
סַמְּכ֨וּנִי֙ בָּֽאֲשִׁישׁ֔וֹת רַפְּד֖וּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִ֑ים כִּֽי־חוֹלַ֥ת אַֽהֲבָ֖ה אָֽנִי:
Sustain me with dainty cakes refresh my bed with [the scent of] apples; for I am lovesick.17The Midrash remarks that אַשִׁישׁוּת allude to the Halachos and תַּפּוּחִים to the Haggados which are fragrant like apples. According to Rashi, Israel declares, “I am sick for want of His Divine love because I thirst for Him here in exile.”
שְׂמֹאלֹו֙ תַּ֣חַת לְרֹאשִׁ֔י וִֽימִינ֖וֹ תְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי:
His left hand was under my head and his right would embrace me.
הִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֜ם בְּנ֤וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלַ֨םִ֙ בִּצְבָא֔וֹת א֖וֹ בְּאַיְל֣וֹת הַשָדֶ֑ה אִם־תָּעִ֧ירוּ | וְֽאִם־תְּעֽוֹרְר֛וּ אֶת־הָאַֽהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ:
I bind you under oath, daughters of Jerusalem by the gazelles and the does of the field; that you do not cause hatred nor disturb this love while it still pleases.18Rashi and others explain this verse as Israel adjuring her neighbors not to seize the opportunity of her sinful periods to provoke her to further sin and cause God to discard her. She declares that despite her sins, God’s love is ingrained within her and He still desires her above all nations.
ק֣וֹל דּוֹדִ֔י הִנֵּה־זֶ֖ה בָּ֑א מְדַלֵּג֙ עַל־הֶ֣הָרִ֔ים מְקַפֵּ֖ץ עַל־הַגְּבָעֽוֹת:
The voice of my beloved! Behold he comes; leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills.19According to Metsudas Dovid, Israel voices her faith that the ultimate redemption will come speedily and that God’s Divine love for her will be completely restored.
דּוֹמֶ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ לִצְבִ֔י א֖וֹ לְעֹ֣פֶר הָֽאַיָּלִ֑ים הִנֵּה־זֶ֤ה עוֹמֵד֙ אַחַ֣ר כָּתְלֵ֔נוּ מַשְׁגִּ֨יחַ֙ מִן־הַֽחַלֹּנ֔וֹת מֵצִ֖יץ מִן־הַֽחֲרַכִּֽים:
My beloved resembles a gazelle or a young hart; behold, he stands behind our wall, observing through the windows peering through the lattices.20 Rashi interprets this verse as referring to the exodus from Egypt. Israel declares: “I thought I would be an עֲגוּנָה (a woman bereft of her husband while still legally bound to him) for many more days. Then suddenly—behold, He made it known that He was peering through the windows of heaven taking notice of my suffering, as it said [Exodus 3:7] “I have truly seen the affliction of My people.”
עָנָ֥ה דוֹדִ֖י וְאָ֣מַר לִ֑י ק֥וּמִי לָ֛ךְ רַעְיָתִ֥י יָֽפָתִ֖י וּלְכִי־לָֽךְ:
My beloved spoke and said to me, “Rise up, my beloved, my fair one, and go forth.21God said to me through Moshe: “Rise up, אַעֲלֶה אֶתְכֶם מֵעָנִי מִצְרַיִם , I will bring you up and take you away from the affliction of Egypt.”— Rashi
כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֥ה הַסְּתָ֖יּו עָבָ֑ר הַגֶּ֕שֶׁם חָלַ֖ף הָלַ֥ךְ לֽוֹ:
For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over, and gone.22The days of bondage and slavery are over.—Metsudas David
הַנִּצָּנִים֙ נִרְא֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ עֵ֥ת הַזָּמִ֖יר הִגִּ֑יעַ וְק֥וֹל הַתּ֖וֹר נִשְׁמַ֥ע בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ:
The blossoms have appeared on the land, the time of singing has come; and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.23 Rashi interprets blossoms as a reference to Moshe and Aharon who have appeared to care for your needs, and the time has come when you are destined to sing a song praising God for splitting the Reed Sea. The voice of the great guide, תַּיָר [Moshe], is heard when he issues directives to the people.
הַתְּאֵנָה֙ חָֽנְטָ֣ה פַגֶּ֔יהָ וְהַגְּפָנִ֥ים | סְמָדַ֖ר נָ֣תְנוּ רֵ֑יחַ ק֥וּמִי לָ֛ךְ֯ רַעְיָתִ֥י יָֽפָתִ֖י וּלְכִי־לָֽךְ:
The fig tree has produced its green figs, and the grapevines tender grapes give out their fragrance; arise my beloved, my fair one, and go forth.
יֽוֹנָתִ֞י בְּחַגְוֵ֣י הַסֶּ֗לַע בְּסֵ֨תֶר֙ הַמַּדְרֵגָ֔ה הַרְאִ֨ינִי֙ אֶת־מַרְאַ֔יִךְ הַשְׁמִיעִ֖נִי אֶת־קוֹלֵ֑ךְ כִּֽי־קוֹלֵ֥ךְ עָרֵ֖ב וּמַרְאֵ֥יךְ נָאוֶֽה:
My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the concealment of the cliff,24Rashi explains that this verse refers to the time when Pharaoh was pursuing the Jews and found them encamped at the sea. They were trapped—with the sea before them and the Egyptians behind them. They resembled a dove fleeing from a hawk. It flew into the cleft of a rock and found a snake lurking there. It could not enter because of the snake nor turn back because of the hawk. show me your countenance, let me hear your voice;25Show me the quality of your deeds—to whom do you turn in time of distress; let Me hear your voice in prayer as it is said, וַיִצְעַקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל , and the Children of Israel cried out [prayed] to God.— Rashi for your voice is sweet and your countenance is comely.
אֶֽחֱזוּ־לָ֨נוּ֙ שֽׁוּעָלִ֔ים שֻֽׁעָלִ֥ים קְטַנִּ֖ים מְחַבְּלִ֣ים כְּרָמִ֑ים וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ סְמָדַֽר:
Seize for us the foxes, little foxes that destroy vineyards [for] our vineyards are with tender grapes.”26The foxes refer to the Egyptians who sought to destroy Israel [God’s vineyard] in its early formative stage.—Rashi
דּוֹדִ֥י לִי֙ וַֽאֲנִ֣י ל֔וֹ הָֽרֹעֶ֖ה בַּשּֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים:
My beloved is mine, and I am his, who pastures among the roses.
עַ֤ד שֶׁיָּפ֨וּחַ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם וְנָ֖סוּ הַצְּלָלִ֑ים סֹב֩ דְּמֵֽה־לְךָ֨ דוֹדִ֜י לִצְבִ֗י א֛וֹ לְעֹ֥פֶר הָֽאַיָּלִ֖ים עַל־הָ֥רֵי בָֽתֶר:
Until the sun spreads and the shadows flee; you turned away, my beloved, and became like a gazelle or a young hart on distant mountains.27According to Rashi, Israel’s sin of the golden calf destroyed the intimacy of God’s relationship with her and caused Him to swiftly depart from her and He became distant, far removed from her.