Song of Solomon 2:7 · Bible study
Song of Solomon 2:7 Commentary: Arouse Not Love Until It Pleases
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
This verse adjures not to stir up love until it pleases. The debate over who speaks, bride or bridegroom, and the meaning of swearing by gazelles.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Do not artificially arouse romantic love; let it develop naturally and spontaneously.
- Key words: adjure (H7650), love (H0160), gazelles (H6643), does (H0355), awaken/stir up (H5782).
- Main debate: Who speaks, bride or bridegroom? Does 'love' mean the passion itself or the beloved person?
- Theological theme: The sovereignty and sacred timing of love, reflecting God’s wisdom in relationships.
- Best use: A foundational text for teaching patience and respect in romantic relationships and spiritual intimacy.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
I 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.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
I 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!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
I 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.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
I adjure you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and the harts of the field, that you stir not up, nor make the beloved to awake, till she please.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
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.
Eu vos ordeno, filhas de Jerusalém: jurai pelas corças e pelas cervas do campo, que não acordeis, nem desperteis ao amor, até que ele queira.
Je vous en conjure, filles de Jérusalem,
Ich beschwöre euch, ihr Töchter Jerusalems, bei den Rehen oder bei den Hinden auf dem Felde, daß ihr meine Freundin nicht aufweckt noch regt, bis es ihr selbst gefällt.
Ik bezweer u, gij, dochteren van Jeruzalem! die bij de reeen, of bij de hinden des velds zijt, dat gij die liefde niet opwekt, noch wakker maakt, totdat het dezelve luste!
O figliuole di Gerusalemme, io vi scongiuro per le gazzelle, per le cerve dei campi, non svegliate, non svegliate l’amor mio, finch’essa non lo desideri!
Poprzysięgam was, córki Jeruzalemskie! przez sarny i łanie polne, abyście nie budziły i nie przerywały snu miłego mego, dokąd nie zechce.
Заклинаю вас, дщери Иерусалимские, сернами или полевыми ланями: не будите и не тревожьте возлюбленной, доколе ей угодно.
耶路撒冷 的眾女子啊，我指著羚羊 或 田野 的母鹿 囑咐 你們：不要 驚動、不要 叫醒 我所親愛的，等 他自己情願（不要叫醒……情願：或譯不要激動愛情，等它自發）。
I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes of the field, do not let love be moved till it is ready.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Song of Solomon 2:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse issues a strong warning against artificially provoking love. The Hebrew verb group (Hiphil and Piel forms of עוּר) conveys intentional rousing or awakening. The object is הָאַהֲבָה, the passion itself, not a person, as Barnes and the Cambridge Bible emphasise. The adjuration by gazelles and does is understood to invoke the shy, timid nature of these animals; love must be as free and spontaneous as a deer on the hills. The Cambridge Bible notes this refrain occurs at key moments in the poem (3:5; 8:4) and expresses the poem’s central thought: true love owes nothing to external pressure. The identity of the speaker, whether the bride or the bridegroom, is debated, but the core instruction is not: do not force love. Let it arise of its own accord, when the time is right.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Bride as speaker: The surrounding context (v.6) places her in the beloved's arms, and the feminine form of 'love' suits her address. Barnes, Cambridge Bible, Keil & Delitzsch support this reading.
- Bridegroom as speaker: Grammatical analysis allows the feminine abstract 'love' to refer to the beloved herself; the phrase 'till he please' in some translations points to Christ's sovereignty. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and Wesley hold this view.
What is clear: Whether the bride or bridegroom speaks, the verse prohibits artificially arousing love before its proper time.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker of the adjuration | The verse is a solemn warning against forcing love. | Barnes, Cambridge Bible, Keil & Delitzsch see the bride as speaker; Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and Wesley see the bridegroom as speaker. Each side appeals to the grammatical gender of 'love' and the surrounding context. |
| Meaning of swearing by gazelles and does | These animals symbolize timidity, grace, and untamed freedom, qualities that should characterize love’s awakening. | Some (e.g., Delitzsch) emphasize the speaker’s connection to nature; others (Gill) consider whether this is a genuine oath or a poetic charge with witnesses. |
| Reference of 'love' (ha-ahavah) | The definite article suggests the abstract passion rather than a specific person. | The KJV renders 'my love,' making it refer to the beloved. Barnes argues this is misleading; Jamieson-Fausset-Brown takes it as an abstract-for-concrete reference to Christ. |
| Place of the refrain in the Song | The verse appears three times (2:7; 3:5; 8:4) as a structural marker, closing scenes of intimacy. | Some see it as the bride’s refrain; others as the bridegroom’s; the consensus is that it underscores the poem’s message of love’s spontaneity. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Hebrew verb הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי ('I adjure') is the Hiphil of שָׁבַע ('to swear'), a legal-sounding term that gives the poetic line the weight of a formal charge. In Israelite practice, oaths were normally taken in God’s name, but here the speaker invokes the gazelles (צְבָאוֹת) and does (אַיְלוֹת) of the field, a striking departure. Adam Clarke called this 'a rustic mode of adjuration,' fitting for a poem set among vineyards and shepherds. These animals were associated with grace, shyness and untamed freedom; Proverbs 5:19 praises the wife as 'a loving doe and a graceful deer.' The adjuration borrows that imagery to say: do not approach love as a hunter would stalk prey. Let it come of itself.
The 'daughters of Jerusalem' appear throughout the Song as a kind of chorus or court of witnesses (Song 1:5; 5:8-9; 5:16). Here the speaker addresses them directly, likely after a moment of intimate rest with the beloved (v.6). The surrounding context shows the woman nestled in her lover’s arms, describing his embrace. Then she turns to the other women and commands them not to disturb that rest. The refrain reappears twice (3:5; 8:4), each time at a transition in the narrative, as if closing a scene of closeness. Keil and Delitzsch call it a 'slumber-song,' a protective warning against anyone who would rush or interrupt love’s natural pace.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Song of Solomon 2:7. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. Differences in English translations (e.g., KJV ‘my love’ vs. WEB/ASV ‘love’) reflect interpretive decisions about the referent of the noun, not a variant reading in the source text.
Reception History
This verse has been a key text in both Jewish and Christian interpretation. Jewish tradition reading the Song literally saw the bride warning the daughters against forcing love, with the refrain marking episodes in the love story. Christian allegorical readers (notably Origen and Gregory of Nyssa) interpreted the bride as the church and the bridegroom as Christ, understanding the adjuration as a caution not to disturb spiritual communion or rush the work of grace. The verse has also been used in Christian wedding ceremonies to ground marital love in reverence and patience. Keil and Delitzsch called it a ‘slumber-song,’ capturing the gentle, protective tone that has made the line a favourite in discussions of love’s proper timing.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Love is sacred, The speaker uses an adjuration, a solemn oath, to protect love from interference. This sets romantic love apart as something holy, not to be trifled with.
- Love is shy, The gazelles and does represent timidity and freedom. True love cannot be forced, manipulated, or hurried. It must be allowed to blossom in its own time.
- Love waits, The phrase 'until it pleases' points to the sovereignty of love. It has a will of its own. Human effort cannot manufacture authentic affection; patience is the wise path.
Five-point outline
- The solemn charge, The speaker binds the daughters with an oath, signaling the gravity of the matter.
- The creatures invoked, Gazelles and does are swift, graceful, and easily startled. They teach us how to approach love with gentleness.
- The action forbidden, 'Stir not up, nor awaken', two verbs suggesting any deliberate attempt to arouse love prematurely is out of bounds.
- The object defined, 'Love' (ha-ahavah) is the passion itself, not the beloved individual. The focus is on the emotion, not the person.
- The timing surrendered, 'Until it pleases' leaves the when to love’s own desire. Control is released.
Illustration hooks
- Ripening fruit, A fruit picked too early is sour and hard. It cannot be forced to ripen off the branch. Love, too, has a season.
- The bride's peace, Imagine a couple finally alone after a long wedding day, and a friend bursts in with excitement. The verse protects that fragile, sacred space.
- Gardening, You cannot make a seed sprout faster by yelling at it. You provide sun and water and wait. So it is with love, create conditions, then step back.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know if I am rushing a relationship or letting it develop naturally?
- If love should not be stirred up, what role, if any, should I play in pursuing a romantic partner?
- Can this verse apply to my love for God? How do I avoid forcing spiritual intimacy?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is a gate into the Song’s central wisdom about love. It warns against forcing or rushing something as delicate as romantic affection. Before you discuss, read the verse aloud together and note how it sounds like a protective command. Let the group sit with the strangeness of swearing by animals.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What is the speaker telling the daughters of Jerusalem to do, and not to do?
- Observation: The speaker uses the word 'adjure', a strong oath. What does that tell you about the seriousness of this instruction?
- Interpretation: Why do you think the speaker swears by gazelles and does rather than by God? What do these animals convey about the nature of love?
- Interpretation: The verse says 'until it pleases.' Who or what is 'it'? How does that shape your understanding of love’s timing?
- Application: Where in modern culture do we see love being 'stirred up' or forced before its time? What would it look like to resist that pressure?
- Application: This refrain appears three times in the Song. What does that repetition suggest about the importance of this lesson?
- Application: How might this principle apply beyond romantic relationships, to friendships, family bonds, or even our walk with God?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Proverbs 5:19 | A loving doe and a graceful deer— let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love. |
| Song of Solomon 1:5 | I am dark, but lovely, you daughters of Jerusalem, like Kedar’s tents, like Solomon’s curtains. |
| Song of Solomon 2:9 | My beloved is like a roe or a young deer. Behold, he stands behind our wall! He looks in at the windows. He glances through the lattice. |
| Song of Solomon 3:5 | I 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. |
| Song of Solomon 5:8 | I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am faint with love. |
| Song of Solomon 5:9 | How is your beloved better than another beloved, you fairest among women? How is your beloved better than another beloved, that you do so adjure us? |
| Song of Solomon 5:16 | His mouth is sweetness; yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem. |
| Song of Solomon 8:4 | I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the phrase is an old-fashioned way of making a strong request. He believes this line marks the end of the first night in the story.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the poem’s final plea asks those who feel love not to speak of it until the time is right. He sees genuine love as a gentle affection that fears being disturbed.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The speaker urges the women of Jerusalem to stop trying to provoke love in their hearts. He believes true love should arise naturally without outside effort just like deer in the fields.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes sees this command as a plea from the lover urging Jerusalem’s women not to awaken his passion before his chosen one agrees. He hopes they will remain calm and quiet.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill holds that these words are spoken by the church to her fellow believers. He says this view fits better because the language and context show the church resting in Christ’s love and waiting for his decision.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that treating Jesus Christ’s Spirit as easily grieved is the same fault that causes a roe to flee. This fault also leads to presumption in a new believer. His love makes the bride love in return.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch note that this is a rare biblical instance of adjuring by creatures rather than by God alone. They infer from the choice of gazelles and hinds that the speaker is a rustic person, not Solomon or the poet. The adjuration is a protective plea that love remain undisturbed in its sweet absorption.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads Shulamith's self-description as a wildflower of Sharon and a lily of the valleys as a deliberate expression of humility and longing for her simple rural home, contrasting her natural beauty with the artificial splendor of Solomon's court. He insists this is not allegory but the realistic first act of a dramatic love story.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes the bride compares her lover to an apple tree that yields sweet fruit while other trees lack usefulness until cut down. He also says she sees him as more excellent than all angels and human men because he provides true fruit rather than a barren world.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies the speaker here as the bridegroom himself. Christ compares his own person to the rose and lily, emphasizing fragrance and beauty. Sharon is noted as a fruitful place especially famous for roses.