Song of Solomon Chapter 2

“I [am] the rose of Sharon, [and] the lily of the valleys.] Whether Christ, or the church, is here speaking, is not certain: most of the Jewish writersf92, and some Christian interpretersf93, take them to be the words of the church, expressing the excellency of her grace, loveliness, and beauty, she had from Christ; and intimating also her being in the open fields, exposed to many dangers and enemies, and so needed his protection. The church may be compared to a “rose”, for its beautiful colour and sweet odourf94, and for its delight in sunny places, where it thrives best, and is most fragrant. This figure is…”

“rose--if applied to Jesus Christ, it, with the white lily (lowly, Co2 8:9), answers to "white and ruddy" (Sol 5:10). But it is rather the meadow-saffron: the Hebrew means radically a plant with a pungent bulb, inapplicable to the rose. So Syriac. It is of a white and violet color [MAURER, GESENIUS, and WEISS]. The bride thus speaks of herself as lowly though lovely, in contrast with the lordly "apple" or citron tree, the bridegroom (Sol 2:3); so the "lily" is applied to her (Sol 2:2), Sharon-- (Isa 35:1-2). In North Palestine, between Mount Tabor and Lake Tiberias (Ch1 5:16). Septuagint and Vulgate translate it,…”

“The division of the chapters is unfortunate; Song of Solomon 2:0 ought to have begun at Song of Solomon 1:15, or Song of Solomon 1:0 to have been continued to Song of Solomon 2:7. The bride replies, “And I am like a lovely wild flower springing at the root of the stately forest-trees.” The majority of Christian fathers assigned this verse to the King (Christ). Hebrew commentators generally assign it to the bride. It is quite uncertain what flower is meant by the word rendered (here and Isaiah 35:1) “rose.” The etymology is in favor of its being a bulbous plant (the white narcissus, Conder). “Sharon” is usually…”

“I - These are the words of the bridegroom. He compares himself to the rose and lilly, for fragrancy and beauty. Sharon, was a very fruitful place, and famous for roses. Song of Solomon (Canticles) 2:2”

“2:1-7 In this short poem, the man and the woman exchange compliments. Using metaphors of flowers and trees, they describe the nature of their loving relationship, emphasizing his role as protector and provider. • The poem ends (2:6) with the man and the woman in an intimate embrace. 2:1-2 the lily of the valley:the lily of the valleys: The Hebrew shows the woman’s modesty and humility, as she claims to be but one flower among many in Sharon and in the expansive valleys of Israel. • The man affirms her comparison to a lily, but says that her beauty is far from common; she is a lily among thistles. • my darling…”

“the rose: Psa 85:11; Isa 35:1, Isa 35:2 lily: Sol 2:16, Sol 6:3; Isa 57:15 Song of Solomon (Canticles) 2:2”

“What Shulamith now further says confirms what had just been said. City and palace with their splendour please her not; forest and field she delights in; she is a tender flower that has grown up in the quietness of rural life. 1 I am a meadow-flower of Sharon, A lily of the valleys. We do not render: "the wild-flower," "the lily," ... for she seeks to represent herself not as the one, but only as one of this class; the definiteness by means of the article sometimes belongs exclusively to the second number of the genit. word-chain. מלאך ה may equally (vid., at Sol 1:11, Hitz. on Psa 113:9, and my Comm. on Gen 9:20)…”