Song of Solomon 2:4 (ASV)

Passage

He brought me to the banqueting-house, And his banner over me was love.

Nearby Context

Song of Solomon 2:2 As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters.

Song of Solomon 2:3 As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

Song of Solomon 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting-house, And his banner over me was love.

Song of Solomon 2:5 Stay ye me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am sick from love.

Song of Solomon 2:6 His left hand [is] under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brought", "banqueting-house", "banner", "over", and "love". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brought" and "banqueting-house", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "As the apple-tree among the trees of..." into verse 5's "Stay ye me with raisins refresh me...", so "brought" and "banqueting-house" belong inside that flow. In Song of Solomon context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "brought" and "banqueting-house" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.