Song of Solomon 2:16 (DRB)

Passage

My beloved to me, and I to him who feedeth among the lilies,

Nearby Context

Song of Solomon 2:14 My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall, shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely.

Song of Solomon 2:15 Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vines: for our vineyard hath flourished.

Song of Solomon 2:16 My beloved to me, and I to him who feedeth among the lilies,

Song of Solomon 2:17 Till the day break, and the shadows retire. Return: be like, my beloved, to a roe, or to a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beloved", "feedeth", and "lilies". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beloved" and "feedeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Catch us the little foxes that destroy..." into verse 17's "Till the day break and the shadows...", so "beloved" and "feedeth" 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 "beloved" and "feedeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.