Song of Solomon 8:4 (LSB)

Passage

“I call you to solemnly swear, O daughters of Jerusalem, Why should you arouse or awaken my love Until she pleases?”

Nearby Context

Song of Solomon 8:2 I would lead you and bring you Into the house of my mother, who used to teach me; I would give you spiced wine to drink from the sweet wine of my pomegranates.

Song of Solomon 8:3 Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me.”

Song of Solomon 8:4 “I call you to solemnly swear, O daughters of Jerusalem, Why should you arouse or awaken my love Until she pleases?”

Song of Solomon 8:5 “Who is this coming up from the wilderness Leaning on her beloved?” “Beneath the apple tree I awakened you; There your mother was in labor with you; There she was in labor and gave you birth.

Song of Solomon 8:6 Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of Yah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "call", "solemnly", "swear", "daughters", "jerusalem", "should", "arouse", and "awaken". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "call" and "solemnly", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Let his left hand be under my..." into verse 5's "Who is this coming up from the...", so "call" and "solemnly" 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 "call" and "solemnly" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.