Song of Solomon 4:12 (YLT)

Passage

A garden shut up <FI>is<Fi> my sister-spouse, A spring shut up--a fountain sealed.

Nearby Context

Song of Solomon 4:10 How wonderful have been thy loves, my sister-spouse, How much better have been thy loves than wine, And the fragrance of thy perfumes than all spices.

Song of Solomon 4:11 Thy lips drop honey, O spouse, Honey and milk <FI>are<Fi> under thy tongue, And the fragrance of thy garments <FI>Is<Fi> as the fragrance of Lebanon.

Song of Solomon 4:12 A garden shut up <FI>is<Fi> my sister-spouse, A spring shut up--a fountain sealed.

Song of Solomon 4:13 Thy shoots a paradise of pomegranates, With precious fruits,

Song of Solomon 4:14 Cypresses with nard--nard and saffron, Cane and cinnamon, With all trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, with all chief spices.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "garden", "shut", "sister-spouse", "spring", "up--a", "fountain", and "sealed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "garden" and "shut", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Thy lips drop honey O spouse Honey..." into verse 13's "Thy shoots a paradise of pomegranates With...", so "garden" and "shut" 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 "garden" and "shut" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.