Translations
Original
Notes
The foxes might symbolize threats to the relationship. These threats are not specified; they could be the usual ups and downs of love, rival suitors, or anything else that might prevent the couple from enjoying each other's company.
In the dramatic view, the woman’s role as a vinedresser is still relevant. She is likely instructing the vinedressers who managed her vineyard and received two hundred pieces of silver from her in Song of Solomon 8:12. The concern about catching the foxes may relate to the woman’s personal interest in preserving the value of her vineyards. Eventually, she needs to pay Solomon the lease. If the foxes dig holes and damage the grapevines, she will incur more debt.
In this poem, the woman looks forward to her lover's arrival. She describes winter ending and spring beginning, a time of floral scents and new starts. She and her lover are in their country garden, a place of closeness, though there is a hint of danger even here (Song of Solomon 2:15).
Glossary
Topics
Beasts: Unclean: Fox Flagon: Erroneously Translated (Av) Flagon of Wine, but More Accurately, Cake of Raisin (Rv) Fox of Heretics Fox: Depredations of Foxes Sin: Little Sins The Fox: Destructive to Vines The Fox: Enemies of the Church The Vine: Foxes Destructive To