Song Of Solomon 8:14 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Song Of Solomon 8:14 kjv
Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.
Song Of Solomon 8:14 nkjv
Make haste, my beloved, And be like a gazelle Or a young stag On the mountains of spices.
Song Of Solomon 8:14 niv
Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the spice-laden mountains.
Song Of Solomon 8:14 esv
Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.
Song Of Solomon 8:14 nlt
Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the mountains of spices.
Song Of Solomon 8 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| So 2:17 | Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe... | Similar imagery of swift return on mountains. |
| So 2:9 | My beloved is like a roe or a young hart. | Compares beloved's swiftness to a roe/hart. |
| Rev 22:20 | He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. | The Bride of Christ longing for His second coming. |
| 1 Co 16:22 | If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. | "Maranatha" is an Aramaic plea, "Our Lord, come!" |
| Php 4:5 | The Lord is at hand. | Encourages anticipation of Christ's nearness/return. |
| Jas 5:8 | Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. | Exhortation to patience while awaiting Christ's return. |
| Heb 10:37 | For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. | Assurance of Christ's certain and timely arrival. |
| Ps 42:1-2 | As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. | Deep spiritual longing for God's refreshing presence. |
| Ps 63:1 | O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee. | Expresses eager desire and diligent seeking of God. |
| Is 26:8 | The desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. | Emphasizes an abiding desire for God's character/presence. |
| Lk 12:35-36 | Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning...when he will return from the wedding. | Call for readiness and watchfulness for the master's return. |
| Is 2:2 | In the last days, the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established... | Mountains as a metaphor for God's exalted presence/kingdom. |
| Heb 12:22 | But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. | Refers to the heavenly Mount Zion, symbolizing God's dwelling. |
| Ex 30:23-25 | Take thou unto thee principal spices...holy anointing oil...perfume. | Spices for holy anointing and fragrant worship in the tabernacle. |
| 2 Co 2:14-16 | We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish. | Believers are portrayed as the fragrant aroma of Christ. |
| Eph 5:2 | Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. | Christ's sacrifice described as a fragrant, pleasing offering to God. |
| Ps 27:4 | One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. | Expresses an ultimate desire for abiding presence with God. |
| So 4:6 | Until the day break...I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. | The beloved's journey to fragrant mountains; related imagery. |
| So 4:16 | Awake, north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. | An invitation for the release of fragrance, evoking presence. |
| Zeph 3:14 | Sing, O daughter of Zion...the King of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee. | Call to rejoice in the Lord's triumphant presence. |
| 2 Tim 4:8 | Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness...and unto all them also that love his appearing. | Promises a reward for those who eagerly anticipate Christ's return. |
| Rev 21:2 | I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. | The ultimate desired "arrival" and manifestation of God's presence. |
Song Of Solomon 8 verses
Song Of Solomon 8 14 meaning
Song of Solomon 8:14 expresses the bride's fervent longing for her beloved to return quickly, vividly desiring his swift and beautiful arrival to the "mountains of spices," symbolizing a place of great delight, intimacy, and blessing. The verse concludes the book with an open-ended anticipation, representing the persistent desire for sustained fellowship and presence.
Song Of Solomon 8 14 Context
Song of Solomon 8:14 serves as the concluding verse of the entire book. Following several dialogues and reflections on the exclusivity and power of love (8:6-7), and a final discourse concerning the sister (8:8-10), the bride's personal expression of devotion and yearning resurfaces. The preceding verses explore the intensity of love that cannot be bought or extinguished, framing this final verse as the passionate and undiminished desire of the beloved for constant companionship. It echoes earlier similar requests for his presence and highlights love's perpetual longing that ends the poetic book on a note of yearning anticipation.
Song Of Solomon 8 14 Word analysis
"Make haste" (בְּרַח, Barakh): This is an imperative verb, meaning "flee," "run away," or "make haste." In this specific context, it is an urgent, passionate invitation for the Beloved to swiftly come or return. It conveys intense longing and eager anticipation for a rapid arrival, not an escape.
"my beloved" (דּוֹדִי, Dodi): This intimate term is used extensively throughout the Song to refer to the male protagonist. It denotes an affectionate, deeply personal, and exclusive relationship, signifying profound love, endearment, and belonging. In allegorical interpretations, it emphatically refers to Christ.
"and be thou like to a roe" (כְּצְבִי, Kətzəvi): A "roe" (often understood as a gazelle) is a swift, graceful animal, highly regarded for its agility, especially on mountainous or rugged terrain. The comparison highlights the desired speed, elegance, and non-stumbling manner of the Beloved's coming, implying a quick, energetic, and beautiful approach.
"or to a young hart" (אוֹ לְעֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים, Oh l'ofer ha'ayyalim): A "young hart" (a fawn or young stag) reiterates the imagery of speed, vibrancy, and youthful vigor. This parallelism reinforces the idea of a swift, beautiful, and unfettered arrival, emphasizing the Beloved's attractiveness, strength, and lively essence.
"upon the mountains of spices" (עַל הָרֵי בְשָׂמִים, 'Al harēi bəsamim): This metaphorical phrase describes the desired destination or the context of the Beloved's swift return. "Mountains" often represent elevated, significant, or holy places, sometimes associated with divine encounters or difficult but rewarding journeys. "Spices" (like myrrh, frankincense, cinnamon, etc.) universally symbolize delightful fragrance, purity, pleasantness, and the richest, most valuable experiences. Together, they suggest a place of abundant joy, delight, profound intimacy, and perhaps even celestial or paradisiacal beauty, where the Beloved's presence would be supremely pleasant, evident, and complete.
"Make haste, my beloved": This phrase directly addresses the cherished one, expressing an intense, deeply personal yearning for his immediate presence or return. It establishes the urgent, anticipatory and emotional tone for the book's final expression of love.
"like to a roe or to a young hart": This vivid double simile powerfully emphasizes the desired manner of the Beloved's approach—swift, graceful, light-footed, and beautiful. It conveys an ardent eagerness for a quick and unhindered reunion, full of energy and charm.
"upon the mountains of spices": This entire descriptive phrase paints a rich picture of the anticipated, glorious, fragrant, and elevated location of reunion. It encapsulates the ideas of delight, purity, spiritual elevation, and abundant blessing found in the full presence of the Beloved.
Song Of Solomon 8 14 Bonus section
The Hebrew word "Barakh" (בְּרַח), while typically meaning "to flee" or "to make haste away," is understood in this conclusive context as an ardent plea to hasten to me or return swiftly. This shift in nuance at the very end of the Song, when read within the overarching theme of fervent desire, signals not an expulsion but an urgent, invitational summons. The recurring motif of the beloved being "like a roe or a young hart" (first seen in So 2:9, 2:17) forms a complete circle, highlighting the enduring nature of their connection and the consistent expectation of his swift, dynamic arrival. The "mountains of spices" act as a perfect literary capstone, presenting a final, beautiful, and fragrant tableau, emblematic of the ultimate joyful and pure union that the bride, and metaphorically the soul, perpetually craves with her beloved, Christ. This persistent longing signals that true love finds its satisfaction not in arrival alone, but in an unending and deepening journey of communion.
Song Of Solomon 8 14 Commentary
Song of Solomon 8:14 stands as the climatic and emotionally charged final verse, portraying the bride's unyielding, passionate longing for her beloved's swift presence. It powerfully affirms that genuine love not only seeks present communion but constantly yearns for deeper, more complete fellowship. The urgency implied by "make haste," coupled with the imagery of swift, graceful animals traversing "mountains of spices," creates a vision of beautiful, delightful, and unhindered reunion in an exalted and fragrant setting. For many Christian interpreters, this verse powerfully encapsulates the spiritual yearning of the individual believer or the Church, as the Bride of Christ, for His Second Coming or for a deeper, more immediate experience of His intimate presence and glory. It symbolizes the perpetual anticipation of the Beloved in a delightful, pure, and eternally blessed spiritual dwelling.
- Practical Usage Example: This verse resonates deeply with a believer who eagerly awaits the fulfillment of God's promises, specifically the glorious return of Jesus Christ, echoing, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."