Song of Solomon 2:15 — Word Study
WLCאֶֽחֱזוּ־ לָ֙נוּ֙ שֽׁוּעָלִ֔ים שֽׁוּעָלִ֥ים קְטַנִּ֖ים מְחַבְּלִ֣ים כְּרָמִ֑ים וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ סְמָדַֽר׃
BSACatchʼâchaz [seize, take hold of] the foxesshûwʻâl [little jackals, small predators] the littleqâṭân [small, insignificant] foxesshûwʻâl that ruinchâbal [destroy, corrupt] the vineyardskerem [gardens, plots of land for growing vines] for our vineyardskerem [gardens, plots of land] are in bloomçᵉmâdar [blossom, early stages of growth, flourishing]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֶֽחֱזוּ־ | seize | Verb, Qal, imperative second person masculine plural |
| לָ֙נוּ֙ | for us | Preposition, suffix |
| שֽׁוּעָלִ֔ים | foxes | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| שֽׁוּעָלִ֥ים | foxes | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| קְטַנִּ֖ים | small | Adj |
| מְחַבְּלִ֣ים | [which] ruin | Verb, Piel, participle (active) masculine plural |
| כְּרָמִ֑ים | vineyards | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ | and vineyards our | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| סְמָדַֽר׃ | [are] blossom | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Catch for us the foxes— the little foxes that ruin the vineyards— for our vineyards are in bloom. |
| KJV | Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. |
| ASV | Take us the foxes, the little foxes, That spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom. |
| YLT | Seize ye for us foxes, Little foxes — destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards. |
| WEB | Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that plunder the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom. |
| BBE | Take for us the foxes, the little foxes, which do damage to the vines; our vines have young grapes. |
Where they part company is שׁוּעָלִ֔ים — see How Translations Differ.
One main clause with two subordinate phrases providing additional detail about the foxes and the state of the vineyards.
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Song of Solomon 2:15
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Beloved's Pleagenerated
Song of Solomon 2:15 expresses a concern for the vineyards, symbolizing love and care. The beloved calls for action against the small foxes that threaten the flourishing vines, indicating a desire to protect what is precious. This plea highlights the importance of safeguarding relationships and nurturing growth, reflecting a broader theme of love and protection found throughout the Song of Solomon.
The Key Word — אֶֽחֱזוּ־, 'e.che.zu-generated
The Hebrew word אָחַז (achaz) means to seize or take hold of. It is a verb in the imperative form, indicating a command directed at a group, here asking them to actively catch the foxes. The parsing indicates that it is a second person masculine plural imperative, suggesting urgency and collective action.
This word appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in contexts of grasping or holding onto something valuable. In this verse, it emphasizes the need for vigilance and proactive measures to protect the vineyards from destruction.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb אֶֽחֱזוּ־ (seize) governs the entire verse, with a series of phrases following it: a prepositional phrase indicating for whom the action is intended, a noun phrase identifying the object of the action, and additional descriptive phrases detailing the nature of the foxes and the state of the vineyards.
The structure emphasizes the urgency of the command and the importance of the vineyards, which are described as being in bloom, highlighting their value and the need to protect them from the small foxes.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֶֽחֱזוּ־ as πιάσατε (piasate), meaning 'catch' or 'seize.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the active role required to protect the vineyards.
For שׁוּעָלִ֔ים, the translators chose ἀλώπεκας (alōpekas), which specifically refers to foxes, maintaining the connection to the original Hebrew while also possibly broadening the understanding to include similar small predators.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Song of Solomon 2:15 speaks about catching the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, emphasizing the need to protect the gardens that are blooming. This reflects a concern for nurturing and safeguarding love and relationships, as the vineyards symbolize growth and beauty.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The foxes symbolize threats to love and relationships, representing small but destructive forces that can ruin what is precious.
Catching the little foxes is crucial because they can destroy the vineyards, which symbolize love and flourishing relationships.
The blooming vineyard represents the beauty and potential of love or relationships that need to be nurtured and protected.
We can apply this verse by being vigilant in our relationships, addressing small issues before they grow into larger problems that could harm our connections.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some small issues in my relationships that I need to address before they become bigger problems?
- How can I actively protect the things I care about in my life, just as the speaker asks for the foxes to be caught?
- In what ways can I nurture the 'vineyards' in my life to ensure they continue to flourish?
- What does this verse teach me about the importance of vigilance and care in love and relationships?
The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Catch for us the foxes— the little foxes that ruin the vineyards— for our vineyards are in bloom.
Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that plunder the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.
Catch for us the foxes—the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—for our vineyards are in bloom.
Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes, that ruin the vineyards – for our vineyard is in bloom.
Tyndale line
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, That spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom.
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.
Take for us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Take vs the foxes, the little foxes, which destroy the vines: for our vines haue small grapes.
Strictly literal
Take us the foxes, The little foxes, that spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in bloom.
Seize ye for us foxes, Little foxes — destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.
Seize for us foxes, || Little foxes—destroyers of vineyards, || Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.
Seize for us the foxes, the little foxes, that injure the vineyards; for our vineyards have young grapes.
Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil vineyards, for our vineyard is in blossom.
From the Latin
Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vines: for our vineyard hath flourished.
Simplified
Catch the foxes for us, all the little foxes that come and destroy the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom!
Take for us the foxes, the little foxes, which do damage to the vines; our vines have young grapes.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the wording of this verse, with the Septuagint providing a direct translation of most Hebrew words. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment also aligns closely with the Masoretic Text, with minor restorations indicating the text's stability across these witnesses.
אֶֽחֱזוּ־ לָ֙נוּ֙ שֽׁוּעָלִ֔ים שֽׁוּעָלִ֥ים קְטַנִּ֖ים מְחַבְּלִ֣ים כְּרָמִ֑ים וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ סְמָדַֽר׃
8 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[אחזו] [ל׳נו] שועלים קטנים מחבלים [כרמים] [וכרמי׳נו] [סמדר]
8 words of the verse are on this fragment — 1 partly restored, 5 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Song of Solomon 2:15
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word אָחַז (achaz) means to grasp, take hold of, or seize. It has various forms, including Qal (to grasp), Niphal (to be caught), Piel (to enclose), and Hophal (to be fastened). The entries highlight its use in contexts of possession and holding, but do not provide specific verse references.
אָחַז 68 vb. grasp, take hold of, take possession
Qal grasp, take hold of
Niph. be caught
Pi. enclose, overlay
Hoph. fastened
base
H270 אָחַז grasp, take hold of, take possession .grasp, take hold of
. be caught
. enclose, overlay
270 'achaz aw-khaz'
a primitive root; to seize (often with the accessory idea of
holding in possession):--+ be affrighted, bar, (catch, lay,
take) hold (back), come upon, fasten, handle, portion, (get,
have or take) possess(-ion).
אָחַז (a.chaz) — to grasp.
1) grasp, take hold, seize, take possession
1a) (Qal) to grasp, take hold of
1b) (Niphal) to be caught, grasped, be settled
1c) (Piel) to enclose, overlay
1d) (Hophal) fastened
V-Qal-Impv-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine pluralHVqv2mp
נוּ (nu) — us.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person plural
HRd/Sp1bp — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp1bp
US, pronoun objective case of we.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Us , pron. [OE. us, AS. s; akin to OFries. & OS. s, D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. we, Skr. nas us. . Cf. Nostrum, Our.] The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; — the objective case of we. See We. “Tell us a tale.” Chaucer.
Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.
Us, pron. oblique case of we
שׁוּעָל (shuw'al) refers to a fox, and may also denote a jackal. The word is derived from a root meaning to burrow, highlighting its association with digging or burrowing animals. The entries consistently emphasize its primary meaning as a fox, with some suggesting a possible connection to jackals.
שׁוּעָל n.m. fox, perhaps also jackal
base
H7776 שׁוּעָל
7776 shuw`al shoo-awl'
or shunal {shoo-awl'}; from the same as 8168; a jackal (as a
burrower):--fox.
see HEBREW for 08168
שׁוּעָל (shu.al) — fox.
1) fox, a burrower
1a) fox
1b) perhaps also jackal
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
שׁוּעָל (shuw'al) refers to a fox, and may also denote a jackal. The word is derived from a root meaning to burrow, highlighting its association with digging or burrowing animals. The entries consistently emphasize its primary meaning as a fox, with some suggesting a possible connection to jackals.
שׁוּעָל n.m. fox, perhaps also jackal
base
H7776 שׁוּעָל
7776 shuw`al shoo-awl'
or shunal {shoo-awl'}; from the same as 8168; a jackal (as a
burrower):--fox.
see HEBREW for 08168
שׁוּעָל (shu.al) — fox.
1) fox, a burrower
1a) fox
1b) perhaps also jackal
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
קָטָן (qatan) means small, young, or unimportant. It can refer to size, quantity, or age, and is often used to describe something insignificant. The entries indicate that it is a diminutive form, with variations in spelling. The lexicons highlight its meanings consistently, without significant disagreement.
קָטָן adj. small, young, unimportant
base
קָטֹן 64 adj. small, insignificant
base
H6996a קָטָן small, young, unimportant H6996b קָטֹן small, insignificant
6996 qatan kaw-tawn'
or qaton {kaw-tone'}; from 6962; abbreviated, i.e.
diminutive, literally (in quantity, size or number) or
figuratively (in age or importance):--least, less(-er),
little (one), small(-est, one, quantity, thing),
young(-er, -est).
see HEBREW for 06962
קָטָן (qa.tan) — small.
young, small, unimportant
Another spelling of qa.ton (קָטֹן ": small" H6996B)
קָטֹן (qa.ton) — small.
: small
small, insignificant
קָטֹן (qa.ton) — small: young.
: young
small, insignificant
A sub-meaning of qa.ton (קָטֹן ": small" H6996B)
Adj — AdjHAampa
חָבַל (chabal) is a Hebrew root meaning to bind or pledge, often in the context of taking a pledge. It also conveys the ideas of destruction or corruption, as well as the physical act of writhing or travailing, particularly in childbirth. The lexicons note its use in various forms, including to spoil or be ruined, but do not indicate significant disagreement among them.
[חָבַל] vb. bind, pledge
Qal
bind
bind by taking a pledge of
Niph. Impf. becometh pledged to it
Pi. writhe, twist, hence travail
base
חָבַל vb. act (ruinously) corruptly
Qal act corruptly against
Niph. Impf. shall be ruined
Pi. ruin, destroy
Pu. be ruined, broken
base
H2254a חָבַל bind, pledge .. bind
. bind by taking a pledge of
. Impf. becometh pledged to it
H2254b חָבַל act (ruinously) corruptly .act corruptly against
. Impf. shall be ruined
. ruin, destroy
. be ruined, broken
H2254c חָבַל bind, pledge . writhe, twist, hence travail
2254 chabal khaw-bal'
a primitive root; to wind tightly (as a rope), i.e. to bind;
specifically, by a pledge; figuratively, to pervert, destroy;
also to writhe in pain (especially of parturition):--X at all,
band, bring forth, (deal) corrupt(-ly), destroy, offend, lay
&Š to (take a) pledge, spoil, travail, X very, withhold.
חָבַל (cha.val) — to pledge.
1) to bind
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bind
2) to take a pledge, lay to pledge
2a) (Qal) to hold by a pledge, take in pledge, hold in pledge
2b) (Niphal) to give a pledge, become pledged
חָבַל (cha.val) — to destroy.
1) to destroy, spoil, deal corruptly, offend
1a) (Qal) to spoil, corrupt, offend
1b) (Niphal) to be ruined
1c) (Piel) to destroy, ruin
1d) (Pual) to be ruined, be broken
Aramaic equivalent: cha.val (חֲבַל "to destroy" H2255)
חָבַל (cha.val) — be in labour.
1) to bring forth, travail
1a) (Piel) to writhe, twist, travail
V-Piel — Verb · Piel · participle (active) masculine pluralHVprmpa
roo'-in (haricah, etc.; rhegma): "Ruin," the translation of haricah (Am 9:11; compare Ac 15:16, where the Revised Version (British and American) Greek text, ta katestrammena), and of a number of other Hebrew words: in Lu 6:49 rhegma, "breakage," is used both in a literal sense (Isa 23:13; 25:2, of fallen buildings; Eze 27:27; 31:13, of a state or people; Lu 6:49, of a house, etc.) and with a moral significance (Pr 26:28). the Revised Version margin correctly renders mikhshol in
כֶּרֶם (kerem) means 'vineyard' and is derived from an unused root of uncertain meaning. It covers the concept of a garden or vineyard, including terms like 'vines' and 'vintage.' The word appears in contexts related to agriculture, specifically in the Old Testament.
כֶּרֶם 92 n.m. (f.) vineyard
base
H3754 כֶּרֶם vineyard
3754 kerem keh'-rem
from an unused root of uncertain meaning; a garden or
vineyard:--vines, (increase of the) vineyard(-s), vintage. See
also 1021.
see HEBREW for 01021
כֶּרֶם (ke.rem) — vineyard.
vineyard
N-cp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
- Origin and antiquity of
- The design of planting
- Frequently walled or fenced with hedges
כֶּרֶם (kerem) means 'vineyard' and is derived from an unused root of uncertain meaning. It covers the concept of a garden or vineyard, including terms like 'vines' and 'vintage.' The word appears in contexts related to agriculture, specifically in the Old Testament.
כֶּרֶם 92 n.m. (f.) vineyard
base
H3754 כֶּרֶם vineyard
3754 kerem keh'-rem
from an unused root of uncertain meaning; a garden or
vineyard:--vines, (increase of the) vineyard(-s), vintage. See
also 1021.
see HEBREW for 01021
כֶּרֶם (ke.rem) — vineyard.
vineyard
Conj | N-cp | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHC/Ncmpc/Sp1bp
סְמַדֵר (semadar) refers to a grape blossom or bud. The term is of uncertain derivation and can also be used adverbially to mean 'abloom.' The entries consistently emphasize its connection to grapevines.
[סְמַדֵר ?], also סְמָדַ֖֔ר, סְמָדִ֑ר n.m. blossom of grape
base
H5563 סְמַדֵר, סְמָדַ֖֔ר, סְמָדִ֑ר
5563 cmadar sem-aw-dar'
of uncertain derivation; a vine blossom; used also
adverbially, abloom:--tender grape.
סְמַדֵר (se.ma.dar) — blossom.
grape blossom, grape bud
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa