Song of Solomon 2:16 — Word Study
WLCדּוֹדִ֥י לִי֙ וַאֲנִ֣י ל֔וֹ הָרֹעֶ֖ה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃
BSAMy beloveddôwd [dearly loved one, uncle] and I amʼănîy he pastures [his flock]râʻâh [feeds, tends to] among the liliesshûwshan [flowers]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| דּוֹדִ֥י | lover my | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| לִי֙ | [belongs] to me | Preposition, suffix |
| וַאֲנִ֣י | and I | Conjunction, pronoun |
| ל֔וֹ | [belong] to him | Preposition, suffix |
| הָרֹעֶ֖ה | who [is] grazing | Particle, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular |
| בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃ | among the lilies | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies. |
| KJV | ¶ My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. |
| ASV | My beloved is mine, and I am his: He feedeth his flock among the lilies. |
| YLT | My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his, Who is delighting among the lilies, |
| WEB | My beloved is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies. |
| BBE | My loved one is mine, and I am his: he takes his food among the flowers. |
Where they part company is הָרֹעֶ֖ה — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause expresses mutual belonging, supported by a verb phrase describing the beloved's nurturing action.
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 2:16
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 Song of Solomon's Celebration of Lovegenerated
Song of Solomon 2:16 presents a beautiful expression of love between the speaker and their beloved, emphasizing the intimacy and connection they share. This verse captures the essence of their relationship, portraying the beloved as a caretaker who tends to his flock among the lilies, symbolizing beauty and purity. The surrounding verses enhance this theme of love and admiration, as seen in the verses preceding and following this one.
The Key Word — דּוֹדִ֥י, do.Digenerated
The word דּוֹד (dod) means 'beloved' and conveys a strong sense of affection. It can also refer to an uncle or close relative, indicating familial love. This word is derived from a root meaning 'to boil,' which figuratively relates to the intensity of love.
In this verse, the speaker refers to their beloved as דּוֹדִי to emphasize their deep emotional bond. The possessive suffix indicates that the beloved is cherished and intimately connected to the speaker.
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 subject is introduced with the noun phrase דּוֹדִ֥י, my beloved, followed by the conjunction וַאֲנִ֣י, and I, which connects the two subjects. The verb הָרֹעֶ֖ה, who is grazing, acts as the main verb, describing the action of the beloved.
The structure emphasizes the mutual possession between the speaker and their beloved, with the prepositional phrase בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים indicating the setting of this tender relationship.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew דּוֹדִ֥י is rendered as μου, meaning 'my.' This choice maintains the possessive aspect of the relationship, emphasizing the personal connection.
The verb הָרֹעֶ֖ה is translated as ποιμαίνων, which means 'shepherding.' This choice highlights the nurturing role of the beloved, aligning with the pastoral imagery of the verse.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Song of Solomon 2:16 expresses a deep love between the speaker and their beloved, highlighting their mutual affection. The beloved is depicted as a caretaker of his flock, set among beautiful lilies, symbolizing purity and beauty.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This phrase emphasizes the mutual possession and deep affection shared between the speaker and their beloved.
Lilies symbolize beauty and purity, enhancing the romantic imagery of the relationship.
The term 'beloved' signifies a strong emotional bond and affection, indicating a close and cherished relationship.
This verse captures the essence of love, intimacy, and the beauty of relationships, which are central themes throughout the Song of Solomon.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I express love and affection in my relationships?
- What symbols of beauty and purity resonate with me in my life?
- In what ways can I nurture the relationships I hold dear?
- How does the imagery of nature enhance my understanding of love?
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
My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies.
My beloved is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies.
My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies.
My lover is mine and I am his; he grazes among the lilies.
Tyndale line
¶ My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.
My beloved is mine, and I am his: He feedeth his flock among the lilies.
My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth his flock among the lilies.
My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.
My welbeloued is mine, and I am his: hee feedeth among the lilies,
Strictly literal
My beloved is mine, and I am his; He feedeth [his flock] among the lilies,
My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his, Who is delighting among the lilies,
My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his, || Who is delighting among the lilies,
My friend is mine, and I am his—that feedeth among the lilies.
My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies with pleasure.
From the Latin
My beloved to me, and I to him who feedeth among the lilies,
Simplified
My love is mine, and I am his! He feeds among the lilies,
My loved one is mine, and I am his: he takes his food among the flowers.
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 reads דּוֹדִ֥י לִי֙ וַאֲנִ֣י ל֔וֹ הָרֹעֶ֖ה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים, and the Septuagint matches this closely with a word-for-word correspondence. The Dead Sea Scrolls show a similar reading, with some words partially restored, confirming the integrity of the text.
דּוֹדִ֥י לִי֙ וַאֲנִ֣י ל֔וֹ הָרֹעֶ֖ה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃
6 of the 6 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.
דוד׳י ל׳י ואני ל׳ו הרועה [בשושנים]
4 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 1 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 2:16
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.
דּוֹד (dod) means 'beloved' and can refer to love in a general sense, as well as specifically to an uncle. It is derived from a root meaning 'to boil,' figuratively relating to love. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to affection and familial ties.
דּוֹד n.m. beloved, love (pl.), uncle
base
H1730 דּוֹד beloved, love (pl.), uncle
1730 dowd dode
or (shortened) dod {dode}; from an unused root meaning
properly, to boil, i.e. (figuratively) to love; by
implication, a love- token, lover, friend; specifically an
uncle:--(well-)beloved, father's brother, love, uncle.
דּוֹד (dod) — beloved.
: beloved
1) beloved, love, uncle
1a) loved one, beloved
1b) uncle
1c) love (pl. abstract)
דּוֹד (dod) — beloved: love.
: love
1) beloved, love, uncle
1a) loved one, beloved
1b) uncle
1c) love (pl. abstract)
דּוֹד (dod) — beloved: male relative.
: male_relative
1) beloved, love, uncle
1a) loved one, beloved
1b) uncle
1c) love (pl. abstract)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp1bs
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs
אֲנִי, transliterated as aniy, is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is often used for emphasis and can also imply possession, as in 'mine' or 'myself.' The word is derived from a form that indicates self-reference, and it appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי pron. 1s. comm. I
base
H589 אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי I
589 'aniy an-ee'
contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X
which, X who.
see HEBREW for 0595
אֲנִי (a.ni) — I.
I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)
Conj | Pron — Conjunction · pronounHC/Pp1bs
וֹ (o) — him.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word רָעָה (*ra'ah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to tend or pasture a flock. It covers a range of meanings including to graze, rule, associate with, and befriend. The term appears in contexts related to shepherding and companionship, with a specific mention of the 'binding-house of shepherds' in 2 Kings 10:12.
בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים perh. n.pr.loc. (binding-house of the shepherds) 2 K 10:12
base
רָעָה 167 vb. pasture, tend, graze
Qal
trans.
intrans.
Niph. poss.
Hiph. v.
base
[רָעָה] vb. prob. associate with
Qal cherish faithfulness
Hithp. do not make companionship with a bad-tempered man
base
[רָעָה] vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend;—Ju 14:20
ref
H7462a בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים binding-house of shepherds H7462b רָעָה pasture, tend, graze H7462c רָעָה prob. associate with H7462d רָעָה vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend
7462 ra`ah raw-aw'
a primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it;
intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively);
generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a
friend):--X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat
up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with,
herdman, keep (sheep)(-er), pastor, + shearing house,
shepherd, wander, waste.
בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים (bet-e.qed ha.ro.im) — House of Shepherds.
Ra'ah = "pasturing"
perh. "binding-house of the shepherds"
רָעָה (ra.ah) — to pasture.
1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to tend, pasture
1a1a) to shepherd
1a1b) of ruler, teacher (fig)
1a1c) of people as flock (fig)
1a1d) shepherd, herdsman (subst)
1a2) to feed, graze
1a2a) of cows, sheep etc (literal)
1a2b) of idolater, Israel as flock (fig)
1b) (Hiphil) shepherd, shepherdess
Also means: ro.i (רֹעִי "to shepherd" H7473)
רָעָה (ra.ah) — to accompany.
1) to associate with, be a friend of (meaning probable)
1a) (Qal) to associate with
1b) (Hithpael) to be companions
רָעָה (ra.ah) — to befriend.
(Piel) to be a special friend
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine singularHTd/Vqrmsa
שׁוּשַׁן (shuwshan) refers primarily to a lily, likely encompassing any lily-like flower. It can also denote a type of trumpet due to its shape. The term appears in various forms, including שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (shoshanah) and is associated with the title of Psalm 45:1 as Shoshannim. The word is derived from a root meaning related to whiteness.
שׁוּשַׁן, שׁוֹשָׁ֑ן n.m. שׁוֹשַׁנָּה n.f. usually lily, prob. any lily-like flower
base
H7799 שׁוּשַׁן, שׁוֹשָׁ֑ן, שׁוֹשַׁנָּה, שׁוּשַׁן עֵדוּת, שֹׁשָׁן
7799 shuwshan shoo-shan'
or showshan {sho-shawn'}; or shoshan {sho- shawn'}; and
(feminine) showshannah {sho-shan-naw'}; from 7797; a lily
(from its whiteness), as a flower of arch. ornament; also a
(straight) trumpet (from the tubular shape): lily, Shoshannim.
see HEBREW for 07797
שׁוּשַׁן (shu.shan) — lily.
1) lily
1a) probably any lily-like flower
1b) Shoshannim, in title of Ps 45:1
Prep | N-cp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHRd/Ncmpa