Song of Solomon 2:2 — Word Study
WLCכְּשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּה֙ בֵּ֣ין הַחוֹחִ֔ים כֵּ֥ן רַעְיָתִ֖י בֵּ֥ין הַבָּנֽוֹת׃
BSALike a lilyshûwshan amongbêyn the thornschôwach [thistles, unwanted growths] is my darlingraʻyâh [beloved companion] amongbêyn the maidensbath [daughters, young women of noble character]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כְּשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּה֙ | like a lily | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| בֵּ֣ין | between | Prep |
| הַחוֹחִ֔ים | the thorns | Particle, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| כֵּ֥ן | [is] so | Adverb |
| רַעְיָתִ֖י | friend my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| בֵּ֥ין | between | Prep |
| הַבָּנֽוֹת׃ | the daughters | Particle, noun common feminine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Like a lily among the thorns is my darling among the maidens. |
| KJV | As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. |
| ASV | As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters. |
| YLT | So [is] my friend among the daughters! |
| WEB | As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. |
| BBE | As the lily-flower among the thorns of the waste, so is my love among the daughters. |
Where they part company is in רַעְיָתִי — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence features a main clause with a simile and two prepositional phrases that provide context and comparison.
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 2:2
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 Beauty of Lovegenerated
Song of Solomon 2:2 presents a vivid metaphor where the beloved is likened to a lily set against thorns, emphasizing their beauty and uniqueness among others. This poetic imagery reflects the deep affection the speaker has for their beloved, contrasting the purity of love with the harshness of their surroundings. The surrounding verses continue this theme of admiration and longing, illustrating the beauty found in love amidst challenges.
The Key Word — שׁוּשַׁן, shuwshangenerated
The word שׁוּשַׁן (shuwshan) refers specifically to a lily, symbolizing purity and beauty. It is derived from a root associated with whiteness, suggesting a connection to innocence and elegance. This noun is feminine singular, indicating a specific and cherished entity, further enhancing the image of the beloved as unique and precious.
In this context, the lily represents the beloved's beauty and grace, standing out in a world filled with thorns, which symbolize challenges or unwanted elements. The choice of this flower conveys admiration and affection, highlighting the beloved's exceptional qualities.
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 structure of the verse centers around a simile introduced by כֵּן (ken), meaning 'so' or 'thus', which acts as the finite verb. The main clause is כְּשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּה֙ (like a lily), followed by a prepositional phrase בֵּ֣ין הַחוֹחִ֔ים (among the thorns), which provides the context for the comparison.
The sentence flows smoothly, with the beloved's beauty highlighted in contrast to the thorns, emphasizing their distinctiveness in a challenging environment.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שׁוּשַׁן as κρίνον (lily), maintaining the floral imagery. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, preserving the symbol of beauty and purity.
The use of ἐν (among) for בֵּ֣ין reflects a similar relational context, indicating the beloved's position amidst the thorns.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Song of Solomon 2:2 compares the beloved to a lily among thorns, highlighting their beauty and uniqueness. This poetic metaphor expresses deep affection, showing how the beloved stands out even in a difficult environment filled with challenges.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The lily symbolizes purity and beauty, representing the beloved's exceptional qualities.
This comparison emphasizes the beloved's beauty and uniqueness in a challenging environment, highlighting the affection the speaker feels.
The verse illustrates the deep admiration and love expressed throughout the Song of Solomon, using vivid imagery to convey the beauty of love.
The thorns symbolize challenges or unwanted elements in life, contrasting with the beauty of the beloved.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see beauty in my relationships, even amidst challenges?
- How can I express appreciation for the unique qualities of those I love?
- What challenges do I face that might obscure the beauty in my life?
- How can I cultivate a sense of purity and beauty in my own character?
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
Like a lily among the thorns is my darling among the maidens.
As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
Like a lily among the thorns is my darling among the maidens.
Like a lily among the thorns, so is my darling among the maidens.
Tyndale line
As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters.
As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
Like a lilie amog the thornes, so is my loue among the daughters.
Strictly literal
As the lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters.
So [is] my friend among the daughters!
So [is] my friend among the daughters!
Like the lily among the thorns, so is my beloved among the young maidens.—
As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the young women. The woman speaking to herself
From the Latin
As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
Simplified
Just as a lily stands out among the brambles, so you, my darling, stand out among other women.
As the lily-flower among the thorns of the waste, so is my love among the daughters.
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 of Song of Solomon 2:2 reads, 'Like a lily among the thorns is my darling among the maidens,' which is echoed in the Septuagint, where all seven words match in a word-by-word correspondence, indicating agreement between these texts. There are no significant differences noted in the Samaritan Pentateuch or the Dead Sea Scrolls for this verse, as they align with the Masoretic Text's wording and meaning.
כְּשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּה֙ בֵּ֣ין הַחוֹחִ֔ים כֵּ֥ן רַעְיָתִ֖י בֵּ֥ין הַבָּנֽוֹת׃
7 of the 7 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.
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 2:2
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.
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-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
lil'-i (shushan (1Ki 7:19), shoshannah (2Ch 4:5; So 2:1 f; Ho 14:5); plural (So 2:16; 4:5; 5:13; 6:2 f; 7:2; Ecclesiasticus 39:14; 50:8); krinon (Mt 6:28; Lu 12:27)): The Hebrew is probably a loan word from the Egyptian the original s-sh-n denoting the lotus-flower, Nymphaea lotus. This was probably the model of the architectural ornament, translated "lily-work," which appeared upon the capitals of the columns in the temple porch (1Ki 7:19), upon the top of the…
Lily
The Hebrew name shushan or shoshan, i.e., “whiteness”, was used as the general name of several plants common to Syria, such as the tulip, iris, anemone, gladiolus, ranunculus, etc. Some interpret it, with much probability, as denoting in the Old Testament the water-lily (Nymphoea lotus of Linn.), or lotus (Cant. 2:1, 2; 2:16; 4:5; 5:13; 6:2, 3; 7:2). “Its flowers are large, and they are of a white colour, with streaks of pink. They supplied models for the ornaments of the pillars and the molten sea” (1 Kings 7:19, 22, 26; 2 Chr. 4:5). In the Canticles its beauty and fragrance shadow forth the preciousness of Christ to the Church. Groser, however (Scrip. Nat. Hist.), strongly argues that the word, both in the Old and New…
(Heb. shushan, shoshannah). Although there is little doubt that the Hebrew word denotes some plant of the lily species, it is by no means certain what individual of this class it specially designates. The plant must have been a conspicuous object on the shores of the Lake of Gennesaret, (Matthew 6:28; Luke 12:27) it must have flourished in the deep broad valleys of Palestine, (Solomon 2:1) among the thorny shrubs, ib. (Solomon 2:2) and pastures of the desert, ib. (Solomon 2:16; 4:5; 6:3) and must have been remarkable for its rapid and luxuriant growth. (Hosea 14:5), Ecclus. 39:14. That its flowers were brilliant in color would seem to be indicated in (Matthew 6:28) where it…
בַּ֫יִן (beyn) is a noun meaning 'interval' or 'space between.' It primarily functions as a preposition meaning 'between' or 'among,' and can also indicate distinctions or choices. The dual form בֵּנַ֫יִם refers specifically to the space between two entities, such as armies. The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement.
בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between
always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between
Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies
base
H996 בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between . always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between
. Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies
996 beyn bane
(sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly,
the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from 995; a
distinction; but used only as a prep, between (repeated before
each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction,
either...or:--among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), +
from (the widest), X in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.
see HEBREW for 0995
בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) — between.
: between
between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between
בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) — between: among.
: among
between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between
A sub-meaning of ben (בַּ֫יִן ": between" H0996)
Prep — PrepHAcmsc
חוֹחַ (chowach) refers to a thorny plant, such as a brier or bramble, and can also denote a hook or fetter. The word is built from a root meaning to pierce, suggesting its association with thorns. It is linked to the concept of a thicket through a related term. There is a slight variation in emphasis across entries, with some focusing more on the plant aspect and others on the hook or fetter.
חוֹחַ n.m. 1. brier, bramble. 2. hook, ring, fetter
base
H2336 חוֹחַ 1. brier, bramble. 2. hook, ring, fetter
2336 chowach kho'-akh
from an unused root apparently meaning to pierce; a thorn; by
analogy, a ring for the nose:--bramble, thistle, thorn.
חוֹחַ (cho.ach) — thistle.
1) thorn, brier, bramble, thornbush, thicket
2) hook, ring, fetter
Also means: cha.vach (חָוָח "thicket" H2337)
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absoluteHTd/Ncmpa
and Thistles. There appear to be eighteen or twenty Hebrew words which point to different kinds of prickly or thorny shrubs. These words are variously rendered in the Authorized Version By "thorns," "briers," "thistles," etc. Palestine abounded in a great variety of such plants. ("Travellers call the holy land ’a land of thorns.’ Giant thistles, growing to the height of a man on horseback, frequently spread over regions once rich and fruitful, as they do on the pampas of South America; and many of the most interesting historic spats and ruins are rendered almost inaccessible by thickets of fiercely-armed buckthorns. Entire fields are covered with the troublesome creeping stems of the spinous ononis , while the bare hillsides are studded with the dangerous capsules of the puliuris and tribulus . Roses of the most prickly kinds abound on the lower slopes of Hermon; while the sub-tropical…
See THISTLES.
The Hebrew word כֵּן (*ken*) is built from the root meaning 'set upright.' It functions as an adjective meaning 'right,' 'veritable,' or 'honest,' and as an adverb meaning 'so,' 'therefore,' or 'thus.' It appears in various contexts, often indicating manner or relation, and is used in phrases like 'forasmuch as.'
כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest
right
veritable, true
pl. concr. honest (men)
base
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
כֵּן adv. so
base
H3651a כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest H3651b כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as H3651c כֵּן so
3651 ken kane
from 3559; properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as
adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction)
rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and
relation; often with other particles):--+ after that
(this, -ward, -wards), as ... as, + (for-)asmuch as yet, + be
(for which) cause, + following, howbeit, in (the) like
(manner, -wise), X the more, right, (even) so, state,
straightway, such (thing), surely, + there (where)-fore, this,
thus, true, well, X you.
see HEBREW for 03559
כֵּן (ken) — right.
adv
adj
1) right, just, honest, true, veritable
1a) right, just, honest
1b) correct
1c) true, veritable
[כִּי עַל] כֵּן ([ki al] ken) — as.
adv
forasmuch as, since
כֵּן (ken) — so.
adv
1) so, therefore, thus
1a) thus, so
1b) just so
1c) therefore
1d) so...as (paired with adv)
1e) then
1f) forasmuch as (in phrase)
1g) (with prep)
1g1) therefore, this being so (specific)
1g2) hitherto
1g3) therefore, on this ground (general)
1g4) afterwards
1g5) in such case
Aramaic equivalent: ken (כֵּן "thus" H3652)
HD — AdverbHD
so (co', although the Hebrew might be pointed cewe'; Assyrian Sib'u; Septuagint Segor, Soa; Manetho, Seuechos; Latin Sevechus; Herodotus (ii. 137 ff), Sabakon): In all probability the "Sabaeo" of Herodotus, the Shabaka, who founded the Ethiopian dynasty, the XXVth of Egyptian kings. His date is given as 715-707 BC (Flinders Petrie, History of Egypt, III, 281 ff), but we may suppose that before his accession to the throne he was entitled to be designated king, as being actually regent. To this So, Hoshea, king of Israel, made an appeal for assistance to enable him to throw off the yoke of the Assyrian Shalmaneser IV (2Ki 17:3). But Hoshea's submission to So brought him no advantage, for Shalmaneser came up throughout all the land and laid siege to Samaria. Not long after the fall of Samaria, So ventured upon an eastern campaign, and…
So
(Nubian, Sabako), an Ethiopian king who brought Egypt under his sway. He was bribed by Hoshea to help him against the Assyrian monarch Shalmaneser (2 Kings 17:4). This was a return to the policy that had been successful in the reign of Jeroboam I.
"So, king of Egypt," is once mentioned in the Bible -- (2 Kings 17:4) So has been identified by different writers with the first and second kings of the Ethiopian twenty-fifth dynasty, called by Manetho, Sabakon (Shebek) and Sebichos (Shebetek).
King of Egypt, made an alliance with Hoshea king of Israel, and promised him assistance; but was unable to prevent Shalmaneser king of Assyria from taking Samaria and subverting the kingdom, B. C. 721, 2Ki 17:4. See PHARAOH.
So is believed to have been the Servetus or Sabaco II of secular history, the second king of the Ethiopian or twenty-fifth dynasty, and the predecessor of Trihakah. A singular fact has been brought to light by the recent explorations at Nineveh, corroborating the Scripture record the more forcibly, because unexpected and direct. The Bible shows that Egypt and Assyria, though remote, were often in conflict during the height of the Assyrian ruins power, and that So was at war with Shalmaneser. After war comes the treaty of peace; and as the Bible prepares us to suppose such treaties were made, the Assyrian ruins…
רַעְיָה (ra'yah) is a feminine noun derived from רָעָה (ra'ah). It encompasses meanings such as companion, fellow, and darling, often referring to a female associate or attendant maidens. The entries highlight its relational aspect, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
[רַעְיָה] n.f. companion
base
H7474 רַעְיָה
7474 ra`yah rah-yaw'
feminine of 7453; a female associate:--fellow, love.
see HEBREW for 07453
רַעְיָה (ra.yah) — darling.
attendant maidens, companion
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs
בַּ֫יִן (beyn) is a noun meaning 'interval' or 'space between.' It primarily functions as a preposition meaning 'between' or 'among,' and can also indicate distinctions or choices. The dual form בֵּנַ֫יִם refers specifically to the space between two entities, such as armies. The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement.
בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between
always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between
Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies
base
H996 בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between . always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between
. Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies
996 beyn bane
(sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly,
the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from 995; a
distinction; but used only as a prep, between (repeated before
each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction,
either...or:--among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), +
from (the widest), X in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.
see HEBREW for 0995
בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) — between.
: between
between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between
בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) — between: among.
: among
between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between
A sub-meaning of ben (בַּ֫יִן ": between" H0996)
Prep — PrepHAcmsc
בַּת (bat) means 'daughter' and encompasses a range of meanings including female child, young women, and even personifications of cities or inhabitants. It can also refer to villages in certain contexts. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and is used in various figurative senses, such as 'branch' or 'apple of the eye.'
בַּת 587 n.f. daughter
daughter, female child
young women, women
with name of city, land, or people, poet. personif. of that city or inhabitants
pl. = villages, after name of city
in phrases denoting character, quality, etc.
ostrich
fig.
of vine = branch
as n. relat.
base
H1323 בַּת daughter . daughter, female child
. young women, women
. with name of city, land, or people, poet. personif. of that city or inhabitants
. pl. = villages, after name of city
. in phrases denoting character, quality, etc.
. ostrich
. fig.
. of vine = branch
. as n. relat.
1323 bath bath
from 1129 (as feminine of 1121); a daughter (used in the same
wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and
figuratively):--apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter,
X first, X old, + owl, town, village.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01121
בַּת (bat) — daughter.
: daughter
1) daughter
1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin
1a1) as polite address
1a2) as designation of women of a particular place
2) young women, women
1a3) as personification
1a4) daughter-villages
1a5) description of character
Also means: bat (בַּת ": village" H1323H)
בַּת (bat) — daughter: village.
: village
1) daughter
1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin
1a1) as polite address
1a2) as designation of women of a particular place
2) young women, women
1a3) as personification
1a4) daughter-villages
1a5) description of character
בַּת (bat) — Bath (Shua).
A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.38.2;
daughter of: Shua (H7770); married to Judah (H3063);
mother of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209) and Shelah (H7956)
Art | N-fp — Particle · noun common feminine plural absoluteHTd/Ncfpa