2:16–17
In these verses the woman is probably now outside in the countryside with her beloved.
2:16a
My beloved is mine and I am his: Here the woman probably spoke directly to her beloved. However, she spoke as though she were speaking to someone else about him. In Hebrew poetry it is common to speak that way. In some languages it is more natural to indicate that the woman spoke directly to the man. For example:
My beloved, you are mine, and I am yours.
This statement implies that the man and woman loved each other in a way that they did not love anyone else. Try to find a poetic way to say this. Some other ways to say it in English are:
My beloved, you belong to me, and I belong to you.
-or-
My love, you are my own, and I am your own.
-or-
You are the one I love, and I am the one you love.
2:16b
he pastures his flock among the lilies: There are two ways to interpret the verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he pastures :
(1) It means “he grazes.” In this context it implies that the man feeds or nourishes himself among lilies. For example:
he grazes among the lilies. (NET Bible)
(2) It means “he pastures (his flock),” and it implies that he feeds his flock. For example:
he pastures his flock among the lilies. (Revised Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The emphasis in this context is on the shepherd himself, not on his sheep. The author does not mention sheep or shepherding anywhere else in this section (2:8–3:5). The author compares the man to a stag in 2:17, so interpretation (1) fits the context well. However, in some languages a literal translation gives a wrong meaning. See the next note for more information.
Because the Berean Standard Bible follows interpretation (2), the NET Bible will be used as the source line in the Display.
(NET Bible) he grazes among the lilies: In Hebrew the phrase he grazes among the lilies literally means that he stands among the lilies and eats them. Figuratively, the woman referred to herself as lilies, as she did in 2:1b. In 2:2 the man compared her to a lily among thorns. Here in 2:16 the woman said that the man feeds himself among the lilies. Figuratively, this means that he was happy and nourished by being with her.
It may be helpful to include a footnote to make this figurative meaning clear. For example:
“Grazing among the lilies” has a figurative meaning here. It probably refers back to 2:1–2 where the woman described herself as a common lily, and the man described her as a lily among thorns. This implies that in 2:16 lilies are also a symbol for the woman. The man enjoys being with her.
This same figure of speech also occurs in 6:3. (Other figurative uses of “lilies” occur in 4:5, 5:13, 6:2 and 7:2. But those figures do not have the same significance as the figures in 2:16 and 6:3.)
In some languages it is necessary to make explicit that the author used a metaphor or simile. It may also be necessary to mention the gazelle and young stag in 2:16, as well as in 2:17. For example:
16a My beloved is mine and I am his.
⌊ 17c
Like a gazelle 17d or young stag,⌋ 16b he browses among the lilies.
17a Until the day breathes
17b and the shadows flee,
17c turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle 17d or a young stag upon rugged mountains.
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