3:5 The woman spoke to the women of Jerusalem

This verse is a refrain, and it ends this section (2:8–3:5). It is identical to the refrain in 2:7, so the two verses should be translated in the same way.

3:5a–e

O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right: For information and translation advice on this verse, refer to the notes for 2:7a–e.

General Comment/summary for 2:8–3:5

In this section (especially in 2:8–17) the author describes the new spring plants and blossoms. He implies that the love between the man and woman was also growing. In 3:1–4 the woman searched for her beloved and longed for union with him. In 3:4 she dreamed that she found him and brought him home with her. As the man and woman became more ready to be intimate with each other, the woman warned the Jerusalem women to be careful to not influence them to express that intimate love before the right time (3:5).

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