The Song of Songs 2:8

The Arrival of the Lover

The Beloved about Her Lover:

2:8 Listen! ¹  My lover is approaching! ² 

Look! ³  Here he comes,

leaping over the mountains,

bounding over the hills!

The Song of Songs 2:10

The Season of Love and the Song of the Turtle-Dove

The Lover to His Beloved:

2:10 My lover spoke to me, saying:

“Arise, my darling;

My beautiful one, come away with me!

¹ tn Heb “The voice of my beloved!” The exclamation קוֹל (qol, “Listen!”) is an introductory exclamatory particle used to emphasize excitement and the element of surprise.

² tn The phrase “is approaching” does not appear in Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

³ tn The exclamation הִנֵּה־זֶה (hinneh-zeh, “Look!”) is used of excited speech when someone is seen approaching (Isa 21:9).