Psalms 68:13

68:13 When ¹  you lie down among the sheepfolds, ² 

the wings of the dove are covered with silver

and with glittering gold. ³ 

The Song of Songs 2:14

The Dove in the Clefts of En-Gedi

The Lover to His Beloved:

2:14 O my dove, ⁴  in the clefts of the rock,

in the hiding places of the mountain crags,

let me see your face,

let me hear your voice;

for your voice is sweet,

and your face is lovely.

Isaiah 38:14

38:14 Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp,

I coo ⁵  like a dove;

my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. ⁶ 

O sovereign master, ⁷  I am oppressed;

help me! ⁸ 

Isaiah 59:11

59:11 We all growl like bears,

we coo mournfully like doves;

we wait for deliverance, ⁹  but there is none,

for salvation, but it is far from us.

Jeremiah 48:28

48:28 Leave your towns, you inhabitants of Moab.

Go and live in the cliffs.

Be like a dove that makes its nest

high on the sides of a ravine. ¹⁰ 

Ezekiel 7:16

7:16 Their survivors will escape to the mountains and become like doves of the valleys; all of them will moan – each one for his iniquity.

[68:13]  ¹ tn Or “if.”

[68:13]  ² tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “sheepfolds” is uncertain. There may be an echo of Judg 5:16 here.

[68:13]  ³ tn Heb “and her pinions with the yellow of gold.”

[2:14]  ⁴ sn The dove was a common figure for romantic love in ancient Near Eastern love literature. This emphasis seems to be suggested by his use of the term “my dove.” Just as the young man heard the voice of the turtledove in 2:12, so now he wants to hear her voice. Doves were often associated with timidity in the ancient world. Being virtually defenseless, they would often take refuge in crevices and cliffs for safety (Jer 48:28). The emphasis on timidity and the need for security is undoubtedly the emphasis here because of the explicit description of this “dove” hiding in the “clefts of the rock” and in “the hiding places of the mountain crevice.” Fortresses were sometimes built in the clefts of the rocks on mountainsides because they were inaccessible and therefore, in a secure place of safety (Jer 49:16; Obad 3). Perhaps he realized it might be intimidating for her to join him and communicate with him freely. She would need to feel secure in his love to do this. It would be easy for her to hide from such emotionally exposing experiences.

[38:14]  ⁵ tn Or “moan” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); KJV, CEV “mourn.”

[38:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “my eyes become weak, toward the height.”

[38:14]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew term translated “sovereign master” here and in v. 16 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[38:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “stand surety for me.” Hezekiah seems to be picturing himself as a debtor who is being exploited; he asks that the Lord might relieve his debt and deliver him from the oppressive creditor.

[59:11]  ⁹ tn See the note at v. 9.

[48:28]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “in the sides of the mouth of a pit/chasm.” The translation follows the suggestion of J. Bright, Jeremiah (AB), 321. The point of the simile is inaccessibility.