Song of Solomon 2:15
New International Version
Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.

New Living Translation
Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming! Young Woman

English Standard Version
Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.”

Berean Standard Bible
Catch for us the foxes—the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—for our vineyards are in bloom.

King James Bible
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

New King James Version
Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes.

New American Standard Bible
“Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom.”

NASB 1995
“Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom.”

NASB 1977
“Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom.”

Legacy Standard Bible
“Seize the foxes for us, The little foxes that are wreaking destruction on the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom.”

Amplified Bible
“Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that spoil and ruin the vineyards [of love], While our vineyards are in blossom.”

Christian Standard Bible
Catch the foxes for us — the little foxes that ruin the vineyards — for our vineyards are in bloom. Woman

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Catch the foxes for us— the little foxes that ruin the vineyards— for our vineyards are in bloom. W

American Standard Version
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, That spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Catch for us foxes, small foxes ruining the vineyards and our vines of vine buds

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Take us the little foxes that spoil the vines: for our vines put forth tender grapes.

Contemporary English Version
Our vineyards are in blossom; we must catch the little foxes that destroy the vineyards.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vines: for our vineyard hath flourished.

English Revised Version
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that ruin vineyards. Our vineyards are blooming.

Good News Translation
Catch the foxes, the little foxes, before they ruin our vineyard in bloom.

International Standard Version
Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that destroy the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom."

JPS Tanakh 1917
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom.'

Literal Standard Version
Seize for us foxes, | Little foxes—destroyers of vineyards, | Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.

Majority Standard Bible
Catch for us the foxes—the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—for our vineyards are in bloom.

New American Bible
Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that damage the vineyards; for our vineyards are in bloom!

NET Bible
Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes, that ruin the vineyards--for our vineyard is in bloom.

New Revised Standard Version
Catch us the foxes, the little foxes, that ruin the vineyards— for our vineyards are in blossom.”

New Heart English Bible
Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.

Webster's Bible Translation
Take for us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

World English Bible
Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that plunder the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.

Young's Literal Translation
Seize ye for us foxes, Little foxes -- destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Bride's Admiration
14O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely. 15Catch for us the foxes— the little foxes that ruin the vineyards— for our vineyards are in bloom. 16My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies.…

Cross References
Luke 13:32
But Jesus replied, "Go tell that fox, 'Look, I will keep driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.'

Song of Solomon 2:13
The fig tree ripens its figs; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come away, my darling; come away with me, my beautiful one."

Ezekiel 13:4
Your prophets, O Israel, are like foxes among the ruins.


Treasury of Scripture

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

the foxes

Psalm 80:13
The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.

Ezekiel 13:4-16
O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts…

Luke 13:32
And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

tender

Song of Solomon 2:13
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Song of Solomon 7:12
Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.

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Beloved Bloom Blossom Catch Damage Destroyers Foxes Grapes Little Ruin Ruining Seize Spoil Sweet-Smelling Tender Vines Vineyards Young
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Beloved Bloom Blossom Catch Damage Destroyers Foxes Grapes Little Ruin Ruining Seize Spoil Sweet-Smelling Tender Vines Vineyards Young
Song of Solomon 2
1. the mutual love of Christ and his church
8. The hope
10. and calling of the church
14. Christ's care of the church
16. The profession of the church, her faith, and hope














(15) Take us the foxes.--Possibly this is a verse of a familiar country song, introduced here from the suggestion of the "sweet voice" in the last verse; but more probably to be compared to the "avaunt" so commonly addressed by poets in Epithalamia and love songs to all mischievous and troublesome creatures. Thus in Spenser's Epithalamium, owls, storks, ravens, and frogs are warned off.

Foxes.--Comp. Judges 15:4. Whether our fox or the jackal (Heb., shual), it is known to be equally destructive to vineyards. Theocritus (Id. v. 112) is often compared:--

"I hate those brush-tailed foxes, that each night

Spoil Micon's vineyards with their deadly bite."

In the allegorising commentators they stand for heretics.

Verse 15. - Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom. There is some difficulty in deciding to which of the persons this speech is to be attributed. It is most naturally, however, assigned to the bride, and this is the view of the majority of critics. Hence she refers to the vineyards as "our vineyards," which the bridegroom could scarcely say. On the other hand, it must be acknowledged that the words are abrupt regarded as a response to the beautiful appeal of the lover. The following are the remarks of Delitzsch on the subject: "This is a vine dresser's ditty, in accord with Shulamith's experience as the keeper of a vineyard, which, in a figure, aims at her love relation. The vineyards, beautiful with fragrant blossoms, point to her covenant of love, and the foxes, the little foxes, which might destroy those united vineyards, point to all the great and little enemies and adverse circumstances which threaten to gnaw and destroy love in the blossom ere it has reached the ripeness of full enjoyment." Some think that Shulamith is giving the reason why she cannot immediately join her beloved, referring to the duties enjoined upon her by her brethren. But there is an awkwardness in this explanation. The simplest and most straightforward is that which connects the words immediately with the invitation of the lover to come forth into the lovely vineyards. Is it not an allusion to the playful pleasure which the young people would find among the vineyards in chasing the little foxes? and may not the lover take up some well known country ditty, and sing it outside the window as a playful repetition of the invitation to appear? The words do seem to be arranged in somewhat of a lyrical form -

"Catch us the foxes,
Foxes the little ones,
Wasting our vineyards,
When our vineyards are blossoming."
The foxes (shualim), or little jackals, were very numerous in Palestine (see Judges 15:4; Lamentations 5:18; Psalm 63:11; Nehemiah 4:3; 1 Samuel 13:17). The little jackals were seldom more than fifteen inches high. There would be nothing unsuitable in the address to a maiden to help to catch such small animals. The idea of the song is - Let us all join in taking them. Some think that Shulamith is inviting the king to call his attendants to the work. But when two lovers thus approach one another, it is not likely that others would be thought cf. However the words be viewed, the typical meaning can scarcely be missed. The idea of clearing the vineyards of depredators well suits the general import of the poem. Let the blossoming love of the soul be without injury and restraint. Let the rising faith and affection be carefully guarded. Both individuals and communities do well to think of the little foxes that spoil the vines.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Catch
אֶֽחֱזוּ־ (’e·ḥĕ·zū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 270: To grasp, take hold, take possession

for us
לָ֙נוּ֙ (lā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's Hebrew

the foxes—
שֽׁוּעָלִ֔ים (šū·‘ā·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7776: Fox, perhaps jackal

the little
קְטַנִּ֖ים (qə·ṭan·nîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6996: Small, young, unimportant

foxes
שֽׁוּעָלִ֥ים (šū·‘ā·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7776: Fox, perhaps jackal

that ruin
מְחַבְּלִ֣ים (mə·ḥab·bə·lîm)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 2254: To wind tightly, to bind, a pledge, to pervert, destroy, to writhe in pain

the vineyards—
כְּרָמִ֑ים (kə·rā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard

for our vineyards
וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ (ū·ḵə·rā·mê·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard

are in bloom.
סְמָדַֽר׃ (sə·mā·ḏar)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5563: A vine blossom, abloom


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Song of Solomon 2:14
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