Song of Solomon 2:5
Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern culture understood lovesickness as genuine physical condition—intense desire affecting body and emotions. Raisin cakes appear elsewhere in Scripture in festive, celebratory contexts (2 Samuel 6:19). The imagery suggests that intense desire within covenant relationship is healthy, not shameful. Early church mystics used this language for spiritual experience—intense desire for God sometimes overwhelming the soul. Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross described ecstatic longing for divine presence using marital imagery. The Puritans balanced this: marriage includes appropriate passion, while spiritual life involves intense desire for God. Modern readers see both affirmation of marital desire and the soul's hunger for God.
Questions for Reflection
- Have you experienced spiritual 'lovesickness'—overwhelming desire for God's presence that requires refreshment through His means of grace?
- How does this verse affirm that intense desire within marriage is godly rather than shameful?
Analysis & Commentary
The bride exclaims, 'Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.' The Hebrew 'raphad' (רַפֵּד, stay/sustain) suggests supporting or strengthening, while 'samakh' (סָמַךְ, comfort) means uphold or refresh. The 'flagons' (ashishot, אֲשִׁישׁוֹת) were likely raisin cakes—sweet, nourishing food. Apples (tappuchim, תַּפּוּחִים) provide refreshment. The bride feels faint—'sick of love' (cholat ahavah, חוֹלַת אַהֲבָה) describes lovesickness, overwhelming desire for the beloved. Love's intensity creates physical effects requiring sustenance. This verse celebrates passion's power—legitimate desire within covenant relationship so strong it requires physical refreshment. Spiritually, it represents the soul's intense longing for God that can feel overwhelming, requiring spiritual nourishment through Word and sacrament.