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 2:13KJV
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Song of Solomon 2:13 (KJV)

What does Song of Solomon 2:13 mean?

Song of Solomon 2:13 describes a scene where the natural world is coming alive with new growth and fragrance, signaling a time of invitation and love. The speaker calls to their beloved, urging them to rise and come away together, using the blossoming fig tree and fragrant grapevines as symbols of beauty and readiness.

In this verse, the woman (often understood as the bride) is being addressed by her lover (the bridegroom). The setting is springtime, a season full of life and promise, which reflects the emotional and relational awakening between the two. The language paints a vivid picture of a garden in bloom, emphasizing both the beauty of the moment and the closeness of the relationship.

The Hebrew behind Song of Solomon 2:13

  • "tree" (תְּאֵנָה, te'enah): This word refers specifically to the fig tree, a common symbol of fertility and new beginnings in ancient Israel. Its mention highlights the sense of renewal.
  • "forth" (חָנַט, chanat): This verb means to put forth or to bud, emphasizing the active, visible change in the season and the readiness for something new.
  • "grape" (אֲנָבִים, anavim): This word means grape, here described as "tender," pointing to the early, delicate stage of growth, which carries a sweet fragrance.
  • "smell" (רֵיחַ, reyach): This word means scent or fragrance. The verse notes that the vines give a good smell, which adds to the sensory richness and the sense of invitation.

Why Song of Solomon 2:13 matters

  • Song of Solomon 2:13 uses the imagery of spring to communicate not just physical beauty, but also emotional readiness and invitation, making the relationship feel alive and urgent.
  • The verse connects the natural world with human love, showing how creation itself can mirror and celebrate the joys of relationship.
  • Understanding the specific plants and their stages—fig trees budding, grapevines blossoming—helps the reader sense the freshness and anticipation in the passage, deepening the sense of longing and delight between the lovers.

Where else these words appear

“grape” Hebrew H5563 · used in 3 verses

  • Song of Solomon 2:15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
  • 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.

“forth” Hebrew H2590 · used in 4 verses

  • Genesis 50:2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel.
  • Genesis 50:3 And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.
  • Genesis 50:26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

“love” Hebrew H7474 · used in 10 verses

  • Judges 11:37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
  • Song of Solomon 2:2 As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
  • Song of Solomon 4:7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

“tree” Hebrew H8384 · used in 35 verses

  • Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
  • Proverbs 27:18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
  • Jeremiah 29:17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.