My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.

SONG OF SOLOMON 8:12KJV
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Song of Solomon 8:12 (KJV)

What does Song of Solomon 8:12 mean?

Song of Solomon 8:12 describes the woman declaring that her own "vineyard"—a symbol for herself and her love—is hers to give, even as Solomon may possess many vineyards and receive great wealth from them. She insists on her personal ownership and the right to choose, distinguishing her love from Solomon's royal holdings.

In this verse, the woman is speaking, likely addressing Solomon or those around him. She contrasts her own "vineyard" (her person or love) with Solomon's vast possessions, using the word as a metaphor. The mention of "a thousand" and "two hundred" refers to the profits or keepers of Solomon's vineyards, highlighting that while Solomon may have many, her love is not part of his wealth but something she controls.

The Hebrew behind Song of Solomon 8:12

  • "Vineyard" (כֶּרֶם, kerem): This word is often used in Song of Solomon as a metaphor for a person's body, love, or personal life. Here, it emphasizes the woman's autonomy and the value of her love.
  • "Before" (פָּנִים, panim): This word means "in front of" or "before," stressing that her vineyard is set before her—she is fully aware and in control of it.
  • "Keep" (נָצַר, natsar): This word means "to guard" or "to keep." The phrase about those who "keep the fruit" points to those entrusted with caring for Solomon's vineyards, contrasting with the woman's personal guardianship over her own.
  • "Fruit" (פְּרִי, peri): This word means "fruit" or "produce," reinforcing the metaphor of the vineyard as something that yields valuable results—here, the fruit is her love or affection.

Why Song of Solomon 8:12 matters

  • Song of Solomon 8:12 clarifies that the woman's love is not a commodity to be bought or managed like Solomon's royal possessions; she claims personal agency.
  • The verse highlights a theme running through Song of Solomon: the mutual, voluntary nature of love, rather than ownership or transaction.
  • This statement connects to earlier passages where the vineyard metaphor is used, bringing the book's imagery full circle and emphasizing the woman's voice and choice at the conclusion of the poem.

Where else these words appear

“keep” Hebrew H5201 · used in 8 verses

  • Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
  • Song of Solomon 1:6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.
  • Jeremiah 3:5 Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.

“vineyard” Hebrew H3754 · used in 82 verses

  • Genesis 9:20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
  • 1 Kings 21:1 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
  • Isaiah 1:8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

“fruit” Hebrew H6529 · used in 107 verses

  • Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
  • Nehemiah 10:35 And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD:
  • Isaiah 37:31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward: