Sustain me with raisins;In ancient Near Eastern culture, raisins were considered a delicacy and a source of nourishment. They were often used in festive occasions and as offerings. The request for raisins here symbolizes a desire for sustenance and strength, reflecting the deep emotional and physical longing of the speaker. Raisins, being dried grapes, also connect to the imagery of vineyards and wine, which are prevalent throughout the Song of Solomon, symbolizing love and joy. This phrase can be seen as a metaphor for seeking spiritual sustenance and strength from God, akin to how believers are encouraged to seek spiritual nourishment from the Word and the Holy Spirit.
refresh me with apples,
Apples in the ancient world were associated with love and desire, often seen as an aphrodisiac. The request for apples signifies a longing for refreshment and rejuvenation, both physically and emotionally. In the context of the Song of Solomon, apples may symbolize the sweetness and delight of love. This imagery can also be connected to the Garden of Eden, where fruit represents both temptation and the beauty of creation. Spiritually, this can be seen as a call for the refreshing presence of God, akin to the way believers seek renewal through prayer and worship.
for I am faint with love.
The expression of being "faint with love" captures the overwhelming and consuming nature of true love. It reflects the intensity and passion that characterizes the relationship between the lovers in the Song of Solomon. This phrase can be understood as a depiction of the soul's deep yearning for communion with God, paralleling the believer's desire for a close and intimate relationship with Christ. The imagery of faintness suggests a vulnerability and dependency, highlighting the need for divine support and sustenance. This can be related to other scriptural themes where love for God is portrayed as the greatest commandment, and the believer's relationship with Christ is likened to a bride and bridegroom.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The Shulammite WomanThe speaker in this verse, expressing her deep longing and overwhelming love. She is a central figure in the Song of Solomon, representing the bride.
2.
SolomonTraditionally considered the author and the male figure in the Song of Solomon, representing the bridegroom.
3.
Raisins and ApplesSymbolic elements in the verse. Raisins and apples were considered delicacies and sources of nourishment and refreshment in ancient Israel.
4.
The Banquet HallThe setting of the surrounding verses, symbolizing a place of love and celebration.
5.
LoveThe central theme of the Song of Solomon, representing both human romantic love and, allegorically, the love between God and His people.
Teaching Points
The Intensity of LoveThe verse highlights the overwhelming nature of true love, which can leave one feeling faint. This intensity is a reminder of the passionate love God has for us.
Spiritual NourishmentJust as the Shulammite seeks physical sustenance, we are called to seek spiritual nourishment through God's Word and presence.
Symbolism of FruitsRaisins and apples symbolize sustenance and delight. In our spiritual walk, we should seek what truly nourishes our soul and brings joy.
Dependence on GodThe plea for strengthening and refreshing reflects our need to depend on God for strength and renewal in our spiritual journey.
Love as a Reflection of Divine RelationshipThe love depicted in Song of Solomon serves as a metaphor for the divine love between Christ and the Church, encouraging us to reflect this love in our relationships.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Song of Solomon 2:5?
2.How does Song of Solomon 2:5 illustrate the intensity of romantic love?
3.What role does sustenance play in expressing love in Song of Solomon 2:5?
4.How can we apply the longing in Song of Solomon 2:5 to marriage?
5.What other scriptures emphasize love's power, similar to Song of Solomon 2:5?
6.How can Song of Solomon 2:5 inspire us to nurture our relationships?
7.What is the significance of "sustain me with raisins" in Song of Solomon 2:5?
8.How does Song of Solomon 2:5 reflect the theme of love in the Bible?
9.Why is the imagery of apples used in Song of Solomon 2:5?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Song of Solomon 2?
11.What does 'Do not awaken love until it pleases' mean?
12.What do foxes symbolize in Song of Solomon?
13.How do we reconcile the romantic imagery of Song of Solomon 3 with the more sober views on marriage and lust in other biblical texts (e.g., Matthew 5:28)?
14.Why does this chapter focus on sensual imagery (Song of Solomon 4:5-7) when other biblical texts seem to emphasize modesty or spiritual themes?What Does Song of Solomon 2:5 Mean
Sustain me with raisins- In the ancient world raisins were compact, energizing, and celebratory. Abigail carried “five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins” to David (1 Samuel 25:18), and David later blessed the people with “a cake of raisins for each one” when the ark arrived in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:19).
- The bride is asking her beloved for tangible strength. She knows love is not only an emotion; it needs to be nourished. Just as Israel’s warriors carried raisin cakes for stamina (1 Chronicles 12:40), she seeks sustaining grace for the intensity of covenant love.
- By voicing this request she admits dependence. Love that is God-honoring never boasts of self-sufficiency (1 Corinthians 13:4–5) but humbly asks for help.
refresh me with apples- Apples were prized for fragrance, sweetness, and the cool shade of the apple tree—“Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved” (Songs 2:3). They picture delight that revives the senses.
- The bride does not want mere survival; she longs to be refreshed—body, soul, and spirit. Consider how Jonathan “tasted a little honey… and behold, my eyes have brightened” (1 Samuel 14:29). Apples serve the same purpose here: brightening weary eyes.
- Our walk with Christ includes moments when we need fresh mercies “new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23). He supplies both the sustaining raisin-like strength for the long haul and the apple-like refreshment that lifts the heart.
for I am faint with love- The intensity of covenant love can be overwhelming. Later she confesses, “I adjure you… do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires” (Songs 8:4). Until the mutual commitment of marriage is secured, the experience can leave one breathless.
- Physical weakness mirrors spiritual longing. David cried, “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD” (Psalm 84:2). True love—whether between man and woman or between Christ and His church—can empty us of natural strength and drive us to seek divine supply.
- The phrase underscores purity: she is not faint from indulgence but from yearning restrained until the proper time (Songs 3:5). Such restraint honors the Creator’s design for marriage (Genesis 2:24;Hebrews 13:4).
summaryThe bride’s simple plea paints a vivid picture of covenant love. Raisins represent lasting strength, apples immediate refreshment, and her faintness reveals the very real cost of waiting for love’s fulfillment. God designed love to be passionate yet dependent, powerful yet humble. He alone provides the sustaining grace and refreshing joy that keep love pure, strong, and enduring.
(5)
Flagons.--Heb.,
ashishoth,apparently a dried cake, but of what substance is uncertain. From the margin of
Hosea 3:1, possibly "grape cakes." In
2Samuel 6:19 it occurs as one of the gifts distributed by David at the removal of the ark, and is rendered by the LXX.,
a cake from the frying-pan.Here the LXX. have
sweet unguents,and the Vulg.
flowers.The Authorised Version,
flagons,follows a Rabbinical interpretation.
Comfort.--The margin,straw me with apples,follows the LXX.; the Hebrew word occurs inJob 17:3; Authorised Version, "make my bed"--Job 41:30 (Heb. 22). Authorised Version, "spreadeth." Hence some translate here, "make me a bed of apple-leaves;" but the parallelism is against this, and the root idea in both the words translated "comfort" and "stay" is putting a prop or support under. Metaphorically =refreshorsustain.
Verse 5. -
Stay me with raisins, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. Again the intensive form of the verb is chosen. She is almost sinking; she cries out for comfort. The food for which she longs is the grape cakes - the grapes sufficiently dried to be pressed together as cakes, which is very refreshing and reviving; not raisins as we know them, but with more of the juice of the grape in them. So date cakes are now offered to travellers in the East. "Refresh me; for I am in a state of deep agitation because of the intensity of my love." Ginsburg thinks the cakes are baked by the fire, the word being derived from a root "to burn." The translation, "flagons of wine," in the Authorized Version, follows the rabbinical exposition, but it is quite unsupported by the critics. Love sickness is common in Eastern countries, more so than with us in the colder hemisphere. Perhaps the appeal of the bride is meant to be general, not immediately directed to the king, as if a kind of exclamation, and it may be connected with the previous idea of the banner. The country maiden is dazzled with the splendour and majesty of the king. She gives up, as it were, in willing resignation of herself, the rivalry with one so great and glorious in the expression of love and praise; she sinks back with delight and ecstasy, calling upon any around to support her, and Solomon himself answers the appeal, and puts his loving arm around her and holds up her head, and gives her the sweetest and tenderest embraces, which renew her strength. We know that in the spiritual life there are such experiences. The intensity of religious feeling is closely connected with physical exhaustion, and when the soul cries for help and longs for comfort, the presence of the Saviour is revealed; the weakness is changed into strength. The apostolic seer in the Apocalypse describes himself as overcome with the glory of the Saviour's appearance, and being brought back to himself by his voice (
Revelation 1:17).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Sustain meסַמְּכ֙וּנִי֙(sam·mə·ḵū·nî)Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural | first person common singular
Strong's 5564:To prop, to lean upon, take hold ofwith raisins;בָּֽאֲשִׁישׁ֔וֹת(bā·’ă·šî·šō·wṯ)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 809:Something closely pressed together, a cake of raisins, other comfitsrefresh meרַפְּד֖וּנִי(rap·pə·ḏū·nî)Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural | first person common singular
Strong's 7502:To spread, to refreshwith apples,בַּתַּפּוּחִ֑ים(bat·tap·pū·ḥîm)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8598:An apple, the fruit, the treeforכִּי־(kî-)Conjunction
Strong's 3588:A relative conjunctionIאָֽנִי׃(’ā·nî)Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589:Iam faintחוֹלַ֥ת(ḥō·w·laṯ)Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2470:To be weak or sickwith love.אַהֲבָ֖ה(’a·hă·ḇāh)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 160:Love (noun)
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OT Poetry: Song of Solomon 2:5 Strengthen me with raisins refresh me (Song Songs SS So Can) 
