The flowers have appeared in the countryside; the season of singing has come, and the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land.
Parallel translations
- WEB The flowers appear on the earth. The time of the singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
- KJV The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
- NKJV The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land.
- NASB ‘The blossoms have already appeared in the land; The time has arrived for pruning the vines, And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.
- NLT The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Flowers bloom, singing returns, and the turtledove is heard. It celebrates the arrival of springtime and renewed gladness.
Overview
Blossoms, birdsong, and the dove's call announce spring's full arrival, a time of beauty and rejoicing. The renewal of creation invites the lovers to delight. The springtime imagery has often been linked to the new life and hope that come with the Lord's reviving work among His people (Isa. 35:1-2).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Isa 55:12You will indeed go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
- Ps 89:15Blessed are those who know the joyful sound, who walk, O LORD, in the light of Your presence.
- Jer 8:7Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.
- Ps 148:7–13Praise the LORD from the earth, all great sea creatures and ocean depths,
- Col 3:16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
- Ps 40:1–3For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry.
- Eph 1:13–14And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
- Isa 42:10–12Sing to the LORD a new song—His praise from the ends of the earth—you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who dwell in them.
- Eph 5:18–20Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
- Isa 35:1–2The wilderness and the land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.
- Rom 15:9–13so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.”
- Hos 14:5–7I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
- Song 6:11I went down to the walnut grove to see the blossoms of the valley, to see if the vines were budding or the pomegranates were in bloom.
- Song 6:2My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens and to gather lilies.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The poetry of covenant love between bride and bridegroom pictures, at its highest, the love of Christ for his church — the Bridegroom who gave himself for his bride.
How Song of Songs 2:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.