Song Of Solomon / Question
The line is a direct statement of mutual belonging between the lovers (Song of Solomon 2:16). It is paired with the pastoral image that “he grazes among the lilies” (Song of Solomon 2:16).
In Song of Solomon 2:16–17, the speaker declares mutual belonging with her “beloved” and pictures him moving in a garden-like setting. She then marks a time boundary—until the day cools and shadows disappear—and calls for him to “turn” and come in swift, graceful motion like a gazelle or young deer. These lines sit near the end of a remembered scene in which the beloved comes toward the woman with eager energy and springlike imagery (2:8–15).
The text presents a relationship in reciprocal terms: “my beloved is mine, and I am his.” That is an explicit claim of mutual belonging, not a one-sided claim of control.
A common mistake is to turn the wording into a slogan. The better reading keeps the phrase tied to the passage, the speaker, and the problem the book is addressing.
Start with Song of Solomon 2:16, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
16My beloved is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies.