Verse 15 turns from intimacy to a practical-sounding concern: “Catch for us the foxes,” especially the “little foxes,” because they “spoil the vineyards.” The vineyards are called “ours” and are “in blossom,” stressing shared ownership and a vulnerable season when small damage can be disproportionate.

Where interpretation differs (only where needed)

Who is speaking in v.15. Some read v.15 as the man continuing to speak, still addressing the woman (“catch for us…”). Others hear it as a shared line spoken by the couple together, or as a line directed outward to helpers (friends/attendants) who could literally help protect vineyards.

What “vineyards” and “foxes” refer to. Some take the line as straightforward rural imagery: real foxes threaten real vines during blossoming. Others think the vineyard language also carries relational meaning: what the couple is building (love, trust, union, future) is at an early, fragile stage, and “little foxes” picture small disruptions that can quietly do real harm.

Why the disagreement exists

The poem shifts quickly from private praise to a short, punchy instruction, and the grammar (“catch for us… our vineyards”) does not clearly identify whether the instruction is to the beloved, to both lovers, or to others. Also, vineyards in this book can function as both literal settings and poetic images, so readers disagree on whether v.15 is only agricultural or also symbolic.

What this passage clearly contributes

Explicitly, the text shows a lover calling the beloved out of hiding into mutual presence and communication (face and voice) and then naming an urgent shared task: protecting “our” vineyards while they are blossoming. The passage supports an inference that love is both delight (enjoying the person) and vigilance (guarding what is growing), with special attention to small threats (“little foxes”) that can spoil outcomes at an early stage.

face (mar·’a·yiḵ)