30 In the ancient Near East the mandrake was a widely used symbol of erotic love because it was thought to be an aphrodisiac and therefore was used as a fertility drug. The unusual shape of the large forked roots of the mandrake resembles the human body with extended arms and legs. This similarity gave rise to the popular superstition that the mandrake could induce conception and it was therefore used as a fertility drug. It was so thoroughly associated with erotic love that its name is derived from the Hebrew root דּוֹד (dod, “love”), that is, דּוּדָאִים (duda’im) denotes “love-apples.” Arabs used its fruit and roots as an aphrodisiac and referred to it as abd al- sal’m (“servant of love”) (R. K. Harrison, “The Mandrake and the Ancient World,” EQ 28 [1956]: 188–89; Fauna and Flora of the Bible, 138–39).
31 Her comparison of their love to fruit stored “over our door” reflects an ancient Near Eastern practice of storing fruit on a shelf above the door of a house. In the ancient Near East, fruits were stored away on shelves or cupboards above doorways where they were out of reach and left to dry until they became very sweet and delectable. The point of comparison in this figurative expression seems to be two-fold: (1) She was treasuring up special expressions of her sexual love to give to him, and (2) All these good things were for him alone to enjoy. See M. H. Pope, The Song of Songs [], .

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Come, my beloved,

let us go out into the fields

and lodge in the villages;

let us go out early to the vineyards

and see whether the vines have budded,

whether the grape blossoms have opened

and the pomegranates are in bloom.

There I will give you my love.

The mandrakes give forth fragrance,

and beside our doors are all choice fruits,

new as well as old,

which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside,

let us spend the night in the villages.

Let us go early to the vineyards

to see if the vines have budded,

if their blossoms have opened,

and if the pomegranates are in bloom—

there I will give you my love.

The mandrakes send out their fragrance,

and at our door is every delicacy,

both new and old,

that I have stored up for you, my beloved.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Come, my love,

let’s go to the field;

let’s spend the night among the henna blossoms.

Let’s go early to the vineyards;

let’s see if the vine has budded,

if the blossom has opened,

if the pomegranates are in bloom.

There I will give you my caresses.

The mandrakes give off a fragrance,

and at our doors is every delicacy,

both new and old.

I have treasured them up for you, my love.

NLTNew Living Translation

Come, my love, let us go out to the fields

and spend the night among the wildflowers.

Let us get up early and go to the vineyards

to see if the grapevines have budded,

if the blossoms have opened,

and if the pomegranates have bloomed.

There I will give you my love.

There the mandrakes give off their fragrance,

and the finest fruits are at our door,

new delights as well as old,

which I have saved for you, my lover.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Come, my beloved, let us go out to the countryside;

let us spend the night in the villages.

Let us rise early to go to the vineyards;

let us see whether the vine has budded,

whether the grape blossom has opened,

and whether the pomegranates are in bloom;

there I will give my love to you.

The mandrakes give off their fragrance,

and over our doorway is every kind of delicious fruit;

both fresh and dried fruit I have stored up for you, O my beloved.

KJV 1900King James Version

Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field;

Let us lodge in the villages.

Let us get up early to the vineyards;

Let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear,

And the pomegranates bud forth:

There will I give thee my loves.

The mandrakes give a smell,

And at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits,

New and old,

Which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.

Public Domain