One of the least studied and least understood books of the Bible is the Song of Solomon. This poetic story is the Bible’s version of Romeo and Juliet, without them committing suicide. It is filled with wisdom about marriage, for those who can understand it. Unfortunately, being written in a poetic form, it is extremely hard to understand. Few things are said clearly; but rather, spoken of in allegorical form. But because it is in poetic, allegorical form, we miss much of its message.
One of the key verses in Song of Solomon, which few people realize comes from this book of the Bible, speaks of the little foxes that spoil the vine:
Catch us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes. – Song of Solomon 2:15
When we see things like this in the Bible, where the meaning is not obvious, the big question that most of us have is whether the verse or passage is to be taken literally or symbolically. By and large, prophecy is symbolic, even though there are plenty of prophecies which say specific things about specific people, even to the point of calling them by name. However, the rule of thumb is that if it can be understood in the natural, we should take it in the natural, rather than trying to find a symbolic meaning. In other words, when the Bible tells us that a big fish swallowed up the prophet Jonah (Jonah 1:7), we should just accept that a big fish swallowed up Jonah, even though we don’t understand how that could have happened.
Allegories mess up this basic rule, in that they are intended to be symbolic. That doesn’t eliminate the fact that they can be taken in the natural, as it almost always can. But it shows us that the deeper meaning of the verse, passage, or story is in the symbolic meaning; what the story is making reference to. Poetry tends to include such allegories, making it harder for people who don’t understand both the language and the culture to understand what is truly being said.
Perhaps this would be easier for us to grasp if we thought in terms of idioms. Every language has idioms which are common means of expression. Things like, “turn off the light,” “under the weather,” “putting the cart before the horse,” “costs an arm and a leg,” “ piece of cake,” and “a dime a dozen.” Just speaking English doesn’t guarantee that you’re going to understand these terms; you have to also understand the cultural context.
What’s interesting about these idioms is that their origins are often lost in the passage of time. For example, the idiom “turn off the light” came from rotary light switches, something that no living person has probably experienced. Likewise, although we can imagine the picture of “putting the cart before the horse,” few of us have used horse drawn carts, to have the personal experience to fully understand how ineffective that would be. We can imagine it; but we haven’t done it.
In the case of the Song of Solomon, the entire book is an allegorical poem, making it challenging to understand, at best. While we can translate the words and passages, that doesn’t mean we can fully appreciate their meaning. To do that, we have to see them through the eyes of Israeli culture in King Solomon’s time.
So, Why Would Anyone Care About Foxes in a Vineyard?
Foxes are thought to be primarily carnivores, like any other species of dog, they are actually omnivores. While they much prefer to eat meat, such as rodents, rabbits, birds and frogs, they will also eat fruit and berries. They can’t eat a diet of just grapes though, as that would be poisonous to them. Nevertheless, grapes are one of the few fruits that are native to Israel, making it likely that anyone who had a vineyard would know about foxes eating grapes.
Grapes are truly interesting to grow. As a vine, grapes grow best on a trellis. Today, these trellises consist of nothing more than two strong wires, strung through a series of posts (think fence posts for a cedar privacy fence). They didn’t have wire back in biblical times, so they would use poles, going from post to post, for the vines to grow on. This was necessary, as grapes which were allowed to grow on the ground would easily spoil.
This usually put most of the grapes out of the reach of foxes. While they can jump about six feet high, the trellis doesn’t give them anyplace practical to land. So, other than low-hanging fruit, they can’t get to the grapes, while the vine is intact. Therefore, if they are hungry and want to eat the grapes, they will gnaw on the base of the vine, breaking it and making it possible to pull the grapes down within their reach.
It takes a good three years to grow a grape vine to the point where you get the first grapes off of it. Foxes gnawing on the trunk, in order to get the fruit, might totally kill the plant, making it another three years before the vineyard owner can get any grapes from it. Even if they don’t kill it outright, it will take two years; one for the trunk to regrow and another for the shoots off the trunk to grow to the point of producing grapes.
Clearly it is in the interest of the vineyard’s owner to keep foxes out of their vineyard, protecting their grape vines and the income they intend to derive from those vines. Herein we find the literal meaning of “the foxes spoiling the vines.”
What Does This Have to Do with Love and Marriage?
It is clear from the context in Song of Solomon, that the writer isn’t concerned about grape vines here, even though that’s the reference made by this specific verse. Rather, the meaning has to be either allegorical or symbolic. For our purposes the two are virtually the same.
Although the Song of Solomon is a rather short book, this particular passage happens rather early on, in the second chapter. The first chapter is occupied with the bride and groom declaring their love to one another, describing each other in a poetic manner, by comparing parts of the other’s body to things normally associated with luxury and beauty in that time. This was commonplace in those times, as languages largely didn’t have adjectives (descriptive words); rather, they used this sort of comparison to describe things.
With chapter one being taken up with these declarations of love, this leaves chapter two to actually start the story between them. It starts out with the couple having a banquet together, in the springtime, followed by some intimate time. We don’t know just how intimate that time was, as premarital sex wasn’t commonplace in ancient Israel, like it is today. Nevertheless, they reclined together, quite possibly on something like a chaise lounge. She mentions this, quite descriptively, as part of discussing their banquet.
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. – Song of Solomon 2:6
There is probably much that happened between them during this time together; one of those things being the groom springing the idea of a trip to the country on his bride. Apparently, he wants to embark on this trip right then, as he says to her, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away” (Song of Solomon 2:10. His next statement is what tells us this is in the springtime, “For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone” (Song of Solomon 2:11).
It is in the midst of the enticing talk, trying to convince her to take that trip out to the country, that our verse about the little foxes comes up. This can make it easy to misunderstand the true significance of the verse, allowing it to be lost in other agricultural references. But the verse about the foxes is immediately followed by:
My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies. – Song of Solomon 2:16
Putting these two verses together gives us a totally different meaning for the foxes, especially considering that the entire book is about the relationship between this couple. Considering what we know about foxes and how they destroy the vines, it is easy to see how that can metaphorically apply to a relationship. The “little foxes” in the relationship are any little thing that can whittle away at the solid foundation of the relationship, destroying it; things such as:
- Cutting or bitter comments made by one partner to the other
- Not being courteous
- Not considering the other above yourself
- Failure to be considerate
- Forgetting to tell the other person that you love them
- Forgetting to tell the other person how important they are to you
- Any selfish action
- Listening to negative things that others say about your partner
- Miscommunication
- Allowing small things to become bigger, without dealing with them
- Taking offense, when none is intended
- Interpreting their reaction to insecurity in a way that reflects on you personally
- Lack of interest in the things that interest your partner
- Too much focus on things that don’t interest your partner
- Not enough time spent with each other
- Expressing mistrust of the other
This list is by no means conclusive, but is merely intended to give an idea of the types of things that end up being little foxes. They might not seem like the type of thing that happens in your own relationships; but stop to think about that, before giving yourself a pass. It’s not just how things look to you, but how they look to the other person too.
While the little foxes might not kill the grape vine immediately, but merely damage it so that they can get to the fruit they want, their efforts ultimately end up destroying the vine. That’s the point. The same can be said for any of the things I have just listed. While one negative comment or overlooked opportunity to build the other person up might not mean the relationship is over, it can cause irreparable damage that might not even be visible. As those little foxes continue, they ultimately do enough damage that they cause the relationship to collapse.
Have you ever seen beavers cut down a tree? While they usually select small trees, with a trunk diameter of two to six inches, there have been cases reported of beavers felling trees with trunk diameters as large as 33 inches. They usually select smaller trees that they can move, once they have cut them down; but that doesn’t mean that they can’t cut down the larger ones. They are especially likely to cut down the larger trees to act as the basis for a dam or because there are no larger ones available that are close enough to the water.
Beavers are incredibly efficient lumberjacks, able to cut down a cottonwood tree with a 24” trunk diameter in two hours. Their incredibly strong teeth allow them to cut chips out of the wood, until they have weakened it enough that it breaks under its own weight. Once down, the beavers can cut the tree into smaller sections, for movement. For the beaver, cutting a tree is like eating an elephant; one bite at a time.
Applying the “Little Foxes” to the Broader Life
While the verse talking about the little foxes is found in the Song of Solomon, making it obvious that it applies to the marriage relationship; it can be, and has been, applied in other areas of life as well. Many people have applied it to the life of faith in general, not realizing where it comes from.
Any believer is hit with a constant stream of “little foxes” which are attacking their faith and their relationship with God. If we are not extremely cautious to constantly repair the damage that these little foxes cause, we can find ourselves in a position where we are moving further and further off the path of righteousness and moving into the path of destruction, following the way of the world. What sorts of things can be the little foxes leading us in this direction?
- Not avoiding sin
- Accepting the sin of others
- Listening to things that condone sin, such as off-color jokes
- Watching television programs or movies where the people are involved in sinful activity
- Allowing people to bring things into your home, which would not please God
- Looking at a woman (other than your wife) with lust in your heart
- Allowing unforgiveness and bitterness into your heart
The basic truth here is that allowing any sin, no matter how small, into our lives, is allowing the foxes in and giving them permission to work whatever destruction they want, in our lives. It may not seem like much of a problem at first, but those things can grow in our hearts, turning into much bigger problems.
This is the way that sin works itself into our lives. Nobody wakes up one morning, after being happily married for ten years, and says, “I think I’ll commit adultery today.” Rather, they start out with small vague thoughts about other people of the opposite sex, perhaps a co-worker, friend or neighbor. The original thoughts, while not innocent, are close enough to innocent to not raise alarms in their hearts. Slowly those original thoughts grow, becoming something much more demanding and important. Eventually they reach the point where that person takes the first step, even though it might not be to commit adultery. That step leads to another, then another, until they are snared and wondering how they got into adultery in the first place.
We must take caution against these little foxes, for they are all around. It might be nothing more dangerous than a singer or actor that we like. But by allowing them into our lives, we can easily open ourselves up to fantasy, which can in turn, lead to sin. That sin may not be with the person who we originally opened the door to, but it is sin nonetheless.
Keeping the Foxes Out
Farmers built fences or planted hedges around their vineyards, as a first line of defense, to keep foxes out. stone fences were the best, as foxes could find their way through small openings in hedges or wood fences, especially if there was some damage to the fence. Blocking off access makes it harder for the foxes to get in.
But what of the foxes who find a way through? Foxes are wily creatures, after all.
The next step is to watch out for opportunities where the foxes might get through the fence, without our seeing it. All fences have a gate; and if that gate is left open, it proves access. Leaving wood or stone piled near the fence might also provide a means of ingress, even though it doesn’t look like it. Remember, those foxes can jump a height of six feet; an incredible height for an animal of their size.
This is why constant vigilance is required. Farmers would keep constant watch over their vineyards, ensuring that no foxes had gotten in. Not only would they look for the foxes themselves, but for sign that the foxes had been there. Likewise, they would regularly inspect their fence, ensuring it wasn’t damaged.
Sometimes, the farmers would employ guard dogs, to help keep their vineyards safe. While foxes might be dangerous, a large dog is much more of a danger, able to catch and kill the fox. Even if the fox is able to slip by the farmer, undetected, the sensitive nose of the guard dog will catch its scent.
We too need to keep a constant watch over our lives, making sure that no foxes have slipped in, without our noticing them. Like natural foxes, it might be easier to spot the signs of the fox’s presence, rather than to spot the fox itself. When we see ourselves nodding to the sins of others, rather than being disturbed by it. When that happens, it should set off alarms within us, telling us that something is amiss.
As the farmer uses the dog to help keep guard from the fox, we too need help in guarding our hearts and lives from foxes and other dangers. One of the prime guardians which has been given to us, is the pastor, who carries the heavy burden of watching over us. Any true pastor will be concerned about the spiritual condition of their flock and will be diligent in praying for them. Through that, the Holy Spirit will make known to them the little foxes that are sneaking in to attack.
It is often much easier for the pastor to see the little foxes that have entered into our lives, especially if we are not putting on a false mask every time we see them. They are accustomed to looking into people’s lives and seeing what is there. That’s part of their job, along with bringing instruction and correction to help us get out of those places where we find ourselves, as we are besieged by those foxes.
The question then becomes – how willing are we to accept a word of correction from that pastor? If you are unwilling to accept corrections from your pastor, they aren’t really your pastor. Rather, they are someone you pretend is your pastor. For them to truly be your pastor, you have to be willing to accept corrections from them, when it comes.