3:9–10

In 3:9–10 the author describes Solomon’s carriage (litter, couch). Some of the Hebrew words in 3:9–10 are rare, and their meanings are uncertain. There are several ways to interpret these verses. However, the main point of this description is the excellent quality of the materials used to build the carriage. The overall purpose is to emphasize the magnificence of the bride.

3:9a

King Solomon has made his carriage: This clause probably implies that King Solomon hired craftsmen to make a carriage for him. It probably does not indicate that King Solomon himself made it. The context seems to imply that he intended to send the carriage for his bride so that she could travel in it to Jerusalem for their wedding.

The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as carriage is different from the Hebrew word for “carriage” in 3:7. The Notes interprets the two words to refer to the same couch. Some other ways to translate it here are:

King Solomon caused a ⌊portable⌋ couch to be made for him.
-or-
King Solomon made himself a palanquin (Revised Standard Version)

In some languages a word like carriage may imply a vehicle with wheels, and the couch here did not have wheels. Men carried it on their shoulders. Use an appropriate word in your language to describe it. For more information, see the note on carriage later in this verse.

King Solomon: In this context King Solomon is probably a symbol for the man who is about to be married. For more information about the author’s use of King Solomon as a poetic symbol, see the section on Solomon in the introduction to 3:6–11. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate in some way that the name King Solomon is used figuratively here to refer to the woman’s beloved. For example:

⌊ her beloved⌋“King Solomon”

carriage:
The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as carriage occurs only here in the OT. It probably refers to the same couch that the author mentioned in 3:7. In that verse he used a more general word that can refer to any kind of bed or couch. Here in 3:9 the word is more specific. It refers to a bed or chair that was carried on poles by several strong men. Such a carriage is also called a “litter,” “sedan chair,” or “palanquin.”

In this context the couch probably had a small roof and curtains. It is likely that the curtains could be closed to hide the woman as she rode in it. It may have had small walls that could hide her when she lay down. When she was seated with the curtains open, people could see her.

Some ways to translate carriage (3:9a) and “carriage” (3:7a) are:

• Use the same word in your language to translate carriage (3:9a) and “carriage” (3:7a). For example, the New International Version uses “carriage” in both 3:7 and 3:9:

It is Solomon’s carriage… (3:7)

King Solomon made for himself the carriage… (3:9)

• Use two different words in your language to translate carriage (3:9a) and “carriage” (3:7a). The word that you use in 3:7 can be more general than the one in 3:9. For example, the God’s Word has:

sedan chair (3:7)

carriage (3:9)

Translate these words in a clear way in your language.