4:16–5:1 The man and woman united in marriage
These two verses (4:16 and 5:1) can be considered the climax of the Song. In 4:16 the woman spoke for the first time since 3:5. She responded to the man’s praise in 4:1–15, and she indirectly invited him to enter the “garden.” Here the garden is a poetic way for the woman to refer to herself. The woman invited the man to come “into her garden,” and in 5:1 he did come in.
In Hebrew the word used for “awake” in 4:16 is the same word that was used in 2:7c–d. There the woman told the other women not to stir up nor awaken love until the right time. In 4:16–5:1 the time became right for love to awaken. The man and woman were married, and it was time to fulfill their desires for each other.
4:16 The woman spoke
Most English versions indicate that the woman speaks this whole verse.
4:16a–c
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden: Here the woman replied to the man indirectly by calling to the wind. She used a figurative way to invite him to be intimate with her. When she told the winds to blow on the locked garden, she indicated that she was opening the garden so the man could enter and enjoy its fruits. The garden represents the woman herself. She called the winds to blow so that her fragrance would reach the man and make him want to come to her.
In this verse the woman speaks directly to the north and south winds. In some languages speaking to the wind may imply a wrong meaning or it may not be natural. If that is true in your language, you may translate the meaning indirectly. For example:
How I wish the north and south winds would blow! I wish they would come and blow on my garden!
-or-
Let the north wind blow, the south wind too! Let them spread the aroma of my garden (Contemporary English Version)
In some languages it may be helpful to make the figurative meaning more explicit. For example:
The north and south winds should arise and blow to spread the fragrances of my garden ⌊to my beloved⌋ !
Awake…come: The woman calls to the winds to Awake and come. In some languages, there may be a more natural way to speak about the wind rising. Use a natural way in your language. For example:
O winds, be stirred, start blowing/breathing…
-or-
The winds should rise and fly/come
north wind…south wind: Scholars are not sure why the author mentioned the directions north and south to describe the winds. The words north and south may represent winds from all directions, or it may be a poetic way to talk about wind here. Use a natural way in your language to speak about the wind. Other ways to translate these winds in this context are:
O north wind, rise and blow!
O south wind, come!
-or-
O winds, come from all directions,
come and blow!
4:16c–d
Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices: Here the woman called on the wind to blow on her garden so that its fragrance would spread. She specifically wanted her beloved (4:16e–f) to smell the sweet odors and come to her. So 4:16d is the purpose for the action in 4:16c. Some other ways to translate the action and purpose are:
• Use a purpose connector. For example:
Blow on my garden so that its fragrant spices may send out their sweet smell. (NET Bible)
• Translate the clauses as separate actions. For example:
blow on my garden; fill the air with fragrance. (Good News Translation)
Translate the actions in a natural way in your language.
4:16c
Breathe on my garden: The phrase Breathe on my garden indicates that the woman wanted the wind to blow on her garden so that the good odors of the fruits and flowers there will spread. Some other ways to translate the phrase are:
Waft over my garden!
-or-
Blow on/over my garden!
my garden: In 4:12 the man compared the woman to a garden. Here the woman used the phrase my garden in a figurative way to speak about herself. The fragrant garden represents the woman. Before 4:16 she was like a locked garden because she had not yet “opened” her body to anyone. In 4:16e, she will speak of herself as “his garden,” which will be a major change for them.
In some languages it may be necessary to indicate more explicitly that the woman compared herself to a garden here. For example:
⌊ I am like⌋a garden that needs the wind to blow across it
4:16d
spread the fragrance of its spices: In this clause the woman continued to speak to the winds. She implied that the winds should spread the fragrances of her garden. The next clauses (4:16e–f) show that she wanted those odors to reach the man who was outside the garden. Some other ways to translate this clause are:
and spread its fragrance all around (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
so that ⌊my beloved⌋ will smell its sweet odors
spread: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spread means “to flow.” The woman wanted the odor of the perfume to flow through the air. The context implies that she wanted it to reach her beloved. She hoped that the odor would attract him to come to her.
the fragrance of its spices: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the fragrance of its spices is literally “its spices” or “its perfumes.” However, the author refers to the sweet odor of the spices. In many languages it is clearer to refer directly to the fragrance (Berean Standard Bible) or “sweet smell.” It is the odor of the spices and not the spices themselves that the woman wanted the wind to spread. The garden’s fragrance represents the woman’s perfume or her sweet odor in general.
4:16e
Let my beloved come into his garden: Here the woman shifted from speaking to the wind (4:16a–d) to speaking to her beloved. She used an indirect way to tell him that she desired his love. In some languages this indirect request may not be clear or it may imply a wrong meaning. If that is true in your language, you may communicate the meaning more directly. For example:
Come into your garden, my love (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
My love, I am your garden. Come in
Let…come: The verb Let…come is a request. The woman used it to invite the man into her garden. The garden is a symbol for the woman herself, so the request implies that she wanted the man to show his love for her. Translate this desire in a natural way in your language. See the examples in the preceding note.
his garden: The words “my garden” (4:16c) and his garden (4:16e) both refer to the woman. They do not refer to two different gardens. Here the woman changed from referring to herself (or her body) as “my garden,” to saying that she was his garden. This change shows that the woman agreed to be united with the man in the sexual union that a husband and wife share. This shift from “my garden” to his garden implies that they were now husband and wife.
4:16f
and taste its choicest fruits: In this part of the verse the woman continued her indirect request for the man to unite with her in marital relations. She offered her husband the freedom to eat the best fruits of her garden. This offer is a metaphor and a euphemism. It means that she invited her husband to enjoy her as they had sexual relations together. Use an appropriate way for a modest woman to invite her husband to make love to her.
Some other ways to do this in English are:
enjoy my best fruits
-or-
share the pleasure of the finest fruit ⌊of my love⌋
In some languages it may be helpful to include a footnote in your translation. For example:
The woman here invites the man to have marital relations with her.
taste: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as taste is used here as a euphemism to refer to enjoying making love.
its choicest fruits: A similar phrase to its choicest fruits also occurred in 4:13b. There the man described the woman as a garden and mentioned her “choicest fruits.” So here in 4:16 she quoted the man and invited him to come and eat those fruits. The phrase choicest fruits figuratively refers to the woman’s sensual charms and her lovemaking. Some other ways to translate it are:
its greatest pleasures
-or-
its sweet delights
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