5:11–15
In 5:11–15 the author gives a series of comparisons, using both metaphors and similes. In 5:11–13 the woman began her specific descriptions of the man by describing his head (hair, cheeks, eyes, and lips). More than any other part of the body, the head represents the whole person and his uniqueness.
5:11a
His head is purest gold: This clause is a metaphor. It indicates that the man’s head is like fine gold in some way. Since 5:11b refers to the man’s black hair, here in 5:11a His head probably refers to the golden skin of his face and neck. The phrase purest gold probably also has a symbolic meaning. It may imply that the man himself is very precious. He is more valuable to her than anyone else.
Some other ways to translate the metaphor in 5:11b are:
His head is like gold, pure gold (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
His head is ⌊as beautiful and precious⌋ as pure gold
-or-
His face is ⌊smooth and clean/shining⌋ like bronze
purest gold: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as purest gold consists of two different words for gold. Together these two words imply that the gold is very pure and valuable. So the two words can be translated as an emphatic phrase, as in the Berean Standard Bible.
In the OT, gold is frequently used to symbolize beauty, value, or rarity. Here the woman probably used the phrase purest gold as an emphatic way to symbolize the man’s great worth. Here is another way to translate this:
the finest gold (Revised Standard Version)
5:11b
his hair is wavy: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wavy occurs only here in the OT. There are two ways to interpret it here:
(1) It indicates that the man’s hair is “wavy.” For example:
his hair is wavy (New International Version)
(2) It indicates that his hair is like “buds or fronds of a palm tree.” For example:
his locks are like palm-fronds (Revised English Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English versions.
wavy: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wavy refers here to curves or curls in the man’s hair. His hair was not straight, but the strands of hair curved gently on his head.
black as a raven: A raven is a certain large black bird. The man’s hair was just as black as the feathers of a raven. Black hair was considered to be beautiful. The contrast between the gold of the man’s face and neck and his black hair made him especially handsome.
The author mentioned a raven here because it is very black. In some languages people may dislike ravens. They may think that they bring bad luck or that they do other bad things. If that is true in your language, you may want to substitute another bird, animal or something else that is known in your area for its blackness.