Section 6:4–8:4
The man praised the woman and sang about springtime
In this section the man described the woman in two separate speeches (6:4–10 and 7:1–10). Some verses are difficult to understand, especially 6:11–13, and it is important to think about them carefully. The woman responded to the man in 7:11 and continued to speak to the end of the section at 8:4.
The verse numbering in the Hebrew text is different from the Berean Standard Bible and a majority of English versions. The Hebrew text begins chapter 7 where the Berean Standard Bible begins 6:13, so in chapter 7 the verses in the Hebrew text are one number higher than the verse numbers in the Berean Standard Bible. For example, 6:13–7:13 in the Berean Standard Bible is 7:1–14 in the Hebrew text (and also in the New Jerusalem Bible and Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures). It is helpful to be aware that some commentaries follow the Hebrew verse numbering. The Notes will follow the verse numbers in the Berean Standard Bible (along with the majority of English versions).
6:4–10 The man described the woman
In 6:4–10, the man spoke to the woman. In 6:4–7, he spoke directly to her with forms like “you” and “your.” But in 6:8–10, he spoke about her, using forms like “she” and “her.” In 6:10 the man probably quoted what the other women said to praise her beauty.
This section begins and ends with the same phrase. The Berean Standard Bible translates the phrase in 6:4c as “as majestic as troops with banners,” and in 6:10 it repeats this phrase. However, the context is different, so scholars are not certain whether the meaning of the phrase is the same or different in the two verses. The notes for 6:10 will discuss this issue.
In 6:4–10 the man sang his second praise song to describe the woman. This song is similar in some ways to his first praise song in 4:1–5, and it repeats some portions of that song. However, here his words seem less intimate. In 4:9 the man indicated that she is superior to all other women.
6:4–10 The man spoke
6:4a–c
The two lines, 6:4a and 6:4b, are parallel. In each line the man compared the woman’s beauty to the beauty of an important city. In 6:4a he compared her beauty to Tirzah, and in 6:4b he compared it to Jerusalem. In the third line, he compared the woman to troops carrying banners.
When the man compared the woman to cities and armies, he implied that she was beautiful, grand, splendid, and strong like those cities and armies. He felt awe when he was with her, just as he felt awe when he was in the royal cities or looked at the powerful armies. Be sure that your translation communicates this meaning.
6:4a
You are as beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah: Here the man used the phrase my darling as a loving name for the woman, as he did in 1:9. You can translate it in the same way here. In some languages it is more natural to translate the phrase in a different place in the sentence. For example:
My darling, you are as beautiful as Tirzah (NET Bible)
-or-
You are beautiful, my true love, like Tirzah (God’s Word)
You are as beautiful…as Tirzah: Here the man compared the woman’s beauty to an important city called Tirzah. It had beautiful streets and grand buildings. The man implied that the woman was as grand and beautiful as that city. Some other ways to translate this comparison are:
as lovely as the city of Tirzah (Good News Translation)
-or-
you are beautiful…like the splendid/magnificent city of Tirzah
beautiful: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as beautiful is a common word that is used often in the Song. It is used in the phrase “most beautiful of women” in 6:1. Here it compares the woman’s beauty to the beauty of a city. In some languages it is natural to use different words to refer to the beauty of a woman and the beauty of a city. For example:
You are as beautiful as the grand city of Tirzah
Tirzah: Tirzah was the name of a city that King Solomon favored. It was known for its royal splendor and beauty. It became the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel soon after Solomon died. To many people, the name Tirzah is not familiar, so it may be helpful to make explicit that it is the name of a city. For example:
as lovely as the city of Tirzah (Good News Translation)
-or-
beautiful like Tirzah city is beautiful
my darling: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as my darling literally means “my friend” or “my companion.” But in a context like the Song, it has a romantic sense. This word is the most common way the man used to refer to the woman in the Song. It was first used in 1:10–11, and you may translate it as you did there.
6:4b
as lovely as Jerusalem: Here the man compared the woman to the city of Jerusalem. He used a different Hebrew word from the word “beautiful” in 6:4a. This word refers to a type of beauty that is appropriate for what is being described. In this situation it is the kind of beauty that is fitting for the woman and also for those great cities.
This word was also used in Song 1:4, 2:14, and 4:3. Refer to how you translated it in these verses. Some other ways to translate the comparison here are:
you are as comely as Jerusalem
-or-
you are awesome/grand like the city of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem: Jerusalem was the capital city of the southern kingdom of Judah. It was known for its royal splendor and was famous for its great beauty.
6:4c
as majestic as troops with banners: In this clause the man continued to describe the woman. There are several ways to interpret the clause:
(1) It refers to being as awe-inspiring as an army of soldiers, in which some of the soldiers carried large flags (banners). For example:
as majestic as troops with banners. (New International Version)
(2) It refers to being as awe-inspiring as the sky and all its stars. For example:
more powerful than all of the stars in the heavens. (Contemporary English Version)
(3) It refers to the splendor of these cities without mentioning an army or banners. For example:
as breathtaking as these great cities. (Good News Translation)
It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with most English versions.
majestic: In this context the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as majestic probably indicates that the woman was awesome and imposing. The man respected her and felt awed by her great beauty. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:
awesome as an army with banners. (English Standard Version)
-or-
as awe-inspiring as bannered armies! (NET Bible)
In some languages it may be distracting or strange to compare a woman to an army. If that is true in your language, you may be able to compare her to a queen leading her army. For example:
You are as ⌊majestic⌋ as ⌊a queen coming with⌋ an army waving flags.
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