6:8–10

In the previous verses (6:4–7), the man spoke to the woman directly, using forms like “you” and “your.” He described her head and face. But here in 6:8–10 he spoke indirectly, using phrases like “the favorite of the mother who bore her.” He described her beauty, using words like “perfect one,” “unique,” and “fair.” In 6:10 he compared her beautiful face to the beauty of the sun, moon, and stars.

6:8–9

In 6:8–9 the man compared the woman to beautiful women in the royal court. The “sixty queens” and “eighty concubines” were wives of a king, but the particular king is not mentioned. It probably was not Solomon, since the author did not mention him here. Also, the numbers (60 and 80) do not match the number of Solomon’s wives in 1 Kings 11:3.

6:8a–9a

There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number: This statement gives a hypothetical situation. It does not imply that the king (or the man) really had 60 wives, 80 concubines and a very large number of maidens. The man used the statement to praise his bride and to indicate that she was unique. No queen, concubine, or maiden could ever be as wonderful as she was.

Some ways to translate this meaning are:

What if I could have sixty queens, eighty wives, and thousands of others! 9 You would be my only choice…. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Even if someone offered me 60 queens, 80 wives, and any number of beautiful girls, I would love only ⌊you⌋.

In some languages the numbers 60 and 80 may be complex phrases, or the numbers may make the poetry seem dull or unnatural. If that is true in your language, you may use a more general way to refer to increasingly large numbers. For example.

If I could have many queens, more concubines, and countless girls, you would be my only choice, my perfect mate.

Translate the statement in a way that will imply this meaning in your language.

6:8

When the author mentioned the numbers “sixty,” “eighty,” and “without number,” he mentioned the lowest number first. But when he mentioned the status of the women, he mentioned the ones with higher status first: “queens,” “concubines,” and “maidens.”

The numbers “sixty” and “eighty” are a poetic way to imply that a person could compare the woman to any number of other women (even queens and concubines), but no one would be as perfect as she was.

6:8a

sixty queens: The word queens refers to the king’s wives. In Solomon’s time it was common in Israel and other countries for a king to have many wives. These queens sometimes had great power.

6:8b

and eighty concubines: The concubines were also wives of the king, but they had less status and power than the queens. They were often chosen because of their beauty. In some languages there is no word for concubines and the idea may be offensive. If that is true in your language, you may be able to use a more general phrase. For example:

women to serve the king

6:8c

and maidens without number: The phrase maidens without number is a hyperbole. It implies that there were so many young women that no one could count them. Other ways to translate the phrase are:

so many girls you cannot count them (New Century Version)
-or-
countless young women (New Living Translation (2004))

maidens: The word maidens probably refers to young women who are old enough to be married but are not yet mothers. There were many women who were probably associated with the king’s court but were not formally married. It is good to use a word in your language that refers to young unmarried women.

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