4:4

In 4:4 the man used a simile that has two parts. He began by comparing the woman’s neck to the tower of David (4:4a–b). Then he compared her jewelry to shields, which were hanging on the tower (4:4c–d).

4:4a–b

Your neck is like the tower of David, built with rows of stones: Here the man compared the woman’s neck to the tower of David. The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as rows of stones seems to describe the way that the tower was built, but the meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown. It occurs only here in the OT. There are at least three ways to interpret it:

(1) It means that woman’s neck is similar in some way to the impressive way that the tower of David was designed and constructed. For example:

Your neck is like David’s beautifully-designed tower. (God’s Word)

(2) It means “built in rows.” This may refer to the woman’s necklaces as being like rows of shields (4:4c–d) or like the way the tower was built with rows of stones. (These rows are called “courses” in some English versions.) For example:

Your neck is like the tower of David, built in courses… (New Revised Standard Version)

(3) It describes the function of the tower, either as a storage place for weapons or as a defensive structure. For example:

Your neck is like the tower of David, built for an arsenal… (Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The woman’s beautiful neck and necklaces were like the tower of David, which was tall, majestic, and beautiful. The shields that hung from it were also beautiful. They were probably decorated with gold and jewels that shone in the sun like the woman’s necklaces described in 4:4c–d.

Because the Berean Standard Bible does not follow interpretation (1), the Notes uses the New International Version as the source text for the Notes and Display of 4:4a–b.

(New International Version) Your neck is like the tower of David, built with elegance: In this comparison the author indicates that the woman’s neck was beautiful and elegant. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

Your neck is more graceful than the tower of David. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Your neck is as beautiful as the tower of David (New Living Translation (2004))

(New International Version) the tower of David: The phrase tower of David refers here to one of the towers that King David caused to be built. It does not refer to the tower near Jerusalem that is known today as the “tower of David.” That tower was built a long time after the Song of Songs was written. The tower in this verse refers to an older tower. Scholars do not have any information about this tower except what is said here in the Song, and the Bible does not refer to it anywhere else.

The Song implies that the tower was large, impressive, and beautiful. Probably David did not actually build it himself. He provided the money and instructions for it to be built. Some other ways to translate the phrase the tower of David are:

the tower that David ⌊built⌋
-or-
the tower which David ⌊caused to be built⌋

tower: A tower in ancient Israel was a building that was much taller (and often not as wide) as the buildings around it. Most towers were made of stone, but some of the towers that King David built were made of white marble. Marble is a beautiful, smooth, expensive stone. It is also hard and durable.

A tower was usually used to watch for signs that enemies were coming to attack. It was also a place that was hard for enemies to enter, so it protected the soldiers and other people during battle. In some languages it may be helpful to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

watchtower
-or-
tall building ⌊where men⌋ guarded ⌊the city⌋

(New International Version) built with elegance: The meaning of the Hebrew word that the New International Version translates as built with elegance is unknown. However, the context indicates that the tower was beautiful and well-built. Another way to translate this meaning is:

beautifully designed (God’s Word)

4:4c–d

In 4:4c–d the author continued to compare the woman’s neck to the watchtower. Here he compared the jewelry on her neck to the shields that hung from the tower. These shields were impressive and beautiful. They were probably decorated with gold and jewels to make them shine in the sun. The woman’s jewelry was also impressive and beautiful. Translate in a way that communicates that picture.

on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as shields refers to small round shields that soldiers (warriors) carried in battle. The phrase on it hang a thousand shields indicates that a thousand of these shields were hanging from the tower. The text indicates that the woman’s necklaces or ornaments and these shields were similar to each other in some way.

Some other way to translate the whole comparison are:

Your neck is like the tower of David, round and smooth, with a necklace like a thousand shields hung around it. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Your neck is as beautiful as the tower of David, jeweled with the shields of a thousand heroes. (New Living Translation (2004))

all of them shields of warriors: The phrase all of them shields of warriors is parallel to a thousand shields. It repeats the idea of shields and adds the information that they were warriors’ shields. It was common to hang shields on walls for decoration. They were considered beautiful ornaments.

The author probably focused here on the beauty of the ornamental shields that he compared to the beauty of the woman’s jewelry and to her own beauty. The magnificence of the tower with military shields suggests that the woman was like a beautiful queen.

See the preceding note for examples of how to translate this comparison.

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