6:2–3 The woman responded to the women of Jerusalem
It is uncertain how the woman discovered where her beloved was. In 5:8 she did not seem to know where he went. She may have realized where he was while she sang her song to praise him. However, the Song is poetry (and it may describe a dream), so such details are not necessary to understand it. The woman was not just telling a story. She was praising her beloved and telling about their love for each other. Her song in 6:2–3 is especially poetic and beautiful.
6:2a–b
My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices: Literally, this clause indicates that the man went down to his garden where there were flowers and spice plants. The phrases in 6:2a–b do not indicate that he went to two different places. The word garden and the phrase beds of spices refer to the same place. The beds of spices probably refers to a specific part of the garden.
Some other ways to translate 6:2a–b are:
My darling has gone down to his garden of spices (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
My beloved has gone down to the beds of spices in his garden
-or-
My dear one has descended to his garden where the spice plants are.
My beloved has gone down: The author probably used the word down here because most people’s gardens were located on a lower level than their houses. They often planted gardens near sources of water like springs or streams, which were in a valley. In some cultures it may be confusing to use the word down here. If that is true in your language, you may omit it. For example:
My beloved went to his garden (God’s Word)
his garden: The phrase his garden is used here as a metaphor to refer to the young woman herself. In 4:12–5:1 the man described the woman as a “garden.” In 4:16–5:1 she is described specifically as the man’s garden, and in 6:2–3 it is clear that their love is mutual.
It is not clear whether the text implies that the man and woman had sexual relations at this time. During her dream (5:2–7) she feared that she had lost her beloved and that maybe he had stopped loving her. But this metaphor implies that their love for one another was still strong. That is clear from her statement in 6:3a–b, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”
the beds of spices: The phrase the beds of spices is parallel to “his garden” (6:2a). beds of spices further describes “his garden.”
6:2c
to pasture his flock in the gardens: Here the Berean Standard Bible has supplied the phrase his flock, which is not in the Hebrew text. There are different ways to interpret the phrase to pasture…in the gardens :
(1) It is a figure of speech to refer to the man himself “grazing” or “browsing” in the garden. For example:
to browse in the gardens… (New International Version)
(2) It has the literal meaning that the man pastures his flock in the garden. For example:
He is feeding his flock in the garden (Good News Translation)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Earlier in the Song (2:8–9; 2:17) the author compared the man to a gazelle. In the similar phrase in 2:16b the Notes also recommended the meaning “graze,” as in interpretation (1) here. Because the Berean Standard Bible follows interpretation (2), the New International Version will be used as the source text here in 6:2c.
(New International Version) to browse in the gardens: The clause to browse in the gardens is a metaphor. Its exact meaning is uncertain, but it probably implies that the man will enjoy the woman and experience the delight that she will give him. Other ways to translate the metaphor are:
to delight in the gardens (Revised English Bible)
-or-
to enjoy his gardens
(New International Version) in the gardens: Here the word gardens is plural, but in 6:2a the author used a singular form to refer to his garden. Both forms probably refer to the same garden. They do not imply that there were many gardens. If a plural form is confusing here in your language, it is fine to refer to only one “garden,” as in the Good News Translation.
6:2d
and to gather lilies: The phrase to gather lilies is a metaphor. The word lilies probably refers to the delights that the woman gave. (In 2:1–2 she compared herself to a lily of the valley, and the man responded that she was like a lily among thorns.) It is uncertain exactly what gather lilies implies here. However, its meaning is similar to 6:2c, which refers to the man loving the woman and enjoying her love for him.
Some other ways to translate the metaphor are:
and take some of its ⌊sweet-smelling⌋ flowers.
-or-
and pick some of the ⌊beautiful⌋ lilies.
lilies: As in 2:1b, the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lilies refers here to a common wildflower that was usually red or purple.
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