7:2a–b

Your navel is a rounded goblet; it never lacks blended wine: Here the man used a metaphor. He compared the woman’s navel to a goblet that always has wine in it. It is the goblet that is filled with wine, not the woman’s navel. Her navel is like the goblet because it is round and can hold liquid. The wine in the goblet is a symbol of romantic love. This metaphor implies that the woman’s love excited the man, as if he were drinking wine.

Some ways to translate the metaphor are:

• Use the metaphor and adapt it for your culture. For example:

your navel is a wine glass filled to overflowing. (Contemporary English Version)

• Use a simile. For example:

Your navel is like a round drinking cup always filled with wine. (New Century Version)
-or-
Your navel is like a gourd filled with wine.

• Use a simile and indicate the meaning. For example:

Your navel is perfectly formed like a goblet filled with mixed wine. (New Living Translation (2004))

• Translate the meaning without mentioning the bowl or cup. For example:

Your navel is as exciting as the best wine.

navel: In ancient Israel and all the countries near it, a woman’s navel was considered especially beautiful. Except for the Good News Translation, all English versions refer explicitly to the navel. See the footnote for more information.

rounded goblet: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as rounded goblet is literally “bowl the-roundness.” This type of goblet was often wide and round. Here the man used it to describe the woman’s navel. In some cultures it may not be appropriate to compare a woman’s navel to a goblet. It also may not be natural to describe the navel as “round.”

If that is true in your language, you may use a different comparison. For example:

your navel is like a wine glass
-or-
your navel is like a gourd ⌊for drinking⌋

it never lacks blended wine: There are two main ways to interpret the Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as it never lacks blended wine :

(1) It is a statement that describes the woman’s navel. For example:

that never lacks blended wine… (New International Version)

(2) It is a wish or desire. For example:

Let mixed wine not be lacking… (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English versions.

blended wine: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as blended wine is used only here in the OT. It probably refers to a special wine that is mixed with spices. Some other ways to translate it are:

spiced wine (Good News Translation)
-or-
wine
-or-

⌊ delicious⌋wine

For more information on how to translate wine, see the note on wine in 1:2b.

7:2c–d

Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by the lilies: The statement is 7:2c–d is a metaphor. It indicates that the woman’s waist was beautiful and nourishing like a pile of wheat surrounded by lilies. wheat was used to make bread, which was an important food in Palestine. lilies were very beautiful flowers.

Here wheat implies abundant food, and lilies imply beauty. Together these words imply that the woman’s love was like food and beauty for the man. Her navel satisfied him like food and made him feel happy. Some other ways to translate the metaphor are:

• Use a simile. For example:

Your stomach is like a pile of wheat surrounded with lilies. (New Century Version)

• Use a simile and indicate the meaning of the comparison. For example:

Your belly is lovely, like a heap of wheat set about with lilies. (New Living Translation (1996))

7:2c

Your waist is a mound of wheat: Here the man praised the woman by comparing her waist to a mound of wheat. Scholars are not sure how her waist was like a mound of wheat. They are also uncertain whether the mound of wheat refers to a pile of wheat grains or to wheat sheaves before a farmer removes the grains from them.

The pile of wheat grains probably had curved sides. The author may imply that the woman’s waist had similar curves and maybe also a golden color like ripe wheat grains or sheaves.