The song praising the young woman ends on this note. The final clause repeats 6.4b, rounding off the inclusio for this subsection. Note that some translations divide the text differently. Good News Translation separates this verse from the previous unit and ties it with what follows (uniting verses 10-12). New International Version and New Jerusalem Bible isolate it from both the previous and following verses. Elsewhere in the Song questions are most often used as discourse openers, suggesting therefore that verse 10 begins a new section. However, the inclusio “terrible as an army with banners” speaks strongly in favor of its connection to what goes before. For this reason we link this verse with 6.4-9.

The next problem is to determine who is speaking. Bible en français courant and some commentators regard the statement as spoken by the group of women in verses 8 and 9 above, and so end verse 9 with a colon introducing their direct speech. This is certainly a possible interpretation, and if accepted it will have some bearing on the text division. Their speech would be like the refrains that act as closing statements elsewhere. Verse 11 would begin a new unit.

Others see the speech as by the young man, as a final conclusion to his praise of his lover’s unique beauty. This is the approach we will adopt here. In 3.6 a similar rhetorical question was asked by the young woman, so this can be the young man echoing that earlier form. Note, however, that in 3.6 as well the identification of speaker was open to some discussion. Since it is not possible to draw any hard and fast conclusions, the best solution seems to be to regard the speech as either by the young man or by the young women, and indicate the alternative in a footnote.

Who is this …? introduces a rhetorical question. The use of feminine grammatical forms indicates that the focus is on the young woman. The speaker is showing his (or their) delight at her striking beauty. If rhetorical questions can convey wonder and amazement, the translator is urged to preserve the question form, as in Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version. In many languages, however, it will be necessary to modify it to a statement: “This is the one who…” or “She is the one….” Better yet the clause can be rendered as an exclamation. We can also say “Just look at this beautiful woman, gazing down…!” Compare this same feature in 3.6.

Because the comparisons that follow concern the young woman, we can make this clear: “Who, then, is this woman who…?”

That looks forth like the dawn: looks forth is a participle of the Hebrew verb meaning “look down from above.” It is used in the Old Testament to speak of a mountain that overlooks a plain (1 Sam 13.18), of God looking down from heaven (Psa 14.2), or of someone looking out of a window (2 Sam 6.16). In comparing her to the sun and moon, the young man is suggesting that she “shines down on the earth” as they do, bringing warmth and light. Like the dawn seems to refer to the morning star, the last star to remain visible in the morning, though it could also possibly describe the daylight, which chases the darkness away. In any event the young man speaks of his lover as the source of warmth and light. Good News Translation suggests that her “glance” is like the dawn, but this is difficult to understand.

Fair as the moon can be translated “beautiful as the moon.” The adjective “beautiful” is also used in verse 4.

Bright as the sun recalls the description in verse 9, where the daughter is “flawless” in her mother’s eyes. The same adjective is used here. In that context we decided the best translation was “chosen” or “favorite,” but here “pure” seems a more likely interpretation. The sun is indicated by a rare poetic term (in Isa 24.23 and 30.26 it appears in conjunction with “moon” also). It is the sun’s heat which the poet seems to be thinking of, because of the root meaning “hot.” We can render its meaning as “sun’s rays,” giving a possible translation “pure as the sun’s rays.”

Terrible as an army with banners: see comments on verse 4. Good News Translation omits this expression without an adequate explanation and so destroys the inclusio. New English Bible, which omit the phrase from verse 4, preserve it here and translate freely as “majestic as the starry heavens.” We suggest keeping the inclusio by using the same wording used in 6.4. As in verse 4 it will again be necessary to add a footnote to indicate the problem in the Hebrew text.

For translation we can suggest:

• Young man
“Look who’s shining down like the morning star,
beautiful as the full moon,
pure as the sun’s rays,
astonishing to behold.”

• Young man
“Who is this beautiful woman
Shining down like the morning star,
Lovely as the moon, pure as the sun’s rays,
And totally captivating?”*
Footnote: * Hebrew uncertain.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Song of Songs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1998. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .