Again there is some disagreement as to who is speaking here. Good News Translation, New International Version, Bible en français courant, and many commentators see this as continuing what the woman says in verse 5b. Jerusalem Bible opposes this majority view, however, regarding the young man as the speaker in verses 5b, 6-7, and those following. But the evidence seems to suggest that the majority view is probably correct. The suffixes on the nouns “your heart” and “your arm” are masculine, so it seems clear that the young woman is addressing her lover. These pronouncements about the strength and power of love are fully consistent with what we know of the young woman’s feelings.
The stylistic devices used in verses 6 and 7 are impressive, providing a fitting conclusion to the entire song. The word love ties the two verses together; and there are also strong contrasting images. Verse 6 speaks of blazing fire and flames; verse 7 provides a contrast by referring to waters and rivers. These verses are also filled with Hebrew alliteration. Grammatical parallelism gives a strong rhythm to the passage. Repetition in the last line of each verse serves to intensify the emotional impact (vehement flame, literally “blazing of blazing,” and in verse 7 utterly scorned, literally “scorn they would scorn”).
Grammatical parallelism is a key element in this poem. The first four lines present four similes, each repeating the same preposition “as [or, like].” The second part of the verse highlights two words, strong and “unyielding” (Revised Standard Version cruel). A certain rhythm builds through these lines, ending with the very intense final line. Every Hebrew word in this last line contains the sound sh, and the verb “burns”; (Revised Standard Version flashes) is in focus as it stands at the beginning of the sentence and is then repeated.
Set me as a seal upon your heart: the opening imperative Set is the verb “put,” “place.” Seal refers to a personal stamp, like the personal name seal used in some cultures for signing documents. It is a carved piece of stone, wood, or metal, and can be in the form of a ring worn on the finger or hung around the neck on a cord. Because of its value to the owner, a seal is closely guarded to prevent others misusing it. Here the young woman asks her lover to keep her as a seal upon his heart, the source of his feelings and emotions. The appropriate equivalent (“bile,” “liver”) can be used in other languages.
The basis of the comparison with a seal is not made clear, so there are several possibilities of interpretation. The young woman may be saying “Keep [the thought of] me with you always, just like you always keep your seal around your neck.” A more figurative understanding is that she is asking him to “stamp” his heart with her name, meaning that his heart belongs to her alone. We may say “Keep me [alone] in your heart forever.” In English and many other languages a good substitute for seal is the person’s name or signature. In English poetry or love songs we would not be surprised to hear “Write my name on your heart.” Good News Translation changes the form and imagery, and renders it “Close your heart to every love but mine.”
As a seal upon your arm parallels the previous phrase. It refers to the practice of wearing a signet ring (seal). It does not mean that her name is stamped on the young man’s arm, but rather that he wears a ring on his finger or bracelet on his arm. She wants to be like his personal ring on his finger. Again the picture is one of exclusive commitment to her. Good News Translation suggests “hold no one in your arms but me.” It understands arm literally, and although it is a very free rendering of the Hebrew, it nevertheless catches the spirit of exclusive ownership or commitment. Arm in Hebrew poetry can also mean “hand.”
The expressions in Good News Translation will be easily understood. However, the idea of a personal seal or stamp is one found throughout the Old Testament and parts of the New Testament. Preserving the image of a seal will retain some of the flavor of the Song. The word seal as something one always carries also reminds us of the beginning of the Song, where the young woman compares her lover to the sachet of sweet-smelling herbs that she wears next to her breast (1.13). Here in a beautiful reversal she begs him to consider her in the same way, that he too will carry her about, “on his person” so to speak. Another possible way to convey both the imagery and the meaning is to combine a fairly literal translation of the first clause with a more idiomatic second clause:
• Keep me always with you,
like the seal around your neck.
Show everyone you love no one but me.
For translation the following are other examples:
• Keep me next to your heart,
like the seal you carry,
like the signet ring on your hand.
• Wear my name on your heart, like a ring on your finger.
• Write my name on your heart, keep me close like a bracelet on your arm.
For love is strong as death celebrates the awesome power of love, comparing it to two powerful forces, death and fire. It is important to note, however, that the Song does not talk of love in the abstract sense. Even in this great declaration the tone remains very personal. The introductory particle for or “because” is an important one; it gives the reason for the young woman’s request in the clauses above.
The love they feel toward each other is strong as death. This powerful figure of speech is meant to convey the fact that love endures forever. In many cultures this figure will be understood immediately and so can be translated rather literally. In others, however, certain features must be explained. The focus of the comparison is on the word strong. Just as death is powerful and unending, so their love is also powerful and unending. Some commentators favor the idea of “irresistible,” but we prefer the former meaning.
Some may find the comparison with death unacceptable; death is too negative, and so comparing love with death may give a wrong or negative message. One possibility is to use two short independent sentences that separate the mention of love from such close links with death. For example, “Death is without end; so is love,” “Death lasts forever; our love will never die,” or “Death is very powerful. So is our love.” However, if the mention of death will confuse the message, we may have to use a more general statement: “Love is stronger than anything on this earth” or “Love is more powerful than anything in this world.” Another alternative is to use a traditional phrase or comparison to show the strength of love. Almost certainly the translator’s own language will have a way of speaking of love’s power or unending quality.
The noun love may perhaps be better expressed as a verb. We can use an expression like “loving someone,” or perhaps “when two people love each other.” But it will be extremely difficult in this case to preserve the comparison with death. We may say “When two people truly love each other, nothing can overcome their love.” But these are solutions that should be used only if there is no other way to express the sentiments of the original text, since they lose the simile and weaken the poetic nature of the text.
Jealousy is cruel as the grave: a parallel thought to the previous one. Scholars are divided as to whether jealousy means “zeal” or “passion” (Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, Gordis), or whether it is “jealousy” (so New International Version, Jerusalem Bible), that negative feeling we have when love is challenged or threatened. The Old Testament uses the word in both ways, so we can only depend on context to help us fill out its meaning here. The parallel structure of the sentences indicates that here it has the same sense as “love”; so it has a positive sense, namely the exclusive devotion they have for each other. We therefore suggest a translation “complete devotion.” This is better than New American Bible “devotion,” which for English is too weak.
Revised Standard Version and New English Bible describe this passionate devotion as cruel (New Revised Standard Version has “fierce”), but this is rather misleading. The Hebrew adjective has almost the same sense as “strong” in the previous clause. New American Bible and Jerusalem Bible have “relentless.” New International Version suggests “unyielding.” Each of these well conveys the power of the couple’s mutual love.
The grave: literally “Sheol,” the place of the dead. This word therefore carries the same meaning as “death,” with the same associated meanings as in the previous clause. We can make all this clearer by saying “[our] complete devotion binds us just like the grave holds onto the dead,” “Just as the grave holds people for ever, so our complete devotion binds us together eternally.” If the mention of the grave, like death, is not acceptable, we can say “Our complete devotion lasts forever. Nothing can destroy it.” Again, however, this rendering robs the statement of some of its impact; so if at all possible we will want to maintain the comparison.
Its flashes are flashes of fire: the Hebrew text usessh sounds throughout this phrase and the following one to imitate the hissing sound of flames. Its is represented by a feminine suffix, so we conclude that it refers back to the flashes of “love” and “jealousy,” both of which are feminine forms in Hebrew. Flashes is a common rendering of a Hebrew noun whose actual meaning is uncertain; most likely it means sparks or flames. There was a Canaanite god whose name is the same as this noun, Reshef; archeological evidence pictures him as an arrow, suggesting a possible meaning “flaming arrow.” It certainly fits with the description here. Since Its refers to love, we may want to make this clear. We can render the sense then as “love’s arrows are fiery.” Several translations (New International Version, Good News Translation, New English Bible) use a verb form to translate Its flashes. They suggest “it blazes”; or “it bursts into flame.” These renderings seem to picture love blazing up like a fire. However, the sense here certainly points to the effects of love; it is strong and overwhelming and, like a fire, is all-consuming in its blazing heat.
A most vehement flame: this is a phrase presumably referring to love also, as a description parallel to the previous phrase. Revised Standard Version considers this line to be only one word in Hebrew (shalhevethyah). Its meaning is at best ambiguous. A number of scholars believe the phrase to be two separate words, the second of which is yah. This latter is then interpreted as an abbreviated form of the divine name Yahweh, giving a translation “flame of Yahweh.” If this were the correct view, this phrase would represent the only reference to God in the entire Song. Those who accept this view think that human love is being compared to divine love. This analysis of the text provides the basis for many commentators’ belief that the Song is not a simple love song, but a treatise on God’s love for his people.
There are many other scholars, however, who see no reference to Yahweh at all here, pointing out that the name of God has never once been mentioned in the Song. Some think that, if indeed it is the name of God, it may be nothing more than an idiomatic expression for lightning, “flame of Yah,” parallel in meaning to the previous phrase, “shafts of fire.”
As noted above, the phrase is ambiguous. It can also be interpreted as a superlative form (with no reference to Yahweh), “the hottest [or, fiercest] flame.” Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible follow this sense, as Good News Translation apparently does when it says “like a raging fire” (see also New International Version margin).
We suggest following the majority view here and so choose to translate with a superlative, “the hottest flame” or “the hottest of all flames.”
Suggested translations are:
• Its arrows are like a flame [of fire], a blazing fire.
• Love’s arrows are fiery, like a flash of lightning.
Where readers are familiar with Bible translations that interpret this latter clause as referring to Yahweh, it may be helpful to include a footnote as some of the French versions do (Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), stating that “flame of Yahweh” is an alternative interpretation of the Hebrew text.
Some translations use capital letters in this and the next verse for “Love.” Jerusalem Bible capitalizes “Death” and “Sheol” also. We note, however, that love throughout this book is always personal (“our love” or “my love”); it is not referring to love in the abstract sense. Likewise, capitalizing “Death” may draw attention to this word, when the real focus is on the adjectives “strong” and “unyielding.” We therefore do not recommend capitalizing any of these words. “Sheol” on the other hand is a place name. If it is rendered literally, a capital letter is appropriate.
Now that the essential parts of the verse have been dealt with, the translator should try to render the text in a poetic form. A slightly literal translation may produce a rhythm similar to the original. The translator may wish to include terms that can represent the sound of fire, or ideophones to picture the flash or the fire.
The whole verse can say:
• Write my name on your heart,
Keep yourself only for me,
For love is strong—as strong as death!
Sheol will not give up its dead, nor we, our love!
Love’s arrows are fiery, like the fiercest of flames.
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 .