1:14a

My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms: This clause is a metaphor. The woman compares the man to the fragrance of henna blossoms. He was as pleasing as those sweet-smelling flowers. If a metaphor does not communicate the meaning clearly, some other ways to translate it are:

• Use a simile. For example:

My beloved is to me like a cluster of henna blossoms

• Indicate explicitly how the man was like the henna blossoms. For example:

My beloved is ⌊as delightful⌋ to me as the sweet-smelling henna flowers

Translate the metaphor in a way that will communicate clearly in your language.

a cluster of henna blossoms: henna is a large shrub with clusters of fragrant flowers that grows in tropical climates. It may be called by a different name in your area, so you may want to consult an expert on plants to determine the local name.

Poem 4:1–7 The man told his bride how beautiful she is

In 4:1–7 the man used figures of speech to tell his bride how beautiful and majestic she was. He first praised her eyes and hair, then he praised her mouth, lips, and teeth. He described her temples and neck and then her breasts. Poem 4:1–7 begins and ends with similar statements that summarize her beauty:

4:1 How beautiful you are, my darling—

how very beautiful!

4:7 You are altogether beautiful, my darling;

there is no flaw in you.

Cultures have different ideas about what is beautiful. In some cultures the figures of speech that the man used to describe the woman may seem strange or insulting, but in his culture, they were powerful ways to praise her. Sometimes they described the man’s feelings about her instead of describing her appearance. For example, in 4:4 the man compared the woman’s neck (or her necklaces) to the tower of King David. Her neck did not look like the tower, but to him she seemed as majestic as that tower where warriors’ shields hung to represent their power.

Standards for respectful speech and actions in the Song

In 4:1–7 the man often referred to the woman’s body. In most cultures certain parts of the body are “private” or “sexual,” and those parts should not be uncovered in public. In some cultures, women must be covered from the waist to the ankles. Other cultures have different standards. Scholars are not sure about the specific standards in Israel when the Song was written, but the Song does not violate the standards of modesty in the OT. Two facts about the Song may help to indicate the standards of modesty in Israel’s culture in OT times:

(a) The Song refers to parts of the female body more than 40 times, but only three of these mention areas below the waist. This may imply that the area below the waist was the “private” area, which must be covered in public.

(b) In 8:8–10 both the woman and her brothers spoke casually about her breasts. This probably indicates that in that culture a woman did not always cover her breasts. For example, it was common to breast-feed babies openly (as in 8:1 and other OT verses).

These two facts imply that the author described the woman’s body in a more modest way than some scholars assume. When the man described the woman’s beauty (as in 4:1–7 and 7:1–9), he did it in a proper way. He did not describe “private sexual” parts. In some languages it may be helpful to include a footnote to explain that cultures have different standards of what is proper, decent, and respectful. Translate in a way that does not violate your culture’s standards.

4:1–7 The man spoke

4:1a–c

4:1a–b and the first part of 4:1c are identical to 1:15a–b. The Notes for the two verses are not exactly the same because the context is different. In 4:1 the context is the couple’s wedding day. However, you should translate the similarities in the two verses in the same way (or a very similar way).

4:1a–b

How beautiful you are, my darling—how very beautiful!: These phrases also occurred in 1:15. You may translate them as you did there. Notice that the phrases here in 4:1a–b are repeated in 4:7 to form an inclusio, which indicates the end of Poem 4:1–7.

my darling: See the Notes on 1:9a–b for a discussion of the phrase my darling. You should translate it as you did there and in 1:15. In some languages a direct address like this comes first in the sentence. For example:

My darling, how beautiful you are…

4:1c

Your eyes are like doves: The phrase Your eyes are like doves is a simile. The man compares the woman’s eyes to a small bird called a “dove.” The man did not mean that her eyes looked like doves. He meant that her eyes had a characteristic that reminded him of doves.

Scholars are uncertain about the exact meaning of this simile. Doves are gentle birds, so the simile probably implies that the woman’s eyes revealed that she was gentle like a dove. In the context of 4:1a–b it also implies that her eyes were beautiful. doves probably symbolize love here.

See 1:15c (which has the identical simile) for a more detailed discussion. You should translate this simile in the same way in both verses. In some languages it may be necessary to make the meaning explicit. For example:

Your ⌊lovely⌋ eyes ⌊show that you are as gentle⌋ as a dove

doves: For more information about doves, see the note on 1:15c.

behind your veil: Here in 4:1c the author adds the phrase behind your veil, which was not part of the comparison in 1:15. A veil was a piece of fabric that covered part of the head. In this verse, the author implied that the veil covered the woman’s face.

Probably the veil was partly transparent so that the man could see her eyes through the fabric. Other scholars say that the veil may have covered only the lower part of her face so that her eyes were visible above the veil.

Some other ways to translate behind your veil are:

as you look through your veil (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
inside the cloth that covers your face

4:1d–e

Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead: In 4:1d–e the author describes the way the woman’s hair looks as it moves. It moves in a fascinating way that is constantly changing. He compares it to the way a big group of goats move down mountain slopes in Gilead. Their movements are delightful to watch as they come down the mountain together. A similar simile is found in 6:5.

In many cultures people do not compare a woman’s hair to the movement of goats. If this is true in your language, you may need to make the similarity more explicit. For example:

Your hair dances like a flock of goats bounding down the hills of Gilead. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead. (New Century Version)
-or-
Your ⌊dark/black⌋ hair moves like a flock of ⌊dark/black⌋ goats as they leap down the slopes of Gilead.

For more information, see the note on streaming down Mount Gilead in this part of the verse.

4:1d

flock of goats: The phrase flock of goats refers here to a group of goats that are seen from a distance. The individual goats are not in focus. The author compared the woman’s hair to a flock of goats moving down a mountain to imply that her hair was beautiful as it moved.

In some cultures, people do not think of goats as beautiful or graceful. They may think of them as ugly or even associated with evil customs. If that is true in your culture, you may use a more general term. For example:

like flocks/groups of animals dancing down the slopes of Gilead

4:1e

streaming down: Here the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as streaming describes the way the goats move, or how they look as they go down the mountain slopes and hillsides in Gilead. Some other ways to describe this movement are:

flowing/streaming down
-or-
bounding/dancing down

Use a poetic way in your language to describe their movement.

Mount Gilead: The name Gilead probably refers here to a plateau region on the east side of the Jordan River. That region has many cliffs and mountain slopes. It probably does not refer to a single mountain. However, scholars and English versions differ on this issue. In this context, you may translate the word Mount as either singular or plural, whichever is most natural in your language. For example:

the slopes of Gilead (Revised Standard Version)

© 2017 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

6:1–3 The man was in his garden

In 5:10–16 the woman answered the women’s question by describing the man. Here in 6:1, the women responded with another question. They asked the woman where the man went, and they offered to help her find him (6:1). When she responded in 6:2–3, she said that her beloved was in his garden. (He was not missing.) Maybe she realized where he was when she praised him to the women. She realized that she and her beloved were still committed to each other, as she said in 6:3, “I belong to my beloved and he belongs to me.”

The “garden” in 6:2 is probably a metaphor for the woman. In 4:12–5:1 the man described the woman as a “garden.” In 4:16–5:1 she described herself as “his garden.”

Although 6:1 begins a new chapter, the poetic section continues until 6:3. It is helpful to show in some way that the chapter division does not indicate the end of the poetic section. This may be done with section headings, line breaks, or a footnote.

6:1 The women of Jerusalem questioned the woman

As in 5:9, in this verse the Jerusalem women asked two similar questions. The second question repeats the first one and adds a phrase. The use of two questions with similar meanings may emphasize that the women are serious about wanting to know the answer. The Hebrew text is literally:

1a Where ⌊has⌋ your beloved gone, most beautiful among women? 1b Where ⌊has⌋ your beloved gone so we may seek him with you?

In some languages it is more natural to translate the first part of the question (“Where has your beloved gone”) only once. For example:

Most beautiful among women, where has your beloved gone ? ⌊Tell us⌋ so that we may seek him with you.

Notice that the example changes the word order in the sentence by beginning it with “Most beautiful of women.”

6:1a

Where has your beloved gone: In 5:8 the woman asked the other women to give her beloved a message if they saw him. Because of what she said, the other women thought that she did not know where he was. So in 6:1 they offered to help her find him. They asked her where he went, because they wanted to know where to start their search. This clause is parallel to 6:1c. Some other ways to translate the question are:

where has your lover gone? (Good News Translation)
-or-
Which way did your beloved turn (Revised English Bible)
-or-
tell us where he has gone (Contemporary English Version)

6:1b

O most beautiful among women: The phrase most beautiful among women also occurred in 1:8 and 5:9, and you should translate it the same way in all three verses. For more information, see the notes on 5:9a–b.

6:1c–d

Which way has he turned? We will seek him with you: In 6:1c–d the Jerusalem women repeated the question that they asked in 6:1a, and then they told their purpose for the question: They wanted to help the woman search for her beloved. They implied that she should tell them which way he went when he left her. Some other ways to translate 6:1c–d are:

Where has your beloved turned? Tell us, that we may seek him with you. (NET Bible)
-or-
What direction did he go/take? We want to help you search for him.

Which way has he turned: The clause Which way has he turned is parallel to 6:1a and has a similar meaning. It means “in which direction” or “which way did your beloved go?” Some other ways to translate the clause are:

Tell us which way your lover went (Good News Translation)
-or-
Which way did he turn…? (New Living Translation (2004))

General Comment on 6:1

Scholars have different ideas about why the Jerusalem women wanted to help the woman search for the man. Some scholars think that their motives were good, and they wanted to help their friend find him. Other scholars think that they were teasing or mocking her. Others think that they were jealous, or that they only wanted to look at this handsome man. In the context, it seems most likely that their motives were pure and they really wanted to help the woman.

© 2017 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

8:7a

Mighty waters cannot quench love: The clause Mighty waters cannot quench love is a metaphor. It continues the metaphor in 8:6e–f, which states that love is like fire. The fire of love cannot be quenched even by many waters. Mighty waters represent troubles or difficulties. Just as a huge fire is not overcome even by much water, true lovers do not stop loving each other even if they have many difficulties and troubles.

Some ways to translate this metaphor are:

• Keep the metaphor (of water not putting out the fire of love). For example:

Water cannot put it out (Good News Translation)
-or-
Raging water cannot extinguish love… (God’s Word)

• Use similes. For example:

Love is like a big fire. Even if troubles come like many waters, they cannot extinguish the fire of love.

• Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:

When a man and woman truly love each other, even many troubles cannot overcome their love.

Mighty waters: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Mighty waters refers to much water. Since 8:7b refers to “rivers” the waters here in 8:7a probably also imply waters that are strong and forceful. Some other ways to translate the phrase are:

Even much water (New Century Version)
-or-
Surging waters (NET Bible)

quench: The word quench in this context refers to the way water extinguishes (puts out) a fire. Here is another way to translate this:

Love cannot be drowned by oceans or floods. (Contemporary English Version)

8:7b

rivers cannot sweep it away: The expression rivers cannot sweep it away is parallel to the metaphor in 8:7a and has a similar meaning. Literally, it means that even floodwater cannot overcome love.

In a flood, water rushes in and overcomes people. The author used flood as a figure of speech to refer to the difficulties and dangers that people face when they love each other. The phrase rivers cannot sweep it away indicates that even a flood (or other disaster or difficulty) cannot cause people to stop loving each other. In this context the author referred especially to romantic love.

Some ways to translate the metaphor are:

• Translate the metaphor in a literal way, if it communicates the right meaning in your language. For example:

floods cannot drown love.
-or-
no flood can stop ⌊people from⌋ loving ⌊each other⌋.

• Use a simile. For example:

Even if ⌊troubles come⌋ like a flood, they cannot wash love away.

• Translate the meaning without a figure of speech. For example:

No troubles can cause ⌊a man and a woman to stop loving each other.⌋
-or-
When people love each other, no troubles can destroy that love.

8:7c–d

If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, his offer would be utterly scorned: The statement in 8:7c–d implies that true love is precious. That is why no one can buy it with money or other wealth. There is nothing that a person can offer to get true love in return, because it is worth more than any riches.

Some other ways to translate this statement are:

If a man offered everything in his house for love, people would totally reject it. (New Century Version)
-or-
If someone offered to give everything he owned to buy love, everyone would only laugh at him.

The clause that begins with “If” in the preceding two examples mentions an action that probably would never really happen. It is a condition that is not real. In some languages there is a special way to indicate that an action is unlikely to happen. For example:

Even if someone wanted to buy love with all his wealth, surely he would receive only scorn.
-or-
If someone were to offer all his riches to buy love, people would just ridicule him.

Translate this meaning in a natural and emphatic way in your language.

a man: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a man can be interpreted in two ways.

(1) It means “an adult male.” For example:

Were a man to offer all his family wealth to buy love (New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) It means “a person” (of either gender). For example:

If someone were to offer all his possessions to buy love (NET Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). In this context the woman was thinking about the man. However, either option is a valid translation here.

were to give…for love: The phrase for love means “tried to purchase love.” For example:

But if any tried to buy love with their wealth… (Good News Translation)

all the wealth of his house: In this context the phrase all the wealth of his house emphasizes the fact that there is nothing that a person can give to buy love. It does not refer specifically to the wealth inside his house or to the wealth of his family. The context implies that no amount of wealth could ever buy love. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

everything he owned (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
all his wealth (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
it cannot be bought, no matter what is offered (Contemporary English Version)

his offer would be utterly scorned: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as his offer may refer either to the man himself or to the offer of his wealth.

(1) It refers to the man’s offer and his wealth. For example:

the offer would be utterly despised. (NET Bible)

(2) It refers to the man himself. For example:

he would be utterly despised. (English Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). The man’s offer is rejected because he tried to buy love with wealth, showing a wrong attitude. However, both options are acceptable. In some languages option (2) may be more natural. If that is true in your language, it is fine to follow it. Some ways to translate this part of the verse are:

the offer would be utterly despised. (NET Bible)
-or-
people would totally reject the offer.

General Comment on 8:7

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of 8:7c and 8:7d. For example:

7d Love is so precious that no one can buy it 7c even if he offers great riches.
-or-

7d it cannot be bought, 7c no matter what is offered. (Contemporary English Version)

© 2017 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Section 2:8–3:5

The man called the woman, but later she could not find him

The author began this scene at a different place and time from the ending of the preceding section (1:1–2:7). At the end of that section, the woman and man were together, but at the beginning of this section (2:8) the woman was in her room at home, and the man was coming to her over the hills.

There are two poems in Section 2:8–3:5. In the first poem (2:8–17) the man came and stood outside the woman’s room. She quoted what he said as he invited her to come out with him and enjoy a beautiful spring day. The second poem (3:1–5) describes a time when the woman searched for her beloved at night. This second poem has much in common with Section 5:2–6:3. See the discussion of similarities at the beginning of that section.

Both parts of this section (2:8–17 and 3:1–5) may describe what the woman imagined or what she dreamed. The descriptions may not refer to actual events in the poem.

Poem 2:8–17

This beautiful poem (2:8–17) describes springtime. In springtime, new plants begin to grow, flowers bloom, and fruit trees begin to blossom. In these lines springtime symbolizes that love was growing between the woman and the man. The woman first spoke to herself, but then she quoted the man as he invited her to come out of her house and go away with him.

This poem begins and ends in a similar way. At the beginning (2:8–9) the man came to the woman over the mountains like a gazelle or stag. At the end (2:17) he again roamed on the mountains like a gazelle or stag.

In these lines the woman spoke. However, from 2:10b through 2:14 she quoted what the man said. Then she continued speaking in 2:15–17.

2:8–10a The woman described the coming of her beloved

2:8a–10a

Here the woman began the section by saying that she heard the voice or sound of her beloved (2:8a). In 2:8b–2:9e she described how he came to her family’s home where she lived. Then in 2:10a she introduced what he said to her.

2:8a

Listen! My beloved approaches: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Listen has different meanings in different contexts. Here it may refer specifically to the beloved’s voice or more generally to the sound of his coming. Some ways to translate it are:

• Refer to the voice of the beloved. For example:

I hear my beloved’s voice. (God’s Word)

• Refer more generally to the sound of his coming. For example:

Ah, I hear my lover coming! (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Listen! My beloved is coming!

The author uses the same Hebrew word in this way in 2:14 when the man wants to hear his beloved’s voice. Use a natural way in your language to communicate excitement in this context.

My beloved: Suggestions for translating My beloved are given in the notes on 1:13a–b.

2:8b–9e

There is parallelism in 2:8b–9e. In the following example, the similar phrases are indicated in similar ways:

8a Listen! My beloved approaches.

8b
Look! Here he comes,

8c
leaping across the mountains,

8d
bounding over the hills.

9a
My beloved is like a gazelle,

9b
or a young stag.

9c
Look, he stands behind our wall :

9d
gazing through the windows,

9e
peering through the lattice.

The phrase “ Look! Here he comes” (2:8b) is parallel to “Look, he stands behind our wall” (2:9c). After 2:8b, there are two more parallel phrases “leaping across the mountains” (2:8c) and “bounding over the hills” (2:8d). These phrases have almost the same meaning. Line 2:9c is followed by two more parallel lines “gazing through the windows” and “peering through the lattice” (2:9d–e).

In some languages it is more natural to combine the parallel lines that follow each other. See the General Comment on 2:9d–e following the notes for 2:9e for an example.

comes…leaping…bounding…stands…gazing…peering: The Hebrew verb forms that the Berean Standard Bible translates as comes, leaping, bounding, stands, gazing, and peering do not indicate when these actions happened. The verb forms help people imagine the actions happening as they read about them. That makes the action seem more vivid and exciting. Use a natural way in your language to do that.

2:8b

Look! Here he comes: The phrase Look! Here he comes is an exclamation. It indicates that the woman was excited and happy that her beloved was approaching her. It implies that she wanted others to share her excitement that he was coming.

Some ways to translate this exclamation are:

Behold, he comes… (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Here he comes… (New Century Version)
-or-
He’s coming!

Many languages have special ways to express excitement like this. Sometimes there is a special exclamation or form of the verb. For example:

Oh listen! I hear him coming!

Indicate the woman’s excitement or surprise in a natural way in your language.

Look!: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Look calls attention to the statement, word, or phrase that follows it. In this context, it also communicates excitement. Consider how you call attention to a word or phrase in your language. You may be able to use an exclamation word like “Behold!” or “Listen!” or you may be able to communicate the excitement by making the sentence itself more emphatic or exciting.

Look occurs four times in the Song. Three of these are in this section (2:8, 9, 11). In each context translate its function in a natural way in your language.

2:8c–9e

In these lines there is a complex simile that continues for several lines. It describes a gazelle or stag, and it also describes the man whom the woman loves. The author used verbs that can refer to both the man and to an animal, but the actions are more like an animal’s actions. It is easy to imagine a lively animal running to the window to gaze into it. The woman implied that her beloved did that. The tone of the simile can be described as “playful.”

Other places in the OT that mention the leaping and swift running of gazelles or stags are 2 Samuel 2:18, 1 Chronicles 12:8, Psalm 18:33, and Isaiah 35:6.

2:8c–d

leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills: The two phrases leaping across the mountains and bounding over the hills have similar meanings. leaping and bounding describe the way the man hurried toward the woman. It emphasizes that he was eager to see her. It also implies her excitement as she saw him jump across the hills and rush toward her. Translate this excited description in a natural and poetic way in your language. For example:

running over the mountains,

racing across the hills to me. (Good News Translation)

The two parallel lines have the same meaning. In some languages it may be more natural to combine them. For example:

Oh, look! He’s coming toward me, bounding over the mountains!
-or-
He runs and leaps on the mountains and hills!

© 2017 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

4:12–15

In 4:12–15 the man described the woman as an ideal garden with abundant water. The description uses hyperbole, since no real garden in ancient Israel had such a variety of plants growing together in one place. When the author describes the garden, he probably implies the effect that the woman herself had on the man. The author probably does not refer here to the effects of specific body parts related to sexual intimacy.

The author related these verses to the previous ones by using common themes and words. In 4:12 he repeated the phrase, my sister, my bride, that was used twice in the preceding verses. He also continued to speak of fragrances, and he concluded 4:15 with the Lebanon theme.

4:12a

In 4:12 the man continued his theme of the woman being hard to reach, which he described in 4:8. But here the man used the metaphors of a “locked garden” and a “sealed fountain” to describe her.

My sister, my bride, you are a garden locked up: Here the man described the woman with the metaphor of a beautiful garden that is locked up. No one was able to enter and come to her. Some scholars think that her beloved already came to her and had sexual relations with her. However, it is more likely that she was still a virgin. As in 2:14 and 4:8, the man again gently encouraged her to give herself totally to him. In 4:16 she will respond and invite him to “enter her garden” to be intimate with her.

In some languages it is more natural to change the order of the words in this sentence. For example:

My bride, my sister is a garden that is locked.

This statement is a metaphor. Other ways to translate the metaphor are:

• Use a simile. For example:

My sister, my bride, you are like a garden that is locked.

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

My sister, my bride, you are as ⌊private⌋ as a locked garden.

My sister, my bride: The phrases My sister and my bride are parallel terms that the man used to express affection to his bride. The word bride also implies a marriage celebration. For a more detailed discussion of My sister, my bride, see the note on this phrase in 4:10a.

garden: In the land where the man and woman lived, a garden was like a park that had trees and flowers. The man did not refer here to a small garden with a few vegetables. The type of garden to which the man compared his bride was unusually beautiful. The trees in the garden were filled with delicious fruit, and its flowers included fragrant herbs. It was an imaginary garden, where everything was ideal. Use an appropriate word in your language for such a garden.

In 4:12 the man referred to the woman as if he were talking about her to others. But in 4:13 it is clear that he spoke directly to her when he said “your shoots.” In many languages it is more natural to indicate in both verses that the man spoke directly to her. For example:

You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride…

4:12b–c

a spring enclosed, a fountain sealed: The phrases a spring enclosed and a fountain sealed have similar meanings. Literally, they indicate that no one but the owner of the spring or fountain can take any of its water. Figuratively, they indicate that the woman was private. No one could come to her without permission. She was the source of refreshment for the man, and he was the only one who had a right to enjoy lovemaking with her.

In some languages it may be more natural to translate the figure of speech about the private spring and fountain only once. For example:

You are like a spring that is only for me.

a spring enclosed: There is a textual issue here with the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spring :

(1) The Hebrew text has the word gal, which means “spring” or “pool.” For example:

you are a spring enclosed… (New International Version)

(2) Other ancient versions have a word that means “garden.” For example:

a walled garden… (Good News Translation)

The decision about which text to follow is difficult, since either approach makes sense in the context. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), which follows the Hebrew text. It fits both the sounds of the poetry and its meaning especially well.

© 2017 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

6:12

The meaning of the Hebrew text of this verse is uncertain. There are no explicit connectors in the Hebrew verse, and scholars have different views about how the meanings of the words and phrases are connected. There are also different ways to interpret the verse as a whole.

Because scholars are not certain about the meaning of the Hebrew text here, it is helpful to include a footnote in your translation, as several English versions do. For example:

The meaning of the Hebrew text of 6:12 is uncertain.

The Notes recommends that translators follow the interpretation of the Berean Standard Bible in this verse. It has good support among scholars and fits the context well.

6:12a

Before I realized it: The phrase Before I realized it implies that what the woman described in 6:12b happened suddenly. She did not think about it in advance or plan for it. Other ways to translate this meaning are:

Before I was aware (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
suddenly (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Before I knew it (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

6:12b

In the Song, the author often described dreams, as well as events. In 6:12 also, he probably referred to a dream or to something the woman imagined. The Contemporary English Version makes this explicit:

But in my imagination (Contemporary English Version)

I was suddenly riding

on a glorious chariot.

The verse implies that the woman took a walk to the garden. (6:11). Then while she was there, she imagined herself riding in the chariot with her beloved (6:12).

my desire had set me among the royal chariots of my people: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as my desire had set me is more literally “my soul put me.” The phrase probably indicates that the woman imagined the event in 6:12b. It implies that her desire for her beloved caused her to imagine being in a chariot with him.

Some other ways to translate the clause are:

I imagined that I was in a chariot of my people
-or-
in my mind/heart I was suddenly riding in a chariot of my people

Use a natural way in your language to describe an event that someone imagines. Many languages have idioms to describe this type of imagined event. For example:

I found myself in the royal chariot with my beloved.

among the royal chariots: A “chariot” was a cart with two-wheels. The cart was partly open and partly enclosed and was pulled by a horse or horses. The driver and passenger stood in it as they rode. Chariots were used for different purposes in times of peace and also for warfare. Here the chariot that the woman imagined was probably beautiful and decorated. Use an appropriate word or phrase in your language.

of my people: In Hebrew this phrase literally says: “of-my-people noble.” There are different ways to interpret the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as of my people.

(1) It means “my prince.” For example:

in a chariot beside my prince. (New Revised Standard Version)

(2) It is used as a proper name, “Amminadib,” as in some ancient Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions. For example:

the chariots of Amminadib (New Jerusalem Bible)

(3) Other interpretations include: “among the royal chariots of my people” (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version); “in the royal chariot” (New Living Translation (2004)); “chariots of my noble people” (God’s Word, New American Standard Bible); and daughter of my princely people (NET Bible).

Scholars are uncertain about the meaning of the phrase. It is recommended that you follow option (1), which is a fairly literal translation of the Hebrew phrase. You may want to include a footnote to list some of the other possible meanings in options (2) and (3).

© 2017 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

1:4a

Take me away with you—let us hurry!: Here the woman asked the man to hurry and take her with him. She said this because of her great desire to be alone with him. She did not imply that she wanted him to take her hand and lead her. The request also does not imply that she wanted them to elope (go away secretly to have sexual relations or to get married).

Other ways to translate her request are:

Take me with you; let’s run together. (New Century Version)
-or-
Let’s go. Lead me quickly!

1:4b

May the king bring me to his chambers: There are different ways to interpret the Hebrew verb form that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bring in this verse. The two main options are:

(1) The verb form expresses a desire or request. For example:

be my king and take me to your room. (Good News Translation)

(2) The verb describes a completed action. For example:

The king has brought me into his bedroom. (New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow option (1). It repeats the theme of desire expressed in 1:2a. The woman thought or dreamed about the time when her desire to be with her beloved will be fulfilled.

the king…his: Here the woman referred to her beloved as the king. She was still referring to the same man as in 1:4a and in 1:2–3. She probably spoke directly to the man or imagined what she wanted to say to him.

Use a natural way in your language to indicate that the king is the same man as in 1:2–3. In some languages it is necessary to make that clear by using forms like “you” and “your.” For example:

Hurry, my king! Let’s hurry.

Take me to your home. (Contemporary English Version)

king: In this context the word king is a special term of affection that the woman used for her beloved. The word king is just one of several poetic ways that the woman used to refer to him. She also referred to him as a shepherd (1:7), an apple tree (2:3), a gazelle or stag (2:9), and a magnificent statue (5:14–15). She described him in poetic hyperboles as lovers often do. She probably spoke of her beloved as king to show her admiration. Other ways to say this are:

my Chief
-or-
my royal Darling

Show this admiration in a natural way in your language.

to his chambers: The phrase his chambers refers to the man’s bedroom (the room where he usually slept). The plural chambers may refer to one room that has different parts, rather than to more than one room. In this context chambers may have a figurative sense. It may actually refer to a meeting place under the trees. (See 1:16–17 where their bedroom seems to be under the trees in the forest.)

The word chambers may refer to the place where the man and woman experienced intimate union. It may imply here that the woman was thinking of the time when they will be married.

1:4c–d The women of Jerusalem praised the man that the woman loves

The original Hebrew does not identify the speaker or speakers in 1:4c–d. Scholars suggest two main options:

(1) The speakers in 1:4c–d were a group (chorus) of young women who praised the man. (These were probably the maidens mentioned in 1:3c.) For example:

We rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine. (New International Version)

(2) The speaker in 1:4c–d was the woman, and she spoke to the man. When she said “we,” she referred to herself and the man. She did not include the other young women mentioned in 1:3c and 1:4e. For example:

We will be happy together, drink deep, and lose ourselves in love. (Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). It provides the simplest explanation of the words in 1:4c–d. It seems less likely that the women spoke in 1:4e, since the text refers to them with a “they” form rather than with a “we” form.

1:4c–d

We will rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love: Here the women told what they will do. They will rejoice because of the man, and they will praise his love. Some other ways to translate this intention are:

We will exult and rejoice…will extol your love…. (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Let us rejoice and be glad….praise your love… (Revised English Bible)
-or-
We are happy….we praise your love. (Contemporary English Version)

rejoice and delight in you: The phrases rejoice ⌊in you⌋ and delight in you have similar meanings. The phrases indicate that the women will celebrate and praise the man because of his wonderful qualities, especially his love for the woman. When rejoice and delight are used together, they emphasize the meaning. Emphasize the meaning in a natural way in your language.

In some languages it may be more natural to use a different way to emphasize the meaning. For example:

greatly rejoice

will praise your love:
The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as love here was also used in 1:2b (see the explanation of love in 1:2b). In that context it refers to the man’s love toward the woman. The women of Jerusalem agreed with the woman’s opinion that the way her beloved showed his love for her was wonderful. They did not personally experience his love, but they agreed that it was wonderful.

It is also possible that the speech of the young women is a poetic way to emphasize how wonderful the man was. It may not imply that a particular group of women was speaking.

more than wine: This type of comparison was also used in 1:2b. Here it means:

we will praise your love more than ⌊we will praise⌋ ⌊the pleasures of⌋ ⌊drinking⌋ wine.

In Hebrew and in the Berean Standard Bible, the words “we will praise” are not stated twice because the second “we will praise” is already implied. In some languages it may be necessary to say it twice, as in the example above. Some languages may also need to include some of the other implied information in the example above.

1:4e The woman commented to the man about the young women of Jerusalem

1:4e

It is only right that they adore you: At the end of 1:4d the women of Jerusalem stopped speaking, and here in 1:4e the woman addressed her beloved. She commented on the attitude of the daughters of Jerusalem. She told him that it was natural and right that they loved him.

Here the word right indicates that a response of love is the natural and correct response to someone so wonderful. For example:

How right they are to adore you! (New International Version)

they adore you: Here the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as adore is the same word that was used in 1:3c. The statement they adore you implies that the young women admired the man and were attracted to him.

© 2017 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.