SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 2017 – Page 13

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 2:15

2:15–17 The woman replied to the man

2:15

Many scholars agree that in the preceding verses (2:8–14) the woman quoted what the man said to her. However, scholars have different views about who spoke in 2:15. The main views are:

(1) The woman spoke. Some versions use a heading to indicate this. For example:

The Beloved to her Lover (NET Bible)

(2) The man spoke (or the woman quoted what he said). For example, the New Century Version has this heading for 2:14–15:

The Man Speaks (New Century Version)

(3) The young women of Jerusalem (or an unspecified group) spoke. For example, the New Living Translation (2004) has this heading:

Young Women of Jerusalem (New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with many Bible scholars. In 2:14, the man told the woman that he wanted to hear her voice, so it is likely that here in 2:15 the woman replied to him.

The literal meaning of 2:15 is fairly clear. However, scholars do not agree on its figurative meaning and what it implies. One likely interpretation is that the man must try to remove the small disagreements or problems that damage their love for each other. The General Comment on 2:15 suggests ways that translators may help readers to understand the figurative meaning.

2:15a

Catch for us the foxes: The phrase Catch for us the foxes is a request to more than one person. It means “you(plur) catch the foxes for us.” However, the woman was speaking only to the man. There are different ways to interpret the plural form here. It may imply urgency. It was urgent for the man to catch the foxes to prevent them from spoiling the vineyards. Other ways to translate this request are:

Catch the foxes for us (God’s Word)
-or-
we must catch the little foxes (Contemporary English Version)

us: The word us refers here to the man and the woman. It implies that catching the foxes will help both of them.

foxes: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as foxes can refer to either foxes or jackals. These animals are wild, though they look like small dogs. They live in holes in the ground or in natural shelters like caves. In the Bible the foxes are known for being crafty and destructive.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 5:3

5:3

There are two views about the woman’s words in 5:3:

(1) The words tell what the woman thought when the man came to her. She later told her thoughts to the Jerusalem women. She did not say the words directly to the man. For example:

I had taken off my robe…I had bathed my feet… (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

(2) She said the words directly to the man when he asked her to open the door (5:2c–e). Later she told the Jerusalem women what she said. For example:

But I responded, “I have taken off my robe…” (New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with more English versions.

5:3a–d

There are two similar parts in 5:3 (5:3a–b is similar to 5:3c–d). Each part has a statement and a rhetorical question:

3a I have taken off my robe—

3b must I put it back on?

3c I have washed my feet—

3d must I soil them again?

The two parts have similar meanings. The woman implied that she prepared herself for sleeping and got into bed before the man came. In 5:3a–b she said that she already undressed so she did not want to dress again. In 5:3c–d she said that she already washed her feet, so she did not want to make them dirty again. The author repeats these similar meanings to emphasize them.

Some other ways to translate 5:3a–b and 5:3c–d are:

• Translate 5:3a–b and 5:3c–d as similar statements. For example:

I had already taken off my robe,

and I did not want to put it on again.

I had already washed my feet,

and I did not want to soil them again.

• Combine the actions in 5:3a–b and 5:3c–d as one explanation. For example:

I had already taken off my robe and washed my feet, and/so I did not want to put my robe on again and soil my feet!

• Combine 5:3a–b as one statement and 5:3c–d as one question. For example:

But I had already undressed and bathed my feet. Should I dress again and get my feet dirty? (Contemporary English Version)

Translate these parallel parts of the verse in an emphatic way in your language.

5:3a

I have taken off my robe: Here the woman explained to the other women the reason that she did not want to get up to open the door for the man. She explained that when the man arrived, she had already removed her clothes and was ready to sleep. The phrase I have taken off my robe is not something that she said to the man. Some other ways to translate this explanation are:

But I was already undressed
-or-
I had put off my garment (Revised Standard Version)

taken off my robe: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as taken off my robe refers to removing the robe that a person (either male or female) normally wore under other clothes. It was customary to remove this robe when getting into bed to sleep. Use a natural way in your language to refer to removing clothes to prepare to sleep.

5:3b

must I put it back on?: The clause must I put it back on is a rhetorical question. It implies that the woman did not want to put her clothes on again after taking them off to get into bed. She thought that it was too much effort for her to do that. Some other ways to translate this rhetorical question are:

• Use a rhetorical question that implies that meaning in your language. For example:

why should I get dressed again? (Good News Translation)
-or-
must I put it on again? (Revised English Bible)

• Use a statement. For example:

I have taken off my garment, and I do not want to put it on again.

Translate the meaning in a natural way in your language.

5:3c

I have washed my feet: Here the woman indicated that she already washed her feet to get into bed. It was common for people to wash their feet even if they did not bathe the rest of their bodies. People commonly went barefoot or wore open sandals, so their feet got dirty from the dust. Another way to translate 5:3c is:

I had already bathed my feet.

5:3d

must I soil them again: The rhetorical question must I soil them again implies that the woman did not want to get her feet dirty. It does not imply that she was not able to get them dirty. Another way to translate the rhetorical question is:

I did not want to make them dirty again.

General Comment on 5:3

In this verse, the woman was already in bed. She had already washed her feet and removed her garment to get ready to sleep. She was not prepared for the man’s visit, and she was surprised that he came. (The General Comment on 5:5 about myrrh gives more information about preparing for sleep in that culture.)

© 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.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 7:6

7:6

This verse is a summary of the description of the woman in 7:1–5. It emphasizes her great beauty.

7:6a

How fair and pleasant you are: The clause How fair and pleasant you are is part of an exclamation. The man used it to tell the woman that she was beautiful and delightful. Use a natural way in your language to give such a compliment to a woman. Some other ways to translate it in English are:

Oh, you are beautiful and delightful!
-or-
You are beautiful, so very desirable! (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
You are beautiful beyond description! You are the one in whom my heart delights.

fair…pleasant: The Hebrew words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fair and pleasant have similar meanings. The word fair occurs often in the Song, for example, in 1:8; 4:1, 7, and 10; and in 6:4. It is good to translate the word in the same way or a similar way as you translated it in those verses.

The word pleasant refers to the woman only in this verse. It indicates that she is “pleasant, delightful, and lovely.”

Some other ways to translate fair and pleasant here are:

beautiful and pleasant (English Standard Version)
-or-
lovely and wonderful

In some languages it may be more natural to express the similar ideas with one emphatic phrase. For example:

You are incredibly beautiful…
-or-
You are so delightful

7:6b

O love, with your delights: There are two ways to interpret the Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as O love, with your delights :

(1) The man addressed the woman as his beloved and then described her. For example:

my love, with your elegance. (God’s Word)

(2) The man spoke about love as a feeling or action. For example:

how complete the delights of your love (Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with the majority of English versions. The Song usually does not speak about love by itself as a quality. Here the man probably referred to the woman herself, as he spoke directly to her.

with your delights: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as delights means “delightful, charming.” It describes the woman herself, not the abstract quality of “love.” It implies that she gave the man great pleasure and delight.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

• Translate it as a statement. For example:

you are full of delights (New Century Version)
-or-
you delight ⌊me⌋ in so many ways

• Translate it as a direct address. For example:

my delight (New American Bible)
-or-
O wonderful Love/Beloved

• Translate it as an exclamation. For example:

how complete the delights of your love! (Good News Translation)
-or-
what rapture/happiness you give me with your love!

Use a natural way in your language for a man to tell a woman how much her love pleases and delights him.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 1:11

1:11a

We will make you ornaments of gold: Scholars differ about who the speaker is in 1:11, because the subject shifts from “I” in 1:9–10 to the plural We in 1:11. English versions use headings to suggest who speaks here. The options are:

(1) The speaker is the man. He probably used the form “we” because he himself did not plan to make the jewelry. He probably planned to hire others to make it. For example, the New Century Version includes 1:11 with 1:9–10 under the heading:

The Man Speaks to the Woman (New Century Version)

(2) The speaker is a group of other people. For example, the English Standard Version indicates a new speaker at 1:11 with the heading:

Others (English Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), as a majority of versions and most scholars do. In 1:9 the man was identified as the speaker in this verse.

ornaments of gold: It is uncertain exactly what these ornaments were. It is possible that they were earrings or necklaces. In 1:10a the word for ornaments was used for jewelry that decorated the woman’s cheeks. There are two options for translation:

• Use a general term such as “ornaments” or “jewelry.” For example:

Let’s make you some jewelry of gold… (Contemporary English Version)

• Use a more specific term such as “earrings” or “necklace.” For example:

We shall make you golden earrings. (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
a gold necklace/chain

Use an option that sounds natural in your language.

1:11b

studded with beads of silver: This phrase describes the way the man planned for the gold ornaments in 1:11a to be decorated. He probably planned for someone to decorate the gold ornaments (1:11a) with silver. The text does not give details about these silver decorations. There are two options for translation:

• Use a general expression that refers to silver decorations. For example:

We will make you earrings of gold and decorate them with silver.
-or-
We will make for you a gold necklace with silver ornaments.

• Use a more specific expression such as “beads of silver.” For example:

We will make gold ornaments with silver beads for you. (God’s Word)

Use an option that is natural in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 3:9

3:9–10

In 3:9–10 the author describes Solomon’s carriage (litter, couch). Some of the Hebrew words in 3:9–10 are rare, and their meanings are uncertain. There are several ways to interpret these verses. However, the main point of this description is the excellent quality of the materials used to build the carriage. The overall purpose is to emphasize the magnificence of the bride.

3:9a

King Solomon has made his carriage: This clause probably implies that King Solomon hired craftsmen to make a carriage for him. It probably does not indicate that King Solomon himself made it. The context seems to imply that he intended to send the carriage for his bride so that she could travel in it to Jerusalem for their wedding.

The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as carriage is different from the Hebrew word for “carriage” in 3:7. The Notes interprets the two words to refer to the same couch. Some other ways to translate it here are:

King Solomon caused a ⌊portable⌋ couch to be made for him.
-or-
King Solomon made himself a palanquin (Revised Standard Version)

In some languages a word like carriage may imply a vehicle with wheels, and the couch here did not have wheels. Men carried it on their shoulders. Use an appropriate word in your language to describe it. For more information, see the note on carriage later in this verse.

King Solomon: In this context King Solomon is probably a symbol for the man who is about to be married. For more information about the author’s use of King Solomon as a poetic symbol, see the section on Solomon in the introduction to 3:6–11. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate in some way that the name King Solomon is used figuratively here to refer to the woman’s beloved. For example:

⌊ her beloved⌋“King Solomon”

carriage:
The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as carriage occurs only here in the OT. It probably refers to the same couch that the author mentioned in 3:7. In that verse he used a more general word that can refer to any kind of bed or couch. Here in 3:9 the word is more specific. It refers to a bed or chair that was carried on poles by several strong men. Such a carriage is also called a “litter,” “sedan chair,” or “palanquin.”

In this context the couch probably had a small roof and curtains. It is likely that the curtains could be closed to hide the woman as she rode in it. It may have had small walls that could hide her when she lay down. When she was seated with the curtains open, people could see her.

Some ways to translate carriage (3:9a) and “carriage” (3:7a) are:

• Use the same word in your language to translate carriage (3:9a) and “carriage” (3:7a). For example, the New International Version uses “carriage” in both 3:7 and 3:9:

It is Solomon’s carriage… (3:7)

King Solomon made for himself the carriage… (3:9)

• Use two different words in your language to translate carriage (3:9a) and “carriage” (3:7a). The word that you use in 3:7 can be more general than the one in 3:9. For example, the God’s Word has:

sedan chair (3:7)

carriage (3:9)

Translate these words in a clear way in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 5:14

5:14–15

In 5:14–15 the author compared the man to a statue, and he used poetic figures of speech. He did not intend for readers to interpret the figures of speech literally.

5:14a

His arms are rods of gold: This clause is a metaphor that compares the man’s arms to rods of gold. The word rods implies that the man’s arms were well-shaped and powerful. The word gold implies that his arms were precious like gold. It may also imply that the color of his skin was beautiful like gold.

Some other ways to translate the metaphor are:

• Use a simile. For example:

His arms are like rounded bars of gold (New Living Translation (2004))

• Use a simile and make the meaning more explicit. For example:

His arms are as ⌊precious/beautiful⌋ as golden bars/poles.

Translate the metaphor in a natural and appealing way in your language.

arms: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as arms can refer to either a person’s hand (from the wrist to the fingertips) or to his arm (from the shoulder to the fingertips). Scholars differ about whether it refers to the man’s arms or to his hands in this context.

(1) It refers to his arms. For example:

His arms are rods of gold… (New International Version)

(2) It refers to his hands. For example:

His hands are golden, rounded… (New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The meaning arms fits the description of being like rounded gold. It is also more parallel to “legs” in the next verse (5:15), since both arms and legs are larger limbs of the body.

5:14b

set with beryl: The phrase set with beryl indicates here that jewels, such as beryl, were embedded in the gold. Some other ways to translate this phrase is:

covered with jewels (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
with inlaid jewels
-or-
adorned/decorated with jewels

beryl: The exact meaning of the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as beryl is uncertain. Some English versions use a general term, such as jewels (Revised Standard Version). Other versions use a specific type of jewel, such as chrysolite, beryl (Berean Standard Bible), or topaz. In this verse the author did not focus on a specific jewel but on the beauty and value that the jewels added to the gold and to the man’s glory. It is fine to use a general term here.

5:14c

His body is an ivory panel: In this phrase the author continued to compare the man’s body to a statue. People sometimes used ivory to carve statues. Ivory comes from the tusks (teeth) of elephants, and it is valuable and beautiful. The phrase His body is an ivory panel indicates that the man’s body was as beautiful as ivory.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

His body is like polished ivory (New International Version)
-or-
His body is ⌊beautiful/precious⌋ like the tusk/teeth of elephants

His body:
The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as His body has several meanings. In this context it probably refers to the outside of the man’s body, especially the stomach or abdominal area, possibly up to the chest. Some other ways to translate it are:

His abdomen (NET Bible)
-or-
His torso/belly

an ivory panel: The phrase ivory panel indicates that people work on the ivory in some way to make it more beautiful. They may polish it or carve it. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

polished/shining ivory
-or-
carved/decorated ivory

5:14d

bedecked with sapphires: The phrase bedecked with sapphires indicates that the ivory in 5:14c was decorated with the blue jewels called sapphires. It probably implies that the sapphires were embedded in the ivory. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

decorated with sapphires (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
covered with sapphires (God’s Word)
-or-
adorned with beautiful/precious stones
-or-
glowing with lapis lazuli (New Living Translation (2004))

sapphires: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sapphires refers to a blue gem stone, probably “lapis lazuli,” as in the New Living Translation (2004). If lapis lazuli is not known in your area, some other ways to translate it are:

• Use a different precious stone that is blue or bluish. For example:

sapphires (Revised Standard Version)

• Use a general term for jewels. For example:

⌊ blue⌋jewels
-or-
precious stones

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 8:4

8:4

8:4 is similar to 2:7 and 3:5. The only difference is that 8:4 lacks the phrase, “by the gazelles and does of the field,” and it should not be included here. Except for this phrase, you should translate 8:4 in the same way as you translated 2:7 and 3:5. See the Notes on 2:7a–b for more information. As in 2:7 and 3:5, 8:4 is a refrain, which indicates the end of a section.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 2:5

2:5a–b

The clauses “sustain me with raisins” (2:5a) and “refresh me with apples” (2:5b) are parallel and have a similar meaning.

Sustain me…refresh me: The Hebrew verbs that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Sustain and refresh are plural. Such plural forms usually imply that the woman was speaking to more than one person. However, in this context the plural forms indicate that the woman spoke with strong emotion. She probably spoke only to her beloved.

Many languages do not use plural forms in this way. Use a natural way in your language to indicate that the woman spoke to her beloved with strong emotion. For example, some languages use an exclamation word or punctuation to show extra emphasis:

Oh, sustain me with raisins, and strengthen me with apples!

The emphasis might also be translated as urgency:

Quick! Sustain me…refresh me

Sustain…refresh: The Hebrew verbs that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Sustain and refresh have similar meanings. Both verbs are intense forms, which emphasize the meaning. The verb Sustain probably means “strengthen, support,” and the verb refresh means “to renew strength.” Together the verbs emphasize that the woman needed to be strengthened in spirit to continue to receive the man’s love and to give her love to him. She was overwhelmed by the love that she felt for him and received from him.

For translation examples, see the General Comment on 2:5 at the end of the Notes on 2:5c.

with raisins…with apples: In that culture people thought of raisins and apples as special foods that strengthen people for love. In some languages people may not be familiar with raisins or apples. If that is true in your language, you may choose to use a general term. For example:

special foods ⌊to strengthen me⌋ ⌊for love⌋

No English versions make explicit what raisins and apples symbolize. If this symbolism is not implied in your translation, you may want to include a footnote about it. For example:

These foods (raisins and apples) symbolize that romantic love is sweet/good.

raisins: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as raisins refers to the fruit of the grape vine. The English word raisins implies that the fruit has been dried, but scholars differ about whether the Hebrew word implies that. The word may refer here to cakes made from grapes.

People ate raisins for enjoyment, not mainly to satisfy hunger. Grapes and raisins were often used as a symbol that had romantic or sexual meaning. Here the author implied that eating the raisin cakes would encourage her romantically.

Some other ways to translate raisins here are:

raisin cakes
-or-
cake made from grapes
-or-
fruits from the grape vine

For more information about grapes, see the note on “vineyards of En-gedi” in 1:14b.

apples: The word apples refers to the fruit of the “apple tree” that was mentioned in 2:3. This fruit was also used often as a symbol that had romantic or sexual meaning, just as raisins were. Like raisins, apples were eaten for enjoyment, not mainly to satisfy hunger. Here the woman implied that eating the apples would encourage her romantically.

For more information about apples, see the note on “apple tree” in 2:3a.

General Comment on 2:5a–b

The two clauses in 2:5a–b are parallel. The woman requested two foods to encourage her in expressing love. In some languages it may be more natural to combine the requests in one clause. For example:

5a-b Bring raisin cakes and apples to encourage me.

2:5c

for: The Hebrew connector that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the reason why the woman wanted raisins and apples in 2:5a–b. It is because she was “faint with love.”

I am faint with love: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faint can mean “ill” or “weak.” Here it means “weak.” When the woman said I am faint with love, she indicated that she was so overwhelmed by her feelings of love that she felt weak. She was not actually sick with an illness.

The phrase faint with love emphasizes her strong emotions. She did not want to avoid this “faintness.” She wanted to be strengthened and refreshed so that she could continue to receive and give love to the man.

Some other ways to translate 2:5c are:

for I am faint with love. (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
I feel sick from love, so…
-or-
because I am overwhelmed by love.

General Comment on 2:5

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of clauses in this verse. For example:

5c I am faint with love, so encourage me with raisin cakes and apples.

This order puts the reason for the woman’s request before the request itself.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 2017