SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 2017 – Page 3

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 4:7

4:7

This verse is similar to 4:1, and it ends the inclusio, which began there. In 4:1 the man said in a general but emphatic way, “You are beautiful” In 4:7, he elaborated on “you are beautiful” by saying “You are altogether beautiful” and “in you there is no flaw.”

After the man described her in 4:1–6, he concluded that she was perfect. The two lines, 4:7a and 4:7b, have a similar meaning, but 4:7b intensifies 4:7a by adding “no flaw.”

4:7a

You are altogether beautiful, my darling: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as You are altogether beautiful is more literally, “all of you ⌊is⌋ beautiful.” It indicates that the man considered the woman to be beautiful in every way. He probably referred specifically to physical beauty here. He implied that all of the woman’s physical characteristics were beautiful. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

Every part of you is fair, my darling… (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

This phrase summarizes the woman’s beautiful features, which the man described specifically in 4:1–6. It may also imply good character qualities. For example, in 4:1 the phrase your eyes are like doves may refer to the woman’s gentleness or modesty. In 4:4, her neck being like a tower may imply noble character. In 4:5 the comparison of her breasts to fawns may imply “innocence” or “life-giving energy.”

beautiful: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as beautiful in this verse is the same word that it translates as “beautiful” in 4:1. It is helpful to translate this word in the same way in both 4:1 and 4:7 to make it clear that these verses are an inclusio. They indicate the beginning and end of a unit in the Song.

my darling: The phrase my darling also occurs in 4:1, and you may translate it in the same way here. See the note on 4:1a–b.

4:7b

in you there is no flaw: The phrase in you there is no flaw has a similar meaning to 4:7a, but it is stated in a negative way. It indicates that the woman was completely beautiful, and each of her features was beautiful. There was nothing about her that was not lovely, and none of her features reduced her beauty. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

There is no blemish/fault in you.
-or-
beautiful without a flaw. (Revised English Bible)
-or-
beautiful in every way. (New Living Translation (2004))

General Comment on 4:7

The two clauses in this verse are parallel and have almost the same meaning. The repetition of the meaning makes it more emphatic. It indicates that the woman is wonderful in every way. Some ways to translate this meaning are:

• Use two statements with the same meaning. For example:

How beautiful you are, my love; how perfect you are! (Good News Translation)

• Use one emphatic statement. For example:

My darling, you are lovely in every way. (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.

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

6:7

Your brow behind your veil is like a slice of pomegranate: The clause, Your brow behind your veil is like a slice of pomegranate, is identical to 4:3c. There are different ways to interpret the verse. You should translate it in the same way as you did there. Refer to the notes on 4:3c for a discussion of the interpretation issues and for other information on how to translate the clause.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 8:13

8:13–14

These verses are a brief conversation between the man and woman that shows their deep desire for one another. It repeats themes from early in the book, including gardens, the voice of the beloved, and gazelles. It closes the book by repeating 2:17 with a gazelle bounding over the mountains.

8:13 The man spoke to the woman

8:13a

You who dwell in the gardens: The man referred to the woman here as You who dwell in the gardens. In previous chapters, the woman was often in a garden or connected with a garden (and nature in general). A good example is the garden imagery of 4:12–5:1.

The phrase You who dwell in the gardens probably implies two meanings. The woman was in the gardens and she herself was like a garden. Figuratively, she was like a private garden for the man. The fragrances and tastes of the garden symbolize the pleasure that the woman gave him.

Some other ways to translate You who dwell in the gardens are:

you who sit in the gardens (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
you ⌊love⌋ to be in gardens

Here the word You refers to the woman. In some languages it is helpful to make this clearer. For example:

my beloved, lingering in the gardens (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
My bride, you stay/linger in the gardens

gardens: Some English versions have “garden” referring to only one garden, but the Hebrew word is plural. The plural form probably implies that the man did not refer to one specific garden. In some languages it is more natural to use a singular form.

In 4:12, the man called the woman a garden locked up and a fountain sealed. Refer to how you translated “garden” there.

8:13b

my companions are listening: Scholars have different views about who the word companions refers to in 8:13b.

(1) The companions were male friends of the man. For example:

my friends are listening (Revised English Bible)

(2) The companions were friends of the woman. For example:

your friends are listening (God’s Word)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with more English versions. In the Hebrew text “friends” is masculine here (there is no word for my). The man’s male companions probably correspond to the woman’s female companions in 1:3–4. That helps the preface and epilogue of the Song to form an inclusio. This inclusio indicates that the Song is a unified poem.

are listening for your voice: There are two ways to interpret the Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as are listening for your voice :

(1) It indicates that the man’s companions want to hear the woman speak. They are alert so that they can hear her when she speaks. For example:

listen for your voice (New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) It indicates that the man’s companions are listening to the woman’s voice as she speaks. For example:

are listening to your voice (God’s Word)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English versions. However, interpretation (2) also has good support from commentaries. Some other ways to translate interpretation (1) are:

wait to hear you speak
-or-
want to hear your voice

8:13c

Let me hear it!: The phrase Let me hear it contrasts with 8:13b. The man’s companions were listening for the woman’s voice, but the man wanted to be the person that she spoke to. The phrase clearly repeats the theme of 2:14d, which says, “let me hear your voice.” Translate in a similar way here. See the notes for 2:14d–e for further discussion.

it!: The word it refers to the woman’s voice.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 2:14

2:14

This verse (2:14) indicates the man’s desire to be with the woman, just as 2:10b–13 did. In 2:10b–13 he invited her to come outside. She lived behind walls in her family home, so it was hard for him to reach her. In 2:14 he compared her to a dove. A dove is timid, so it hides in the cliffs. The woman did not actually hide in the cliffs, but she was hidden from the man in her house.

Remember that in 2:10b–14 the woman quotes what the man said to her. In both 2:10b–13 and 2:14 he invited her to leave her home and come to him. In 2:10b–13, he invited her to come out to enjoy springtime with him. In 2:14 he invited her to come out so that he could enjoy her. So 2:10b–13 and 2:14 have a similar meaning.

2:14a–b

O my dove: Here the man used the phrase my dove as an affectionate nickname for the woman. It implies that she was like a shy dove. It also implies that he used a gentle tone of persuasion to invite her to come to him. He did not try to force her to come. The Berean Standard Bible added the word O to show that he spoke directly to the woman. It is not in the Hebrew text.

In some languages it may be confusing or unnatural to use my dove as a nickname. If that is true in your language, you may need to use a sentence to compare the woman to a dove. For example:

You are like a dove (Good News Translation)
-or-
you are my own ⌊gentle⌋ dove

dove: The Hebrew word used for dove in this verse is different from the Hebrew word for turtledove in 2:12, but the two birds are similar. The term dove probably refers here to the common rock pigeon, which is a bit larger than a turtledove.

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

Section 5:2–6:3

At night the woman searched for the man and praised him

Scholars differ about the meaning of this section and how it relates to the rest of the Song. In 5:2–7 the woman told the Jerusalem women that the man came to her door at night but went away. She told them that now she longed to see him and was searching for him. Then she asked them to give him a message if they saw him (5:8). They asked why she was so attracted to him (5:9), and she replied by describing him (5:10–16). Then they asked her where he went (6:1), and she told them that he went down to his garden (6:2–3).

The section contains several interpretation issues:

(a) In 5:2–7 did the woman describe a dream or a real event, or is 5:2–7 a poetic way to describe her feelings and thoughts about the man?

The woman described one type of event (probably dreamed or imagined) as she and the man related to each other. The author did not always tell about events in order, and he repeated certain themes to examine them from different points of view. The Song is not a simple story but a poem, and it uses various ways to describe the romantic love.

(b) Section 3:6–5:1 told about the wedding of the man and woman. Does Section 5:2–6:3 tell about a time after they married?

Although 3:6–5:1 told about the wedding of the man and woman, 5:2–6:3 may not refer to a time after the wedding. It may describe something they experienced more than once. In other sections also, the man and woman were apart at the beginning but together at the end (as in 1:2–2:7). If 5:2–6:3 refers to a time before their wedding, it describes the woman’s hopes and fears as she imagined her future with the man (as in 3:1–4). The dream might indicate that she feared that he had stopped loving her, but at the end of 6:2–3, she realized that he continued to love her faithfully.

Some scholars interpret these figures as euphemisms for sexual organs and sexual activity. However, such interpretations may cause a translator to refer more explicitly to sexual matters than is normal or justified in the Song. (For more information, see “Standards for respectful speech and actions in the Song” in POEM 4:1–7.)

5:2–8 The woman spoke to the women of Jerusalem

There are different ways to interpret what the woman said in 5:2–8:

(1) She told about something that she dreamed or imagined. She described her feelings for the man in a poetic way.

(2) She told what happened when the man actually came to her. She was sleeping, but she woke up when she heard him knocking on her door.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The verses probably describe something that the woman dreamed or imagined, since some of the descriptions seem unreal or dreamlike. They are a poetic way to express the woman’s feelings for the man.

Does 5:2–8 describe sexual relations between the woman and man?

There are two views about whether 5:2–8 implies that they had sexual relations:

(1) The verses indicate romantic feelings, but they do not describe sexual relations between the man and woman. He stood outside her house knocking, but she was already in bed. She delayed in opening her door, and he left before she opened it.

(2) The verses have a double meaning. The man was outside the room knocking on the door. He was also outside the woman’s body, wanting to enter and have sexual relations with her.

It is recommended that you follow option (1), which is followed by many reliable commentaries. The text indicates that the man did not come inside the woman’s house, but he left before she could open the door.

Common themes

This section has similar themes (motifs) that were part of earlier sections. You should translate such themes in a similar way throughout the book. This helps readers understand the unity of the Song. For example, as in 3:1–4, also here in 5:2–8, the author told about the woman having a dream and searching for her beloved in the town at night. Also, in 2:8–14, the young man stood outside the woman’s house, but she was inside behind a locked door. This theme of the woman being hard to reach is also found in 2:9; 2:14; 4:8; and 4:12.

5:2–8 The woman spoke to the women of Jerusalem

In 5:2–7 the woman told the Jerusalem women about her dream, but the text does not mention these women clearly until 5:8. It is often helpful to include a heading at 5:2 to indicate that she spoke to the Jerusalem women.

5:2a

I sleep, but my heart is awake: The phrase I sleep, but my heart is awake probably indicates that as the woman slept, she had a dream. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

I was sleeping, and I began to dream.
-or-
As I slept, I dreamed.

In some languages there may be an idiom that indicates that a person is dreaming. For example:

I slept but my mind was alert.

Use a natural way in your language to refer to dreaming.

heart: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heart is used in many idioms in Hebrew. Here it refers to the part of the woman that was aware of what happened around her. In some languages it is not necessary to use a part of the body to describe being aware. For example:

I slept but I was still alert.

5:2b–e

In 5:2b–e the man came to the woman’s house at night and knocked on the door. He asked her to open it and to let him come in. The text does not indicate whether the man had a specific reason to visit her, but he was respectful and spoke in a loving way. He stood outside her house in the damp night air. She did not want to get out of bed, so she said that she was ready to sleep. But he continued to knock, because he wanted to be with her.

5:2b

A sound! My beloved is knocking: When the woman told her dream to the women of Jerusalem, she spoke as if she were still in her dream. The phrase A sound! My beloved is knocking is more literally, “sound/voice of my lover knocking.” The woman spoke as if she still heard the man knocking and calling to her.

In some languages it is more natural to speak of the dream as happening in the past. For example:

I heard my lover knocking and calling (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
The one I love was at the door, knocking and saying (Contemporary English Version)

A sound! My beloved: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as A sound! My beloved means either “voice of my beloved” or “sound of my beloved.” In this context it can refer to both the sound of his knocking and his voice.

My beloved: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as My beloved first occurred in 1:13a. It is the most common way that the woman used to refer to the man in the Song. It is good to translate it in the same way throughout the book. For more information, see the note on 1:13a–b.

is knocking: The word knocking does not specify where the young man knocked. He may have knocked at the door or window of a house. In 2:9 he was outside her window, but here in 5:2 he probably knocked on a door of the house.

In some cultures when a person comes to visit, he calls to the people in the house or makes another sound (like clapping his hands). It is not the custom to knock on their door. Use a natural way in your language for the woman to describe how the man tried to get her attention. For example:

⌊ I hear⌋my beloved calling to me
-or-
I hear my love knocking… (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
I hear my beloved knocking/clapping ⌊on/at the door/window⌋ and calling ⌊to me⌋…

5:2c–e

In 5:2c–e the woman quoted what the man said to her. In some languages it may be necessary to use a word or phrase to introduce the quote, for example:

He said to me

5:2c

Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one: Here the man used four loving names as he called to the woman. He wanted to persuade her to open the door for him. In some languages it is more natural to begin the sentence with these loving names. For example:

My sister! My darling! My dove! My flawless one! Please open ⌊the door⌋ to me.

The man used these loving names to call out to the woman through her door. In some languages it is not natural to use four names one after another like this. It may be more natural to translate the meaning of the names as one or more sentences. For example:

You are ⌊as precious to me as⌋ a sister, my darling. You are ⌊as gentle and beautiful as⌋ a dove—you are flawless!

Open to me: The phrase Open to me implies that the man wanted the woman to open the door for him to come in and be with her. He was making a polite request. He did not imply that it was an order that she must obey. The request may also imply a romantic sense that the man wanted her to open herself to him as her beloved. Some other ways to translate the phrase are:

please let me come in
-or-
open ⌊the door⌋ for me

my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one: Here the man used several loving names to call his beloved and encourage her to open the door for him. The author used three of these names earlier in the book. For a discussion of the phrase my sister, see the note on 4:9a. For a discussion of my darling, see the note on 1:9a–b. For more information on the phrase my dove, see the note in 2:14a–b.

my darling: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as my darling was also used in 1:9. Translate it as you did there.

my dove: The term my dove is another loving name that the man used for the woman. It indicates that the woman was as beautiful and gentle as a dove. A dove is often used as a symbol for love. For more information and a picture of a dove, see the note on 2:14a–b. Translate dove in the same way as you did there.

my flawless one: The meaning of the phrase my flawless one is similar to the phrase in 4:7 that says, “You are altogether beautiful, my darling; in you there is no flaw.” It probably implies that the woman was physically beautiful and also morally good. Some other ways to translate the phrase are:

You are perfect!
-or-
You have no faults!

5:2d–e

My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night: Here the man told the woman a reason why she should let him into the house. The clauses in 5:2d and 5:2e have the same meaning. They indicate that the man’s hair was wet with the heavy mist that was in the air. In the country where they lived, heavy dew often fell at night. People who were outside got wet hair and probably felt cold.

Some ways to translate the clauses in 5:2d and 5:2e are:

• Translate them in two slightly different ways. For example:

2d My hair is very wet 2e because of the heavy dew that is falling tonight.

• Translate the meaning only once. For example:

My head is drenched with evening dew. (Contemporary English Version)

Translate the meaning in a natural way in your language.

5:2d

head: Here the word head probably refers to the man’s hair.

5:2e

my hair with the dampness of the night: The clause my hair with the dampness of the night has implied information. The implied phrase is indicated in the following example:

My hair ⌊is wet⌋ from the dampness of the night.

The phrase “is wet” is implied. In some languages it is more natural to make this information explicit. For example:

The mist in the evening air makes my hair very wet.
-or-
My hair is damp from the mist that is falling tonight.

my hair: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hair is only used twice in the OT—here and in 5:11. It is probably used to make the poetry more interesting in Hebrew.

the dampness of the night: The phrase the dampness of the night is a poetic way to refer to dew or mist in the evening air.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 7:5

7:5a

Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel: The phrase Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel is more literally “your head upon you ⌊is⌋ like Carmel.” Mount Carmel refers to a majestic, tall mountain called Mount Carmel. The phrase implies that the woman’s head gave her majesty and beauty, as Mount Carmel adds majesty and beauty to the land of Israel.

Some ways to translate this simile are:

Your head is as majestic as Mount Carmel (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Your head shows your dignity/glory that is like Carmel mountain.

Mount Carmel: Mount Carmel is a mountain that is surrounded by flat land, so it is especially prominent and majestic. It is about 550 meters (1800 feet) high, and overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.

7:5b

the hair of your head like purple threads: The clause the hair of your head like purple threads compares the woman’s long wavy hair to the color purple. Purple dye was expensive, and people considered purple to be a royal color. In this verse the color purple probably suggests that the woman was as majestic as a queen. It may imply that her hair was a shiny black color as the sun shone on it. It is unlikely that she dyed her hair purple.

Some ways to translate the clause are:

and your hair is like purple cloth (New Century Version)
-or-
Your hair is like royal tapestry (New International Version)
-or-
the sheen of your hair radiates royalty (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
your locks are shiny black

7:5c

the king is captured in your tresses: This clause is a figure of speech. It indicates that when a man, even a king, looks at the woman’s hair (tresses), he is like a captive. He cannot stop looking at it because it is so beautiful. The man implies that he himself is like such a king. Some other ways to translate the clause are:

its beauty could hold a king captive. (Good News Translation)
-or-
you have captured your king with its loveliness
-or-
your hair is so lovely that the king cannot escape its charms.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 1:10

1:10–11

In 1:10–11, the man compared the woman’s beautiful jewelry with the elaborate ornaments that a chariot horse wore. The main focus is not on the beauty of the woman’s body, but on the jewelry that added to her own beauty.

1:10a–b

The poetic lines in 1:10a and 1:10b are parallel. Both lines describe parts of the woman’s body that are decorated with jewelry, making her look even more beautiful. The parallel parts are marked below with underlining or with bold type:

10a
Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments :

10b
your neck with strings of jewels.

In 1:10b there is an ellipsis, and the words “are beautiful” are understood. In some languages, this ellipsis may not be natural. If that is true in your language, other ways to translate it are:

• Supply implied words in the second line, either the same words or other words with the same meaning. For example:

10a Earrings adorn your cheeks,

10b and your neck ⌊is beautiful⌋ with strings of jewels.

• Combine 1:10a and 1:10b. For example:

10 Your cheeks and neck are beautiful, decorated with beads and jewels.

1:10a

Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments: This clause indicates that the sides of the woman’s face were beautifully decorated with jewelry. The ornaments may be strings of beads or possibly earrings. It was probably not simply her hair that decorated her cheeks.

A good way to translate this is to use a general term for jewelry which hangs down both sides of a woman’s face. If you do not have a general term in your language, you could use a more specific term such as “earring.” For example:

Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings. (New International Version)

1:10b

your neck with strings of jewels: The strings of jewels are probably necklaces that are made of beads.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 3:8

3:8a

All are skilled with the sword: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as All are skilled with the sword is literally, “all of them are grasped by a sword.” The exact meaning of this statement is uncertain. There are two main ways to interpret it:

(1) It means that the men were skilled in using a sword. For example:

All of them skilled swordsmen… (Revised English Bible)

(2) It means that each man had a sword with him. For example:

all equipped with swords… (New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It fits the parallelism, and it is also supported by the parallel passive verbs in 3:8a and 3:8b (“are grasped” and “are trained”). Both verbs describe well-trained soldiers. One way to translate the parallelism is:

8a All of them are skilled with the sword;

8b all of them are trained in war.

skilled with the sword: This clause indicates that all the men who guarded the bride were well trained in fighting with a sword. A sword is a long knife that is used as a weapon. A person usually needed to be trained to use a sword well. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Each of them is well trained in fighting with long knives.
-or-
All of them are skilled with a sword (NET Bible)

3:8b

experienced in warfare: The phrase experienced in warfare means “well-trained in battle.” It indicates that the men had been taught the skills that they needed to be good fighters. It also indicates that they were experienced soldiers who had fought in battles. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

trained in combat
-or-
experienced soldiers/fighters

3:8c

Each has his sword at his side: In 3:8c the author continued to describe the same group of soldiers whom he described in 3:8a–b. Each of these well-trained soldiers had a sword. The phrase at his side indicates that the sword was easy for him to reach and use. It was right beside him whenever he needed it. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

each of them has his sword right at his thigh
-or-
each one has his sword ready

3:8d

prepared for the terror of the night: The phrase, the terror of the night, probably refers to any physical danger that might occur at night. These dangers included anything that could harm the woman or the people who were traveling with her in the procession to Jerusalem.

The procession probably needed more than one day to travel to Jerusalem, so the travelers had to set up camp at night and sleep there. It was dangerous to travel at night. Armed robbers often watched the roads to attack the people who passed by in the darkness.

In some languages it is necessary to make this danger more explicit. For example:

they are ready for ⌊anyone⌋ ⌊who might⌋ attack ⌊them⌋ at night.
-or-
they are prepared ⌊to defend her⌋ against ⌊anyone/anything⌋ who tries to harm ⌊her⌋ during the night.
-or-
Each of them is prepared to fight against any danger that threatens ⌊her⌋ in the ⌊dark⌋ night.

The theme of protection against harm was also found in 2:15 where foxes tried to damage the love between the man and woman.

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

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