Our translation here will depend on our interpretation. If we follow the majority we can retain We, with the understanding that the brothers are speaking, or at least being quoted. If we regard the young woman as the speaker, we can retain We, as she would be speaking for herself and other members of her family. Another possibility is to change We to “I” and avoid confusion.

We have a little sister: little means that the sister is younger than the person or people speaking. It may mean that she is still a child. Both these factors will determine the appropriate term for translation.

She has no breasts in this context means that she has not yet reached puberty. Good News Translation suggests “her breasts are still small,” and New International Version “her breasts are not yet grown.” Both are much better than Revised Standard Version she has no breasts, or New English Bible “who has no breasts”; these can possibly be misunderstood to mean she is deformed. The phrase is idiomatic; it is not a literal comment on her figure. It means that the young sister is still not of the age for marrying. Many cultures define a girl’s maturity in exactly this way, so a literal translation may be well understood. If not, we can render the sense as “We [I] have a young sister who is too young for marriage yet,” or “We [I] have a young sister who is not yet a woman,” or “My little sister is too young yet to marry.” But such a translation will miss the obvious connection to verse 9 and 10, so it is recommended to include a reference to “breasts” here.

What shall we do for our sister…? is answered in verse 9. However, the background to the question is not obvious. Some commentators suggest that the brothers are responsible to arrange her marriage (see the example in Gen 34.6-18). Since the following clause does refer to such an arrangement (“on the day that she is spoken for”), we can safely assume that family members, whether the brothers or the young woman, would have some role in preparing the little sister for marriage. It is difficult to determine what the fuller meaning of the verb do may be in this context. We can retain this general word or use another one such as “help.” This means that the question What shall we do…? can also be given as “How can we help…?”

On the day when she is spoken for refers to some future time, the day when she is spoken for in marriage. In 1 Sam 25.39 we note a similar expression in which David asks Abigail to marry him, so it is almost certain that the sense here is of her coming marriage. The day generally indicates any future time. She is spoken for is a passive form and indicates that the young sister has been promised in marriage to someone, whether formally engaged or not we cannot say. Good News Translation suggests “when a young man comes courting,” but this translation probably reflects a rather different cultural context than the biblical one. In many societies the parents alone decide whom the girl will marry, and that may well be the case here. So Good News Translation should not be used as a model here. “When she is asked in marriage,” as New English Bible has it, is better.

If an active form is required, then some agent for the phrase is spoken for will have to be added. Since the text does not mention whom she will marry, we will have to be as general as possible. In many languages an unnamed plural agent like English “they” can be used, referring to either her parents or the groom himself; for example, “… when they agree to her marriage.” Bible en français courant uses another impersonal construction: “… when it will be a question of marriage.” We can follow this example and say “… when it is time for her to be married.”

The question What shall we do…? is not strictly rhetorical, as it leads into and highlights an answer. It may be possible to transform this question into a statement, “This is what we will do,” though this does change the literary style slightly. In most languages it will probably be best to retain the question form.

For translation we suggest:

• What shall we [I] do for her when marriage is proposed?

• How shall we [I] help her when she is promised in marriage?

• … when her marriage is arranged?

• … when she is ready to marry?

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