SNG 5:11 Parallel View

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5:11 Note--fnCOLON-- We agree with both BHS 1997 and BHQ on an unexpected reading--fnPERIOD--

Key: .
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT His head is gold, refined gold;
 ⇔ his hairs are wavy, black like the raven.

UST His face is beautiful and gleams like gold, he is as precious as purest gold;
⇔ his hair is wavy
⇔ and as black as a raven.

BSB His head is purest gold;
⇔ his hair is wavy and black as a raven.

OEB His head is finest gold;
⇔ His curls are as black as the raven.

WEB His head is like the purest gold.
⇔ His hair is bushy, black as a raven.

MSG ^(10-16)My dear lover glows with health—
  red-blooded, radiant!
He’s one in a million.
  There’s no one quite like him!
My golden one, pure and untarnished,
  with raven black curls tumbling across his shoulders.
His eyes are like doves, soft and bright,
  but deep-set, brimming with meaning, like wells of water.
His face is rugged, his beard smells like sage,
  His voice, his words, warm and reassuring.
Fine muscles ripple beneath his skin,
  quiet and beautiful.
His torso is the work of a sculptor,
  hard and smooth as ivory.
He stands tall, like a cedar,
  strong and deep-rooted,
A rugged mountain of a man,
  aromatic with wood and stone.
His words are kisses, his kisses words.
  Everything about him delights me, thrills me
through and through!
  That’s my lover, that’s my man,
  dear Jerusalem sisters.

NET His head is like the most pure gold.
 ⇔ His hair is curly – black like a raven.

LSV His head [is] pure gold—fine gold,
His locks flowing, dark as a raven,

FBV His head is like the finest gold[fn], his hair is wavy and black as the raven.

5:11 It is unsure as to what comparison is being made—some believe it is to a bronzed complexion, others to some valued beauty.

T4T His head is beautiful, like [MET] purest gold;
⇔ his hair is wavy
⇔ and as black as [SIM] a raven/crow.

LEB • is gold, refined gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.

BBE His head is as the most delicate gold; his hair is thick, and black as a raven.

MOF No MOF SNG book available

JPS His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are curled, and black as a raven.

ASV His head is as the most fine gold;
 ⇔ His locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

DRA His head is as the finest gold: his locks as branches of palm trees, black as a raven.

YLT His head [is] pure gold — fine gold, His locks flowing, dark as a raven,

DBY His head is [as] the finest gold; His locks are flowing, black as the raven;

RV His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

WBS His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

KJB His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.[fn]
(His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.)

5.11 bushy: or, curled

BB His head is as the most fine golde, the lockes of his heere are busshed, & blacke as a crowe.
(His head is as the most fine golde, the lockes of his hear are busshed, and blacke as a crowe.)

GNV His head is as fine golde, his lockes curled, and blacke as a rauen.

CB his heade is the most fyne golde, the lockes of his hayre are bu?shed, browne as the euenynge:
(his heade is the most fyne golde, the lockes of his hayre are bu?shed, browne as the eveninge:)

WYC His heed is best gold; hise heeris ben as the bowis of palm trees, and ben blake as a crowe.
(His heed is best gold; his hairs been as the bowis of palm trees, and been blake as a crowe.)

LUT Sein Haupt ist das feinste Gold. Seine Locken sind kraus, schwarz wie ein Rabe.
(Sein Haupt is the feinste Gold. Seine Locken are kraus, schwarz like a Rabe.)

CLV Caput ejus aurum optimum; comæ ejus sicut elatæ palmarum, nigræ quasi corvus.[fn]
(Caput his aurum optimum; comæ his sicut elatæ palmarum, nigræ as_if corvus.)

5.11 Caput ejus aurum optimum. Alia translatio: Crines ejus abietes. Abies, Græce vocatur. Ude hic elate, non Latinum, sed Græcum videtur. Vel caput, id est Divinitas, quia caput Christi Deus Cor. 2.. Comæ ejus, id est, cogitationes ejus sanctæ et rectæ, et tamen stultis despicabiles. Nigræ quasi corvus. Despicabiles mundo, quasi illa clamosa et improba avis. Vel, quasi corvus, ut nulli sacramenta Ecclesiæ committant, donec sibi, vel matri similari videant, vel, quia cum pulchri sunt, se fuisse nigros intelligunt ex natura sua.

5.11 Caput his aurum optimum. Alia translatio: Crines his abietes. Abies, Græce vocatur. Ude this elate, not/no Latinum, but Græcum videtur. Vel caput, id it_is Divinitas, because caput Christi God Cor. 2.. Comæ his, id it_is, cogitationes his sanctæ and rectæ, and tamen stultis despicabiles. Nigræ as_if corvus. Despicabiles mundo, as_if illa clamosa and improba avis. Vel, quasi corvus, as nulli sacramenta Ecclesiæ committant, until sibi, or matri similari videant, vel, because cum pulchri are, se fuisse nigros intelligunt ex natura sua.

BRN His head is as very fine gold, his locks are flowing, black as a raven.

BrLXX Κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ χρυσίον κεφὰζ, βόστρυχοι αὐτοῦ ἐλάται, μέλανες ὡς κόραξ.
(Kefalaʸ autou ⱪrusion kefaz, bostruⱪoi autou elatai, melanes hōs korax. )

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

רֹאשׁ֖⁠וֹ כֶּ֣תֶם פָּ֑ז

his/its=head gold refined_gold

The woman is speaking of the man’s head as if it were gold. Because she speaks of the appearance of the man’s hairs in the following line she probably intends to speak of the man’s face in this line and express that his face resembles the dazzling, beautiful appearance of gold. The phrase refined gold indicates that the gold is very special and valuable. By saying that the man’s head is refined gold the woman is probably indicating that the man she loves is special and has great worth. If it would help your readers you could use a simile to express the meaning or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “His head is like gold that is refined” or “His face is beautiful and gleams like gold. He is precious and valuable like refined gold” or “His face gleams. He is precious and valuable”

Note 2 topic: translate-unknown

שְׁחֹר֖וֹת כָּ⁠עוֹרֵֽב

black as_a,raven

A raven is a large bird with dark black feathers. Ravens are as big as some hawks and are similar in color and appearance to crows but larger. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of bird, you could use the name of a similar bird in your area or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: “black like a bird with dark black feathers” or “black like a dark black bird”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

קְוּצּוֹתָי⁠ו֙ תַּלְתַּלִּ֔ים שְׁחֹר֖וֹת כָּ⁠עוֹרֵֽב

locks,his wavy black as_a,raven

The point of the comparison black like the raven is that the man’s hair is dark black like the color of a raven. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express this meaning in plain language. Alternate translation: “his hair is wavy and dark black”

Parallel SNG 5:11