LEB SNG chapter 8

LEB SNG Chapter 8

Maiden’s Fanciful Wish

who nursed[fn]

If[fn] I would kiss you,
- [fn]
- 2 [fn][fn] to the house of my mother, [fn]
[fn]
- the[fn] of my pomegranates.[fn]

Double Refrain: Embrace and Adjuration

3 hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces[fn] me.
4 [fn] do not[fn] arouse or awaken love until it pleases![fn]

Up from the Wilderness and under the Apple Tree

5 is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?

Under the apple tree I awakened you;
- there your mother[fn]
  - there she who was in labor gave birth to you.

The Nature of Genuine Romantic Love

6 as a seal upon your arm;

for love is strong as death;
- passion is fierce as Sheol;
its flashes are flashes of fire;
- it is a blazing flame.
- 7  rivers cannot sweep it away.[fn]
If a man were to give all the wealth of his house[fn]
- he would be utterly scorned.[fn]

Maiden’s Virtuous Chastity and Voluptuous Beauty

8 [fn] [fn]

What should we do for our sister
- [fn][fn]
- 9 is a wall,[fn][fn]
but if she is a door,
- we will barricade her with boards of cedar.[fn]
- 10 was a wall, and my breasts were like the towers, my betrothed viewed me with great delight[fn]

Solomon’s Vineyard and the Maiden’s Gift

11 [fn] at Baal-hamon; [fn]
pieces for its fruit[fn]
12 [fn] the “thousand” are for you, O Solomon,
- [fn]

Closing Words of Mutual Love

13 my companions are listening to your voice.
- Let me hear it!
14 [fn] or [fn]
- upon[fn]

8:? Literally “at the breast of my mother”

8:? Literally “I will find you in the street”

8:? Literally “also they would not despise me”

8:? Literally “I would lead you and I would bring you”

8:? The combination of the two verbs creates a hendiadys which may be rendered more cogently as “I would surely bring you …”

8:? Literally “she will teach me”

8:? Literally “I would give you to drink from the wine of the spice”

8:? Or “juice”

8:? The traditional Hebrew reads the singular “my pomegranate.” However, the plural reading “my pomegranates” is attested in numerous medieval Hebrew manuscripts and is reflected in the ancient versions (Greek Septuagint, Aramaic Targum, Syriac Peshitta). The latter makes the most sense in this context as a euphemistic description of the maiden’s delights

8:? Or “embraced”

8:? Literally “O daughters of Jerusalem”

8:? Or “Why must you … before it pleases?”

8:? Or “Do not stir up or awaken the love until it is willing,” or “Do not disturb or interrupt our lovemaking until it is satisfied”

8:? Literally “was in labor with you”

8:? Or “and rivers cannot engulf it”

8:? Literally “in the love”

8:? Literally “they will utterly scorn him”

8:? Literally “a little sister for us”

8:? Literally “and there is no breast for her”

8:? Literally “on the day when it is spoken of her”

8:? Or “on the day when she is spoken for”

8:? Literally “we will build upon her a camp of silver”

8:? The term translated “turret” refers to the decorative parapet adorning the top of a building. This image is likely figurative for a silver tiara set upon the head

8:? Or “we will enclose her”

8:? Literally “then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace”

8:? Literally “A vineyard was for Solomon”

8:? Literally “he gave the vineyard to the keepers”

8:? Literally “each one brought a thousand silver pieces for his fruit”

8:? Literally “My vineyard that for me before my face”

8:? Literally “and two hundred for the keepers of his fruit”

8:? Literally “and be like for you to a gazelle”

8:? Literally “to the fawn of the stag”

8:? Literally “the mountains of spices”