SNG 1:13 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:2–2:7: The woman and man admired each other

In Section 1:2–2:7, the woman and man praised each other, and they became more confident that they loved each other. In the introduction (1:2–4) the woman spoke about her desire for the man. Then she spoke of her humble life working in the family vineyard (1:5–6), and she seemed to question whether she was worthy for him to love her. Then he praised her, and she praised him. When she spoke at the end of the section (2:3–6), she felt secure that he loved her.

In this section, the woman used several comparisons to speak of her feelings about the man. She spoke as though he were a shepherd (1:7–8) or a king (1:4; 1:12), implying that he was like a shepherd or king to her in certain ways. He was also like a bag of myrrh (1:13), henna blossoms (1:14), and an apple tree (2:3–4) to her. The woman compared herself to “a rose of Sharon,” and “a lily of the valleys” (2:1). The man compared her to “a mare of Pharaoh’s chariots” (1:9). The Notes will discuss the meaning of each of these comparisons as it occurs in its section.

Lines 1:2–4 are the introduction to Section 1:2–2:7. In these lines, the poet summarizes the Song’s message and introduces its main characters: the woman, the man, and a group of young women. In the Song the woman spoke more often than the man spoke. After the title (1:1), she began the Song by saying that she wanted him to kiss her. She referred to him only as “him” or “you.” In Hebrew poetry, the authors do not introduce their characters as they do in stories, but in some languages it may be more natural to introduce them and identify them. Some ways to do this are:

Provide headings to identify the characters. Some headings may apply only to a verse or part of a verse. For example:
1:4e The Woman commented about the young women of Jerusalem You may need to use a different form the first time a character is introduced. For example:
1:2–4b A woman speaks to the man she loves
Use a speech introducer in the first part of the verse. If you use this option, you may want to indicate in some way that the speech introducer is not in the text itself. For example:
1:4e (The woman said to her beloved,) “Rightly do they love you.”
1:2a [There were a certain woman and man. She said to/about him,] “Let him kiss me…

Choose an option that fits your situation, and use it consistently throughout the book. You should also decide how you will refer to the speakers in the headings. Some ways to do that are:

woman, man, women (GNT)

beloved, lover, friends (NIV)

bride, groom, companions (REB)

she, he, others (ESV)

The woman often referred to the man as “my beloved” (RSV), and she also called him “the one whom my soul loves,” “the king,” and “my friend.” The man often referred to her as “my love” and also as “fairest among women,” “my dove,” “my sister,” “my bride,” and “queenly maiden.”

Paragraph 1:12–14 The woman replied to the man

In 1:12–14 the woman replied to what the man said in 1:9–11 about her beauty. Here in 1:12–14 she also admired him and indicated that she desired him. She mentioned the sweet fragrance that was present when they were together. In 1:12 it was the fragrance of the woman’s perfume that affected the man.A few Bible commentators (e.g., Fox and Murphy) think that “my nard” refers to the king. In other words, they view it as a metaphor describing the king, as in 1:13–14. However, 1:12 does not at all parallel the form of the two comparisons in verses 13–14. It seems more likely that nard in 1:12 refers to the woman’s perfume, not to the king himself.

In 1:13–14 the woman used two metaphors to compare the man with fragrances. The metaphors imply that the man delighted her like a wonderful fragrance. In these lines she probably imagined or dreamed about being with her beloved. She was probably not actually with him.

1:13a–b

My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts: Allegorical interpreters said that the two breasts referred to something other than actual breasts of the woman. For example, some said that it refers to the Old and New Testaments. There are many different allegorical interpretations that have been suggested here. But there is nothing in the immediate context or in the book to suggest such interpretations. It is recommended to take “breasts” literally. Here the author used a metaphor. The woman compared the man to a sachet, or bag, of myrrhThe BSB supplied the verb is, but in the Hebrew text such a verb does not occur, since the meaning is already implied. lying between her breasts. Myrrh has a delightful fragrance. As the woman smelled it, she imagined the man being close to her like the myrrh was. His presence was delightful like the fragrance of the myrrh.This metaphor is similar in some ways to the comparison in 1:3 where the man’s fragrance figuratively represents his wonderful character.

In some languages this metaphor may not communicate the meaning well. If that is true in your language, other ways to translate it are:

Use a simile. For example:
My beloved is to me like a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts.
Indicate how the man was like the sachet of myrrh. For example:
My lover has the scent of myrrh as he lies upon my breasts. (GNT)
My beloved is close to me like a sachet of myrrh between my breasts.

Translate the metaphor in a meaningful way in your language.

bag of myrrh: sachet of myrrh: myrrh is an expensive perfume, which at that time was imported into Israel from other countries. It was made from the resin of a myrrh tree. The resin could be obtained in both solid and liquid forms. As a solid, it was put in a small sachet made of cloth or leather. The woman hung the sachet around her neck. Then the fragrance of the myrrh made her body smell sweet.

In some languages myrrh may not be known. If that is true in your language, some ways to translate it are:

Use a general term for something that people put on their bodies to make them smell sweet. For example:
perfume (CEV)
Indicate the meaning by other words in the context. For example:
a fragrant pouch of myrrh (NET)
sweet-smelling myrrh

It may also be helpful to include a footnote. For example, the NET has this footnote:

Myrrh is a fragrant resin used for perfumes. (NET)

1:13a

My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh

My love is to me like a sachet/bag of myrrh,
My darling is a bag of sweet-smelling perfume,
As a bag of sweet-smelling myrrh lies between my breasts, so my beloved king

My beloved: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as My beloved is the most common way that the woman used to refer to the man in the Song. It implies that he was the one whom she loved. It does not imply that she and he had sexual relations. Try to translate the word in a way that does not imply sexual union. For example:

my love

my darling

the one I love

1:13b

resting between my breasts.

lodging between my breasts.
lying on my chest.
spends the night with me in close embrace.

resting: There are two main interpretations of the Hebrew word that the BSB translates as resting.

It means “stay” or “spend the night.” For example:
spending the night between my breasts. (NET) (NASB, NCV, NET, NJPS)
It means “lie” or “rest.” For example:
resting between my breasts. (NIV) (BSB, CEV, ESV, NIV, NJB, NLT, REB, RSV, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). The verb form used here suggests an extended time such as “all night.”

between my breasts: In some languages the word breasts here may seem too sexually explicit.Some interpreters in the early Church also felt uncomfortable interpreting the word “breasts” here in a literal way. Breasts were thought to represent something else, for example, the Old and New Testaments. However, this interpretation is not the best way to understand the verse. The best interpretation is the natural meaning. If that is true in your language, you may need to translate in a more general way. For example:

My beloved lies close to me just like a sweet-smelling bag of myrrh lies next to my chest.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

צְר֨וֹר הַ⁠מֹּ֤ר ׀ דּוֹדִ⁠י֙ לִ֔⁠י בֵּ֥ין שָׁדַ֖⁠י יָלִֽין

sachet_of of_(the),myrrh lover_of,my to=me between breasts_of,my lies

In the author’s culture, women sometimes wore a small bag or pouch of myrrh on a necklace so they could enjoy its pleasant fragrance. The woman makes a comparison between that enjoyable experience and that of having the man she loves near her. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [I enjoy having my beloved near me throughout the night just like I enjoy the fragrance of a bag of myrrh]

Note 2 topic: translate-unknown

הַ⁠מֹּ֤ר

of_(the),myrrh

Here, myrrh is a pleasant-smelling incense made from resin obtained from the bark of a certain kind of tree. If your readers would not be familiar with myrrh, you could use the name of something similar in your area, or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: [pleasant-smelling perfume]

דּוֹדִ⁠י֙

lover_of,my

Alternate translation: [is my lover]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / euphemism

צְר֨וֹר הַ⁠מֹּ֤ר ׀ דּוֹדִ⁠י֙ לִ֔⁠י בֵּ֥ין שָׁדַ֖⁠י יָלִֽין

sachet_of of_(the),myrrh lover_of,my to=me between breasts_of,my lies

If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a polite way of referring to breasts, or state the meaning of the phrase between my breasts it stays by using a more general expression. Alternate translation: [My beloved stays very close to me during the night, like a bundle of myrrh around my neck]

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

יָלִֽין

lies

Here the original language word that the ULT translates it stays is ambiguous regarding what it is that stays. This word could: (1) indicate that the bundle of myrrh is what stays. Alternate translation: [the bundle of myrrh stays] (2) mean that the man does not leave that location throughout the night. Alternate translation: [he lingers]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.