SNG 2:12 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:8–3:5: The man called the woman, but later she could not find him

The author began this scene at a different place and time from the ending of the preceding section (1:1–2:7). At the end of that section, the woman and man were together, but at the beginning of this section (2:8) the woman was in her room at home, and the man was coming to her over the hills.

There are two poems in Section 2:8–3:5. In the first poem (2:8–17) the man came and stood outside the woman’s room. She quoted what he said as he invited her to come out with him and enjoy a beautiful spring day. The second poem (3:1–5) describes a time when the woman searched for her beloved at night. This second poem has much in common with Section 5:2–6:3. See the discussion of similarities at the beginning of that section.

Both parts of this section (2:8–17 and 3:1–5) may describe what the woman imagined or what she dreamed. The descriptions may not refer to actual events in the poem.

Paragraph 2:8–17

This beautiful poem (2:8–17) describes springtime. In springtime, new plants begin to grow, flowers bloom, and fruit trees begin to blossom. In these lines springtime symbolizes that love was growing between the woman and the man. The woman first spoke to herself, but then she quoted the man as he invited her to come out of her house and go away with him.

This poem begins and ends in a similar way. At the beginning (2:8–9) the man came to the woman over the mountains like a gazelle or stag. At the end (2:17) he again roamed on the mountains like a gazelle or stag.

In these lines the woman spoke. However, from 2:10b through 2:14 she quoted what the man said. Then she continued speaking in 2:15–17.

2:12a–13c

In verses 12a–13c the man described how beautiful the countryside is in the springtime. He wanted the woman to imagine the sights (2:12a, 13a–b), sounds (2:12b–c), and smells (2:13c) of spring. He implied that it is a wonderful time for the woman to come and enjoy spring with him.

2:12a

The flowers have appeared in the countryside;

Flowers are blossoming on the earth.
Beautiful flowers cover the land,

The flowers have appeared in the countryside: The Hebrew verb that the BSB translates as have appeared is more literally “have been seen.” It indicates that people can see flowers sprouting and blooming in the springtime. Wildflowers are common in Palestine during that time.

Some other ways to translate The flowers have appeared in the countryside are:

Flowers/Blooms are covering the earth.

Flowers bloom throughout the land.

In some languages there may be an idiom to describe this season when many flowers start to bloom. For example:

wildflowers spring up in the fields.Ariel and Chana Bloch, The Song of Songs, page 59.

flowers: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as flowers can refer to any blossom. It includes blooms on flowering trees, bushes, and vines.

2:12b–c

In some languages it may be more natural to combine 2:12b and 2:12c. See the General Comment on 2:12b–c at the end of 2:12c for an example.

2:12b

the season of singing has come,

It is the time to sing!
birds are singing their songs,

the season of singing has come: There are three ways to interpret the Hebrew word that the BSB translates as singing here:

It means “singing.” For example:
the season of singing has come (NIV) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, NCV, NIV, NJB, NLT, REB, RSV, GNT)
It means “pruning” (of grapevines). Some ancient versions (Greek and Latin) follow this interpretation. For example:
the time has arrived for pruning the vines (NASB) (NAB, NASB, NJPS)
It means both singing and pruning. This demonstrates special artistic skill on the part of the poet. Several scholars follow this view. For example:
the time for pruning and singing has come (NET) (NET)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). This has the best support from English versions. It also seems to fit the context best. It parallels 2:12c “the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land.” There are also several other reasons for following this option.(a) There is some doubt whether pruning was done at this time of the year. (b) To go outside to hear the singing seems like a reason that is more likely to appeal to the woman than to go outside because it was the time of pruning. (c) The poet does not introduce grapevines until 2:13b. (d) The flowers referred to in 2:12a are probably wildflowers rather than blossoms in the vineyard, so they have nothing to do with pruning in 2:12b.

singing: Here singing probably refers to the singing of birds, since the following line refers to the voice of the “turtledove” (a kind of bird). However, the context may also imply that spring is a joyful time and therefore a time for human singing.

Some other ways to translate “the season of singing has come” are:

This is the time for singing (GNT)

The time has come to sing

2:12c

and the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land.

The voice of the turtledove is heard across the countryside.
and doves make their pleasant sounds in the fields.

and the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land: This clause is passive. In some languages it may be more natural to translate it using an active clause. For example:

You can hear turtledoves cooing in our land.

People hear the song of the turtledove throughout our land.

turtledoves: The “turtledove” is a small songbird of the pigeon family. During the cold winters of Palestine, it migrates to a warmer climate. But each springtime it returns in the month of April. People thought of the sound of the turtledoves as a sign that springtime had come.

If people in your area are not familiar with the “turtledove,” some other ways to translate it here are:

General Comment on 2:12b–c

Substitute a bird in your area that fits this context. It should be a bird that sings when the time of nice weather arrives. It should be a bird that people like, not one that disturbs them.
Use a more general term. For example:
songbird (GW)
singing birds

In some languages it is helpful to combine 2:12b and 2:12c. For example:

^12b–cBirds sing sweetly in the fields.

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.

OET interlinear SNG 2:12

Hebrew word order