SNG 2:14 Interlinear View

2:14 OSHB note: Marks a place where we agree with BHQ against BHS in reading L.

2:14 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.

2:14 OSHB note: We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.

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.

2:14

This verse (2:14) indicates the man’s desire to be with the woman, just as 2:10b–13 did. In 2:10b–13 he invited her to come outside. She lived behind walls in her family home, so it was hard for him to reach her. In 2:14 he compared her to a dove. A dove is timid, so it hides in the cliffs. The woman did not actually hide in the cliffs, but she was hidden from the man in her house.

Remember that in 2:10b–14 the woman quotes what the man said to her. In both 2:10b–13 and 2:14 he invited her to leave her home and come to him. In 2:10b–13, he invited her to come out to enjoy springtime with him. In 2:14 he invited her to come out so that he could enjoy her. So 2:10b–13 and 2:14 have a similar meaning.

2:14a

O my dove in the clefts of the rock,

My dove, you^(sing) hide in crevices/holes in the rocks
You^(sing) the one I love, are like a dove hiding
Please do^(sing) not hide like a shy bird in a small hole

2:14a–b

O my dove: Here the man used the phrase my dove as an affectionate nickname for the woman. It implies that she was like a shy dove. It also implies that he used a gentle tone of persuasion to invite her to come to him. He did not try to force her to come. The BSB added the word O to show that he spoke directly to the woman. It is not in the Hebrew text.

In some languages it may be confusing or unnatural to use my dove as a nickname. If that is true in your language, you may need to use a sentence to compare the woman to a dove. For example:

You are like a dove (GNT)

you are my own gentle dove

dove: The Hebrew word used for dove in this verse is different from the Hebrew word for turtledove in 2:12, but the two birds are similar. The term dove probably refers here to the common rock pigeon, which is a bit larger than a turtledove.

Two characteristics of a dove are relevant to this verse:

The dove is a shy, timid bird.
It is also beautiful and gentle. It is used as a symbol for love.

In this verse the first characteristic, shyness, is probably in focus, but its love symbolism is probably also implied here.

in the clefts of the rock: The phrase clefts of the rock refers to cracks in a steep, rocky cliff. The doves use these cracks for hiding places. The rocky cliffs are hard for most animals to climb, so the spaces between the rocks are safe places for the doves to make their nests.

Some other ways to translate the phrase are:

hiding places of the rocky crevices (GW)

hides in holes in the cliffs (REB)

Use a natural way to refer to such places in your language.

2:14b

in the crevices of the cliff,

or in a remote place on a cliff/mountain.
in holes/cracks on a rocky/big hill where I cannot reach you^(sing).
on a big cliff.

in the crevices of the cliff: The phrase in the crevices of the cliff refers to a hiding place in the side of a steep place. It has almost the same meaning as the phrase in 2:14a.

In some languages it may be more natural to combine the phrases in 2:14a and 2:14b or to translate the meaning only once. For example:

You, my love, are a dove hiding in crevices high on a cliffside.

cliff: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as cliff only occurs twice in the Old Testament. It is difficult to know exactly what it refers to, and English versions translate it in different ways. It is probably a small ledge or hole hidden high on a rocky cliffside that is hard to climb or reach.

2:14c–f

There is a chiasm in the Hebrew text of 2:14c–f. Notice the similar words and phrases:

a let me see your face

b let me hear your voice

bʹ for your voice is sweet

aʹ and your countenance is lovely

In some languages it is more natural to translate the phrases without the chiasm. For example:

Let me see your lovely face (GNT)

and hear your enchanting voice.

2:14c

let me see your face,

Let me see you^(sing)
Come out so I can look at you,

let me see your face: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as face means “form” or “appearance.” It is different from the Hebrew word that is usually translated as face. There are two ways to interpret the word here:

It means “form” or “appearance.” It refers here to the woman’s whole appearance or to the woman herself. For example:
let me see your form… (NASB)
Let me see you… (NLT96) (CEV, GW, KJV, NAB, NLT96)
It means “face.” For example:
show me your face… (NIV) (BSB, ESV, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, REB, RSV, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The man wants to see the woman herself, not just her face. Even though more versions follow interpretation (2), many Bible scholarsUBS Handbook, Hess, Keel, Exum, Estes, Carr, Fox, Longman, Mitchell, Gledhill, Bloch & Bloch, Garrett; BART; lexicons: HALOT, BDB. follow interpretation (1). The word also occurs in 5:15, where most versions translate it as referring to the man’s form or appearance. (These versions include the BSB, NIV, NJB, RSV, and GNT, which translate it as face here).In 5:15 it is followed (in 5:16) by reference to the man’s mouth or his speech, so the context is similar to 2:14 where her overall appearance is followed by reference to her “voice.”

Because the BSB follows interpretation (2) here, the Notes will use the NASB as the source text for 2:14c in the Display.

let me see: The Hebrew verb that the BSB translates as let me see literally means “cause me to see.” The man used it here to tell the woman that he wanted to see her. He wanted her to stop hiding in her room. Her room was like “the clefts of the rock” because he could not reach her there.

Some other ways to translate the man’s request are:

allow me to look at you

Let me see how lovely you are! (CEV)

please come out so I can see you

2:14d

let me hear your voice;

and hear you^(sing) speak,
and you^(sing) can speak to me

let me hear your voice: The Hebrew verb that the BSB translates as let me hear literally means “cause me to hear.” It is similar to “let me see” in 2:14c. The man wanted the woman to speak to him so that he could listen to her beautiful voice (2:14e). Some other ways to translate 2:14d are:

Let me hear you speak

Please speak to me

Cause me to hear your voice

2:14e

for your voice is sweet,

because your^(sing) voice has a beautiful sound,
so I will be delighted by your^(sing) sweet voice

for your voice is sweet: The phrase for your voice is sweet tells the reason that the man wants to hear the woman’s voice. There are two ways to interpret the word sweet in this context:

It means that her voice has a pleasing sound. For example:
for the sound of your voice is beautiful/sweet
It means that what she says is pleasing. For example:
for what you say is sweet/pleasing

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). English versions are ambiguous, but interpretation (1) fits the context. The man indicated that the sound of the woman’s voice was beautiful, and that is why he wanted to hear it.

your voice is sweet: Here the man tells the woman that the sound of her voice is beautiful to him. It implies that he enjoys listening to her when she speaks. Her voice gives him pleasure. In some languages there may be an idiom to describe this. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

the sound of your voice is beautiful

you speak so sweetly

For the man and woman, hearing each other’s voice was wonderful. In 2:8 and 2:10 the woman referred excitedly to the man’s voice, and then he spoke.

sweet: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as sweet occurs only twice in the Old Testament. The other occurrence in Proverbs 20:17 refers to food that tastes delicious. Here it refers to sweet-sounding, enchanting or pleasant speech. If a “sweet voice” or “sweet speech” is not properly understood, use another word that is appropriate to describe beautiful speech. For example:

pleasant (NLT)

has a sweet/beautiful sound

delights me

2:14f

and your countenance is lovely.

and your^(sing) form is beautiful.
and your^(sing) great beauty.

(NASB) And your form is lovely: The phrase your form is lovely tells the reason that the man wants to see the woman. It is connected to his request in 2:14c “let me see your face.” He wants to see her because she is lovely. Indicate the connection in a natural way in your language.

As in 2:14c, the Hebrew word that the BSB translates as “your countenance” and that the NASB translates your form means “form” or “appearance” here. For that reason, the Notes will use the NASB as the source line for this part of the verse. See the note on “let me see your face” in 2:14c for more information.

lovely: The Hebrew word that the NASB translates as lovely means “beautiful in a way that is appropriate.” When it describes a beautiful woman, as it does here, it implies that she is just what a man desires. It was also used in 1:5, where the BSB translated it as “lovely.” You may translate it here in the same way as you did there.

General Comment on 2:14, 15–17

At the end of 2:14 the woman stopped quoting what the man said to her. In 2:15 she began her own response to what he said. In many languages it may be necessary to indicate the beginning of her response in some way. One way to do that is to use a new heading to introduce 2:15–17. The Notes has:

The woman replied to the man

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations

יוֹנָתִ֞⁠י

my_dove_of,my

Here the phrase My dove could be: (1) the man speaking directly to the woman. Alternate translation: [O my dove] (2) the man speaking about the woman rather than speaking to her directly. Alternate translation: [The woman I love is a dove]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

יוֹנָתִ֞⁠י בְּ⁠חַגְוֵ֣י הַ⁠סֶּ֗לַע בְּ⁠סֵ֨תֶר֙ הַ⁠מַּדְרֵגָ֔ה

my_dove_of,my in,the_clefts_of of,the_rock in,the_hiding_place_of of,the_steep_place

Here the man speaks to the woman he loves as if she were his dove. He then tells her the way in which she is like a dove. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [O my one who is like a dove. You are like a gentle and timid dove which hides in the clefts of the rock and in the hiding places of the cliff] or [You are like a dove, like a gentle and shy dove which hides in the clefts of the rock and in the hiding places of the cliff] or [You are like a dove, far away in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places of the cliff]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

בְּ⁠חַגְוֵ֣י הַ⁠סֶּ֗לַע בְּ⁠סֵ֨תֶר֙ הַ⁠מַּדְרֵגָ֔ה

in,the_clefts_of of,the_rock in,the_hiding_place_of of,the_steep_place

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. Hebrew poetry was based on this kind of repetition, and it would be good to show this to your readers by including both phrases in your translation rather than combining them. However, if it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the phrases with a word such as “yes” in order to show that the second phrase is repeating a similar idea to the first one, not saying something additional. You could also combine the two lines as modeled by the UST. Alternate translation: [in the clefts of the rock, yes, in the hiding places of the cliff]

בְּ⁠חַגְוֵ֣י הַ⁠סֶּ֗לַע

in,the_clefts_of of,the_rock

Alternate translation: [in the cracks of the rock]

Note 4 topic: writing-poetry

הַרְאִ֨י⁠נִי֙ אֶתּ־מַרְאַ֔יִ⁠ךְ הַשְׁמִיעִ֖י⁠נִי אֶת־קוֹלֵ֑⁠ךְ כִּי־קוֹלֵ֥⁠ךְ עָרֵ֖ב וּ⁠מַרְאֵ֥י⁠ךְ נָאוֶֽה

let,me_see אֶתּ form_of,your cause,me_to_hear DOM voice_of,your that/for/because/then/when voice_of,your sweet and,form_of,your lovely

Here two ideas are presented and then they are further explained in reverse order. This is called a chiasm. Biblical Hebrew sometimes uses this literary device. If possible, try to follow this AB-BA sequence of presenting the information here. See the chapter introduction for more information regarding chiasms.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / imperative

הַרְאִ֨י⁠נִי֙ אֶתּ־מַרְאַ֔יִ⁠ךְ הַשְׁמִיעִ֖י⁠נִי

let,me_see אֶתּ form_of,your cause,me_to_hear

The phrases show me and make me hear are imperatives, but they communicate a polite request rather than a command. Use a form in your language that communicates a polite request. It may be helpful to add an expression such as “please” or “let” to make this clear. Alternate translation: [please let me see your appearance, please let me hear] or [let me see you, let me hear]

קוֹלֵ֥⁠ךְ עָרֵ֖ב

voice_of,your sweet

Alternate translation: [your voice is sweet-sounding] or [your voice sounds beautiful]

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