SNG 3:1 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 3:1–5 The woman described searching for her beloved at night

In the preceding poem (2:8–17) the author described the man and woman as they were together on a beautiful spring day. Here in Paragraph 3:1–5 the woman was alone in her bed at night, and she longed to be with her beloved again. Her joy in 2:8–17 changed to being troubled in 3:1–5 as she searched for her beloved and then clung to him when she found him.

Bible scholars are not sure whether this poem tells about a dream, the woman’s feelings, or an actual event. It seems more like a dream than an actual event. In that culture it would not be likely for a woman to go out into the city at night, as the author described in 3:1–5, but in a dream almost anything is possible.

Some versions (including BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, NASB, NCV, NJPS, and GNT) have a section heading or footnote at 3:1 to indicate that 3:1–5 describes a dream. The GNT mentions in the text that it was a dream, saying, “Asleep on my bed, night after night I dreamed of the one I love…” Other scholars interpret 3:1–5 as a description of the woman’s feelings. The Song is lyric poetry, which often uses such descriptions. It does not necessarily describe actual events. The Notes interpret 3:1–5 as a dream.

It is likely that 3:5 functions as a refrain, probably for the entire section (2:8–3:5). It is identical to the refrain in 2:7.

3:1a

On my bed at night I sought the one I love;

While I was in my bed at night, I searched for the one whom my heart loves.
At night on my bed I dreamed that I was looking for my true love.

On my bed…I sought the one I love: There are different ways to interpret this clause. The two main interpretations are:

It indicates that while the woman was on her bed, she searched for her beloved, probably in a dream. For example:
On my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves (ESV) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, NAB, NASB, NCV, NIV, NJB, NJPS, REB, RSV, GNT)
It is a figurative way to say that she longed for her beloved. For example:
All night long on my bed, I longed for my lover (NET) (NET, NLT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It fits the context, which continues to describe the woman searching. When she did not find her beloved in her bed (3:1), she went out into the city streets to continue searching for him (3:2–4). In some languages it is natural to combine the idea of searching and longing in options (1) and (2). For example:

On my bed at night I longingly searched for the one my soul loves.

On my bed: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as bed is the common word for “bed.” By itself it does not imply anything about sexual relations.Context determines the connotations of the word. By itself, the word is neutral. It is used both in scriptural contexts where sexual actions are in focus (for example, Gen 49:4, Prov 7:17–18) and in contexts where no sexual actions are involved (for example, Ps 4:4). The word is also used to refer to a sick bed (Ps 41:3) or even to a bed that represents abstinence from sexual activity. For example, it is used when Uriah the Hittite (2 Sam 11:13) slept among the servants on his mat instead of going home to sleep with his wife. Use an appropriate word in your language. For example:

in the place I sleep

as I lay in bed (NLT)

at night: There are different ways to interpret the Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates as at night:

It means “at night,” “during the night.” For example:
On my bed at night (NJB) (BSB, CEV, ESV, NAB, NCV, NJB, NJPS, RSV)
It means “night after night.” For example:
Asleep on my bed, night after night (GNT) (GW, NASB, REB, GNT)
It means “all night long.” For example:
All night long on my bed (NIV) (NET, NIV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), as a majority of English versions do. Although the word for night is plural in the Hebrew text, it is a special use of the plural that refers to nighttime in general.This is called a “plural of composition.” (See Waltke and O’Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, 7.4.1b and Longman, p. 128.)

the one I love: The phrase the one I love is used four times in 3:1–4. It indicates that the woman loved the man very much. She had strong feelings of love for him. The word that the BSB translates as I is literally “my soul.” It literally refers to the part of a person that feels emotions like love, joy, sorrow, or anger. Figuratively, it refers to the woman herself.

Some ways to translate this figure of speech are:

Use a figure of speech in your language that refers to strong feelings of love. Some languages use a part of the body such as the “heart,” “liver” or “stomach” or a special idiom. For example:
the one I love with heart and soul (CEV)
the one who is in my heart
Translate the meaning without a figure of speech. For example:
the one I love (GNT)
my true love (REB)

3:1b

I sought him, but did not find him.

I searched for him, but I did not find him.
I looked all around for him, but he was not there.

I sought him, but did not find him: Here the woman repeated the phrase I sought him from 3:1a to emphasize her strong desire to be with the man. In some languages it may be more natural to translate the emphasis in a different way. For example:

Though I searched desperately for him, I could not find him.

Some English versions do not mention “search” and “find” here at all. For example, the NLT and NET mention only that the woman longed for the man, but he did not come. However, this section emphasizes the woman’s search, and it is important to communicate that in your language.

but did not find him: The woman dreamed that she was searching for her beloved, but she did not find him nearby.It is not necessary for readers to expect that descriptions of a dream should be completely logical and consistent. If she were awake, it would seem silly for the woman to be searching for her beloved in her small room. But dreams often are not logical or consistent. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

I did not see him anywhere/nearby.

but he was not there.

Some versions include a statement at the end of 3:1, as in the RSV, which says, “I called him, but he gave no answer.” There is a textual issue concerning the statement. Some manuscripts include this statement, and others do not.

The Hebrew text of 3:1 does not include this statement about the woman calling her beloved. For example, in 3:1 the NIV does not mention that the woman called the man:
All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him. (NIV) (BSB, NIV, ESV, GNT, CEV, GW, REB, NASB, NLT, NET, NCV, KJV)
The LXX (Greek translation) of 3:1 includes the statement, “I called him, but he gave no answer.” For example, in the NRSV, 3:1 ends with that statement:
Upon my bed at night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. (NRSV)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), which does not include the statement about the woman calling the man. The LXX translators probably included it because it is found in 5:6, which is similar to 3:1.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / extrainfo

עַל־מִשְׁכָּבִ⁠י֙ בַּ⁠לֵּיל֔וֹת

on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in bed_of,my in,nights

Because Bible scholars do not know if the events described in [3:1-4](../03/01.md) describe real events, dreams, or things imagined, you should not expand on or explain the phrase On my bed in the night in the text. However, you may wish to make reference to these possibilities in a header or footnote. See the section “Translation Issues in This Chapter” in the chapter introduction for more information.

Note 2 topic: translate-plural

בַּ⁠לֵּיל֔וֹת

in,nights

In the original language, the phrase in the night uses a plural form of night and could mean that the woman: (1) sought the man during the night. Alternate translation: [during the night] (2) sought the man throughout the night. Alternate translation: [throughout the night] or [all night long] (3) sought the man on many nights. Alternate translation: [night after night]

Note 3 topic: writing-poetry

בִּקַּ֕שְׁתִּי אֵ֥ת שֶׁ⁠אָהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑⁠י בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖י⁠ו

sought DOM [the,one]_whom_it_loves self_of,my I,sought_him

The phrase I sought him is repeated for emphasis. Hebrew poetry often uses repetition for emphasis. You may be able to use the same construction in your language to show the emphasis here. Alternatively, your language may have another way of showing the emphasis. Alternate translation: [I desperately sought him whom my soul loves] or [I earnestly sought him whom my soul loves]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

אֵ֥ת שֶׁ⁠אָהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑⁠י

DOM [the,one]_whom_it_loves self_of,my

See how you translated the similar phrase “you whom my soul loves” in [1:7](../01/07.md). Alternate translation: [him whom I love]

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 3:1

Hebrew word order

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

Paragraph 3:1–5 The woman described searching for her beloved at night

3:1a

3:1b

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