SNG 3:11 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:6–5:1: The man and woman married and the man praised her

In 3:6 a new section begins. The author indicates this by several obvious changes from (3:1–5):

The scene changes from a nighttime dream to a public daytime event.
There is a change of speaker.
The search theme in the preceding verses changes to a wedding theme in this section.
The mood changes from anxious searching to joyful celebration.

In this section the author describes the couple’s wedding day. The section has several parts:

3:6–11 The man and woman came to their wedding in a grand procession

4:1–15 The man described his beautiful bride

4:16–5:1 The man and woman consummated their marriage

Paragraph 3:6–11 The poet described the wedding procession

There are several questions that translators need to ask about the meaning of 3:6–11:

What does the author imply when he refers to Solomon in the poem? The name “Solomon” refers figuratively to the man whom the woman loves.At a literal level 3:6–11 seems to be a historical description of Solomon on his wedding day. But which wedding? He had numerous wives! It is more probable that Solomon was the author of the Song, but not one of the characters in it. (For more information about that, see the discussion in 1:1.) The Song describes a nearly ideal love relationship between one man and one woman in which neither of them had other lovers, and the man had no other wives. Yet Solomon was known for having many wives and for his spiritual failure (see 1 Kings 11:1–3). He was not known for his pure love. New Testament passages that mention Solomon refer to his wisdom (Luke 11:31) and his material splendor (Luke 12:27), but not to his love. Solomon’s personal life did not demonstrate the pure monogamous love that we see in the woman’s beloved. If Solomon did write the book, he did so as Israel’s greatest wise man, not as Israel’s ideal lover. References to Solomon in the Song seem to focus on his royal splendor, rather than on Solomon himself or his love. This is certainly true in 1:5 that speaks of the curtains of Solomon. It implies that on his wedding day, the man felt as happy, rich, and powerful as King Solomon. Other verses that refer to Solomon figuratively are 1:4–5; 1:12; 3:6–11; 6:12; and 7:1.The Song uses other figurative motifs, such as a “shepherd” (1:7–8; 6:2–3), gazelle (2:8–9; 2:16–17; 8:14), dove (1:15; 2:14; 4:1; 5:12), lily (2:2; 2:16), vineyard (1:6; 2:15; 8:11–12) mare (1:9–11) and garden (4:12–5:1; 6:2).
Who speaks in this section? Probably the author speaks. If the woman was in the procession, she probably did not describe herself.Some scholars give other suggestions for the speaker here, for example, the man, the daughters of Jerusalem, a chorus, or an unknown speaker.
Does this poem describe an event that really happened? The poem probably does not describe an event that really happened. It uses figurative language, including hyperbole and similes.Bloch and Bloch make a strong point here. Referring to the three passages using this opening formula, “Who is this (fem)…?” (Song 3:6, 6:10, 8:5), they state, “None of these three scenes is realistic; all are hyperboles, evoking images of the triumphant appearance of a majestic, numinous, even godlike figure.” The rhetorical question here calls attention to the radiant and majestic bride’s approach. Bergant understands this poem in 3:6–11 as a metaphorical characterization rather than a description of an actual event. The UBS Handbook leans toward the poetic, non-historical view, as do Munro, Garrett, Gledhill, Keel, and others. The poem begins, “Who is this woman coming up from the wilderness like a column of smoke…?” It probably implies that she was surrounded by the smoke of fragrant incense. Like a queen, the woman also had soldiers around her to protect and honor her. The woman was carried in luxury to the man, who waited for her in Jerusalem. He was compared to the greatest of kings. This hyperbole may come from a marriage custom where the bride and groom wore royal crowns on their wedding day.

3:11

It is recommended that you imagine 3:11 in the following way: The man was waiting in Jerusalem for his bride to arrive in the royal wedding procession. She was coming in a luxurious carriage, which was surrounded by many armed guards. The young women of Jerusalem were called to come and join the king and participate in the wedding celebration.

3:11a

Come out, O daughters of Zion,

Come outside, women of Zion,
Women of Zion, come out

Come out, O daughters of Zion: Here an unknown person, possibly the author, spoke to the women of Zion. In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of phrases in 3:11a. For example:

Women of Zion, come… (GNT)

Young women of Zion, come out (GW)

Come out: The Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates as Come out means “go out” or “come out.” In many languages the choice of verb depends on the location of the speaker. In this verse, the author did not reveal the speaker’s location. However, he invites the young women to be outside where the wedding celebration will happen. Some ways to translate this invitation are:

come (CEV)

go out (NCV)

Translate the invitation in a clear way in your language.

daughters of Zion: The phrase, daughters of Zion, has the same meaning as daughters of Jerusalem in 3:10. Both phrases refer to the same group of young women. Zion is the name of a specific part of Jerusalem where the temple and royal palace were located. Some other ways to translate the phrase are:

You women who live on Zion’s mountain

You women in Zion

3:11b

and gaze at King Solomon, wearing the crown

and see King Solomon wearing the crown
and behold on King Solomon wearing the wedding wreath

and gaze at King Solomon: In Hebrew this clause is more literally, “and see the king Solomon.” In this context the phrase King Solomon refers to the man who is about to be married. Some other ways to translate this invitation :

Go out and behold “King Solomon.”

Come gaze at the groom, as splendid as King Solomon!

In some languages there is a figure of speech to describe the way someone gazes at a beautiful or unusual sight. For example:

feast your eyes on King Solomon

drink in the glory/splendor of this “King Solomon”

King Solomon: Here King Solomon is a symbol of royal majesty. The author implied that the man on his wedding day was as majestic and splendid as King Solomon. King Solomon himself is not a character in the story.

3:11c

his mother bestowed

that his mother gave him
that his mother placed on his head

3:11d

on the day of his wedding—

on his wedding day,
on the day when he was married,
on the day when he married his bride.

3:11b–d

wearing the crown his mother bestowed on the day of his wedding: There are two ways to interpret the custom of crowning that is mentioned here:

It was a wedding custom. The mother of the groom put a wreath made of vines or flowers on her son’s head to honor him at his wedding.
It was a custom at the ceremony when a new king began to reign. He was crowned with an expensive royal crown, which was often made of gold and adorned with precious jewels.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The wedding is mentioned, not the crowning of a king.See 1 Kings 1:32–48 for an account of Solomon’s coronation as king. For a detailed description of coronations see de Vaux, pages 102–107. This fits the context of the Song. In the Song, Solomon is not an actor. He is a symbol of power and splendor.

the crown…bestowed: The crown in this context was probably a wreath that was woven of flowers and greenery. It was a symbol that the man to be married is powerful and majestic like a king. Some scholars mention that this feeling of majesty is common for a man when he marries the woman he loves. The verb that the BSB translates as bestowed means “put a crown on his head.” Other ways to translate the action here are:

Wearing the crown that his mother gave him… (NJPS)

wearing the crown that his mother placed on his head… (GNT)

with the crown with which his mother crowned him (RSV)

In some languages it may be helpful to include a footnote to explain the custom of wearing a wedding crown or wreath. For example:

In that culture it was customary for a man’s mother to put a crown or wreath on his head to honor him at his wedding.

Some other ways to translate the word crown in this context are:

crown/wreath for the wedding

the decorated wedding hat

his mother bestowed on the day of his wedding: This phrase refers to a wedding custom in that culture. The mother put a crown or wreath on her son’s head to honor him at his wedding. In some cultures men do not wear crowns or wreaths, so that custom may imply a wrong meaning. Some other options for translation are:

Refer to a gift that a mother gives a son at his wedding. For example:
with the special gift/clothing that his mother gave him to honor him on his marriage
Use a more general expression. For example:
how his mother honored him on his wedding day.

on the day of his wedding: This is the only verse in the Song of Songs where the word wedding occurs.Because the word wedding is not mentioned anywhere else in the Song, some scholars doubt that this passage is really about a wedding. However, the whole section (3:6–5:1) should probably be understood as the wedding celebration. In 3:6–11 the text implies in several ways that it describes a wedding procession. Then in chapters 4–5 the man often referred to the woman as “my bride” (4:8, 9, 10, 11, 12; 5:1).Some scholars classify this as an “epithalamium,” a special wedding poem that was recited or sung at weddings.

Cultures have different wedding customs. In some cultures there is more than one public ceremony that a couple can consider as their wedding. In other cultures there is no public ceremony when a couple marries. If that is true in your culture, you may need to use a descriptive phrase. For example:

on the day when they celebrated/began their marriage

on their wedding day

on the day when they married

3:11e

the day of his heart’s rejoicing.

on the day when his heart rejoiced.
That was the day when his joy was complete.

the day of his heart’s rejoicing: This phrase is parallel to 3:11d. Both 3:11d and 3:11e refer to the same day and event, but the phrase here in 3:11e adds a comment about the groom’s joy on that day (his wedding day). In some languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. For example:

On that day he was filled with joy.

That was the happiest day of his life.

his heart’s rejoicing: The phrase his heart’s rejoicing is an idiom that describes great joy. The phrase his heart’s rejoicing emphasizes that the man’s joy was strong and fervent. This is the only reference to rejoicing in the Song, but it is important because it comes at a climax in the book. It indicates that the man was happy and excited that he was marrying his beloved.

The bridal procession arrived! The author implied that the bride was beautiful and mysterious. Until she arrived, she was veiled by the curtains of the palanquin. When she arrived, the man was excited and joyful, and he showed that joy as he described her in chapter 4. In some languages there may be a figure of speech to describe this joy. For example:

the day when his joy overflowed

Some other ways to translate his heart’s rejoicing are:

his…joyful delight (GW)

his most joyous day (NLT)

Describe his joy in a natural way in your language.

General Comment on 3:6–11

The author used hyperbole as he described the wedding procession in 3:6–11. Solomon himself was mentioned as part of the royal imagery, but he was not actually a part of the celebration. These verses are a “wedding song” that describes the joy that the bride and groom felt on their wedding day. That day was their special day when they were as happy as a king and queen.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / go

צְאֶ֧ינָה

come_out

Your language may say “Come out” rather than Go out in a context such as this. Use whichever is more natural in your language. Alternate translation: [Come out]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

בְּנ֥וֹת צִיּ֖וֹן

daughters_of Tsiyyōn/(Zion)

Here the possessive form daughters of Zion is a poetic way of describing the young women who were from the city of Jerusalem (These are probably the same women as the “marriageable women” in [1:3](../01/03.md) and the women referred to as “daughters of Jerusalem” in [2:7](../02/07.md) and [3:5](../03/05.md)). If your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could indicate the association between these young women and Zion in a way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [young women from Zion] or [young women from the city of Zion] or [you young women who live in Zion]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

בְּ⁠י֣וֹם חֲתֻנָּת֔⁠וֹ וּ⁠בְ⁠י֖וֹם שִׂמְחַ֥ת לִבּֽ⁠וֹ

in/on=day his_wedding_of,his and,on,the_day_of gladness_of his/its=heart

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 other than “and” in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: [on the day of his wedding, yes, on the day of the joy of his heart]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

וּ⁠בְ⁠י֖וֹם שִׂמְחַ֥ת לִבּֽ⁠וֹ

and,on,the_day_of gladness_of his/its=heart

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of joy, you could express the same idea in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [on the day his heart was exceedingly joyful] or [on the day when his heart was very joyful]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וּ⁠בְ⁠י֖וֹם שִׂמְחַ֥ת לִבּֽ⁠וֹ

and,on,the_day_of gladness_of his/its=heart

Here, heart represents Solomon’s inner being which the Jews viewed as the center of a person’s mind and feelings. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly.

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 3:11

Hebrew word order