SNG 3:6 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.

3:6a

Who is this coming up from the wilderness

Who is this woman ascending with her escorts from the wilderness?
Look^(plur), is that the bride approaching in procession from the wilderness?

In this verse the author describes a magnificent wedding procession. It makes the listeners curious about the woman who was coming from the wilderness. But no one was able to see her as she rode inside a carriage.

Who is this coming up from the wilderness: There are two main ways to interpret this question:

It means “who is this.” The word “this” is feminine and refers to the woman. For example:
Who is this young woman coming up from the wilderness… (GW) (BSB, NIV, GW, NCV, NET, NJPS, NLT, REB)
It means “what is that.” The word “that” probably refers to the litter (see 3:7a). For example:
What is that coming up from the wilderness… (RSV) (RSV, CEV, ESV, NAB, NASB, NJB, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as Who usually refers to a person.The Hebrew word used here is miy ‘who.’ If the meaning “what” were intended, the author would probably have used the word mah (‘what’). Also, in this verse the form of the word is feminine. It probably refers to the woman.The Hebrew word zoʾt[0]“this,” is feminine. But some scholars say that the feminine “this” refers to the grammatically feminine “litter” in 3:7a. And they say that the Hebrew miy, “who,” can sometimes be translated “what.” However, this same expression, Who is this also occurs in 6:10 where it clearly refers to the woman. In the Deuterocanonical book, 1 Maccabees 9:37–41. we find an account of a royal wedding procession escorting the bride, a picture very similar to what we find in Song of Songs 3:6–11. Here are the relevant portions of the passage: “After these things it was reported to Jonathan and Simon his brother, ‘The sons of Jambri are celebrating a great wedding, and are conducting the bride, a daughter of one of the great nobles of Canaan, from Nadabath with a large escort’…They raised their eyes and looked, and saw a tumultuous procession with much baggage; and the bridegroom came out with his friends and his brothers to meet them with tambourines and musicians and many weapons. Then they [some enemies] rushed upon them from the ambush and began killing them.…Thus their wedding was turned into mourning…” (RSV). Common elements with the Song of Songs account include the elaborate procession, the bride, the escort, and the groom waiting to welcome his bride upon her arrival. We can understand the importance of an armed escort, which in this case did not provide adequate protection. Keel also refers to this practice, which dates at least back to the 13th century B.C. in Egypt. He states, “Rameses II sent the army and the princes to accompany a daughter of the Hittite king to Egypt and to him for their wedding ceremony.” Exactly the same question is used in 8:5a, where it obviously refers to the woman.

Who is… coming up from the wilderness: This question probably implies that people were watching the procession as it came from the wilderness. When they saw the litter, they probably assumed that the bride was coming. In some languages it is necessary to indicate that the question refers to the woman. For example:

Who is she that comes up from the desert (NJPS)

Who do we see approaching from the desert

This question is probably rhetorical. In some languages it is more natural to translate this rhetorical question as a statement or exclamation. For example:

What a wonderful woman/bride this must be who is coming up from the wilderness!

Look! The bride is coming up from the wilderness!

coming up from the wilderness: Here the text implies that the woman was coming in a formal way with a group of people to honor her. It probably implies that they were coming toward Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem was located high in the hill country, and many roads led to it. The procession probably came up from the lower wilderness country on the east side of Jerusalem.

Some other ways to translate the action are:

approaching from the wilderness

ascending out of the wilderness

coming toward us from the dry/uninhabited places

coming up: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as coming up indicates that the woman was coming to a place that was higher than the one she came from. Jerusalem was higher than the regions around it. However, the word does not indicate that she was climbing a high mountain.The elevation of Jerusalem is 2556 feet (779 meters). Use an appropriate word in your language.

wilderness: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as wilderness refers to a dry region where few people lived. The regions to the south and east of Jerusalem were wilderness like that. However, the land was not as dry as a true desert where very few plants grow and there are large areas of dry sand. Use a word or phrase that is natural in your language to describe such a wilderness region.

3:6b

like a column of smoke,

She is hidden in a cloud of incense,
Sweet-smelling smoke hides her like a cloud.

like a column of smoke: This phrase indicates that the woman’s coming in procession was surrounded by something that looked like smoke from a distance. The phrase may describe a “cloud of dust,” since land near Jerusalem is often dusty. But the poet implies that her coming was like a column (or cloud) of fragrant smoke.Duguid (Kindle edition, page 1475) says, “The word here for column (timara) is a rare form that specifically describes a pillar shaped like a palm tree (tamar). This provides another point of contact between the description of the person coming from the desert and the woman, whose stature is likened to a palm tree in 7:7–8.” In some languages it is common to describe sweet-smelling perfume as being like a “cloud” of fragrance. Describe it in a natural way in your language.

Some ways to connect this phrase to the context are:

Who is this young woman coming up from the wilderness like clouds of smoke…She is perfumed… (GW)

Who is this coming up from the desert like a column of smoke, like a fragrant billow of myrrh and frankincense (NET)

column of smoke: In Hebrew, the word column is plural, but some versions translate it as singular, as in the BSB. The phrase column of smoke indicates that the dust of the procession looked like a tall, thick cloud of smoke. Use a natural way in your language to describe it.

3:6c

scented with myrrh and frankincense

of sweet-smelling myrrh and frankincense
It is better than the most expensive perfume

scented with myrrh and frankincense: The phrase scented with myrrh and frankincense refers to the woman. It indicates that her scent was pleasing. It implies that she wore perfume made of the spices called myrrh and frankincense, so her fragrance was delightful. Some ways to translate this meaning are:

She smells sweet/good with myrrh and incense…

Her scent is like the best spices…

there is the fragrance of sweet-smelling sap/perfume

myrrh: myrrh is a fragrant ointment that is made from the resin of a myrrh tree. Because of its pleasing scent, it was expensive and highly prized. For more information, see the note on “bag of myrrh” in 1:13a–b. The myrrh tree has long thorns and small leaves.

frankincense: frankincense is a kind of fragrant incense. This type of incense was associated with worship. It comes from the resin of a plant called “Boswellia sacra.”

Some ways to translate it are:

sweet-smelling incense

fine/expensive incense

If frankincense is not known in your area, it may be helpful to use a more general term like “incense.”

General Comment on 3:6b–c

The clauses in 3:6b and 3:6c are closely connected. Some ways to translate the clauses and their connection are:

Who is this young woman coming up from the wilderness like clouds of smoke…She is perfumed… (GW)

Who is this coming up from the desert like a column of smoke, like a fragrant billow of myrrh and frankincense (NET)

Who is this, coming up from the wilderness, like pillars of smoke? She is perfumed with myrrh and frankincense… (CEB)

3:6d

from all the spices of the merchant?

and all the other wonderful/best spices imported by merchants.
and the finest spices sold in the market.

from all the spices of the merchant: The meaning of the wordmiḵḵol. “With all.” that the BSB translates as from all affects the relationship between 3:6c to 3:6d. There are two ways to interpret this relationship:

The phrase in 3:6d is parallel to 3:6c, and the two lines have similar meanings. The line in 3:6d tells more about the spices in 3:6b–c. For example:
fragrant with incense and myrrh, (GNT)
the incense sold by the traders (BSB, ESV, NASB, NET, NJPS, REB, RSV, GNT)
The line in 3:6d refers to other spices in addition to the two spices in 3:6c. For example:
Who is this that smells like myrrh, incense, and other spices? (NCV) (NAB, NCV, NJB, NLT)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with a majority of scholars.

the spices of the merchant: The word spices refers to different types of sweet-smelling powder ground from spice plants. People in Israel bought these powders from a merchant (seller), who brought the powders from foreign places. Because the powders were rare and special, a woman seemed more mysterious and beautiful when she wore them.

Some other ways to translate the spices of the merchant are:

all the powdered spices that merchants bring (REB)

the ointments sold by traders

and other fragrant things that sellers bring from far away

spices: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as spices occurs only here in the OT. It refers to different types of sweet-smelling powder. People make these powders from sweet-smelling resins (sap from trees), rocks and other substances. They grind these resins very fine so that they become like powder. Some other ways to translate the Hebrew word are:

fragrant powders

rare/special ointments

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

מִ֣י זֹ֗את עֹלָה֙ מִן־הַ⁠מִּדְבָּ֔ר כְּ⁠תִֽימֲר֖וֹת עָשָׁ֑ן מְקֻטֶּ֤רֶת מוֹר֙ וּ⁠לְבוֹנָ֔ה מִ⁠כֹּ֖ל אַבְקַ֥ת רוֹכֵֽל

who? this(f) coming_up from/more_than the,wilderness like,columns_of smoke perfumed_of myrrh and,frankincense from=all fragrant_powders_of merchant

The phrase Who is that could: (1) be a rhetorical question used to create a sense of expectation and interest. If you would not use a question for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: [Look who is coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, fragrant smoke of myrrh and frankincense, from all the powders of the merchant] (2) be a request for information. Alternate translation: [Who is it that I see arising from the wilderness like columns of smoke, fragrant smoke of myrrh and frankincense from all the powders of the merchant]

זֹ֗את עֹלָה֙ מִן־הַ⁠מִּדְבָּ֔ר

this(f) coming_up from/more_than the,wilderness

The word translated as that here could refer to: (1) Solomon’s “litter,” which is named in the following verse. Alternate translation: [is that group of people arising from the wilderness] (2) the woman. Alternate translation: [is this woman arising from the wilderness]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

עֹלָה֙

coming_up

The writer assumes that the readers will understand that the phrase coming up describes the group of people traveling from the wilderness to Jerusalem because the wilderness is in the valley and Jerusalem is built on high hills. Use a word or phrase that expresses moving upward in elevation. Alternate translation: [moving upward] or [arising]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / go

עֹלָה֙

coming_up

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

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

כְּ⁠תִֽימֲר֖וֹת עָשָׁ֑ן מְקֻטֶּ֤רֶת מוֹר֙ וּ⁠לְבוֹנָ֔ה

like,columns_of smoke perfumed_of myrrh and,frankincense

The writer is saying that the dust clouds created by a group of people traveling in a dry area are like columns of smoke, fragrant smoke of myrrh and frankincense. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [creating a dust cloud that resembles a column of smoke, which resembles the fragrant smoke of myrrh and frankincense]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

כְּ⁠תִֽימֲר֖וֹת עָשָׁ֑ן מְקֻטֶּ֤רֶת מוֹר֙ וּ⁠לְבוֹנָ֔ה

like,columns_of smoke perfumed_of myrrh and,frankincense

Here the phrase fragrant smoke of myrrh and frankincense could be: (1) further describing the words coming up. Alternate translation: [creating dust clouds that resemble rising columns of smoke; Yes, creating dust clouds that resemble the fragrant smoke of myrrh and frankincense] (2) describing the phrase columns of smoke. Alternate translation: [like a column of smoke, incensed with myrrh and frankincense]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

מְקֻטֶּ֤רֶת

perfumed_of

The writer is leaving out a word that in many languages a sentence would need to be complete. You could supply this word from earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [like fragrant smoke of]

מוֹר֙

myrrh

Alternate translation: [the sweet-smelling incense made from the resin of a myrrh tree]

Note 7 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

מִ⁠כֹּ֖ל אַבְקַ֥ת רוֹכֵֽל

from=all fragrant_powders_of merchant

The word translated as from all could: (1) be introducing the powders of the merchant as additional information about myrrh and frankincense. Alternate translation: [which are among the powders of the merchant] (2) indicate that the powders of the merchant are being introduced as additional things the merchant sells. Alternate translation: [and other powders of the merchants]

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 3:6

Hebrew word order