SNG 5:15 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:2–6:3: At night the woman searched for the man and praised him

Scholars differ about the meaning of this section and how it relates to the rest of the Song. In 5:2–7 the woman told the Jerusalem women that the man came to her door at night but went away. She told them that now she longed to see him and was searching for him. Then she asked them to give him a message if they saw him (5:8). They asked why she was so attracted to him (5:9), and she replied by describing him (5:10–16). Then they asked her where he went (6:1), and she told them that he went down to his garden (6:2–3).

The section contains several interpretation issues:

In 5:2–7 did the woman describe a dream or a real event, or is 5:2–7 a poetic way to describe her feelings and thoughts about the man? The woman described one type of event (probably dreamed or imagined) as she and the man related to each other. The author did not always tell about events in order, and he repeated certain themes to examine them from different points of view. The Song is not a simple story but a poem, and it uses various ways to describe the romantic love.
Section 3:6–5:1 told about the wedding of the man and woman. Does Section 5:2–6:3 tell about a time after they married? Although 3:6–5:1 told about the wedding of the man and woman, 5:2–6:3 may not refer to a time after the wedding. It may describe something they experienced more than once. In other sections also, the man and woman were apart at the beginning but together at the end (as in 1:2–2:7). If 5:2–6:3 refers to a time before their wedding,Some scholars view the whole book, Song of Songs, as a large chiasm. (For example, Dorsey suggests abcdcʹbʹaʹ, (1999, p.200.)) So, the section, 3:6–5:1 is the central and climactic part of the chiasm, and what comes before and after are related to the center, not chronologically but thematically. So, the material both before and after, may be pointing to the grand central climax, the wedding. What follows the wedding, 5:2–8:14, may actually repeat much of the material in 1:2–3:5. Again, this is more of a cyclical rather than chronological way of understanding the book. it describes the woman’s hopes and fears as she imagined her future with the man (as in 3:1–4). The dream might indicate that she feared that he had stopped loving her, but at the end of 6:2–3, she realized that he continued to love her faithfully.Some scholars believe that this section follows chronologically after the wedding. Some of these scholars interpret it as describing a time of conflict for the newly married couple. But the theme of marital conflict does not seem to fit the overall message or tone of the Song.
How should a translator interpret the figures of speech in this section? Some scholars interpret these figures as euphemisms for sexual organs and sexual activity. However, such interpretations may cause a translator to refer more explicitly to sexual matters than is normal or justified in the Song. (For more information, see “Standards for respectful speech and actions in the Song” in POEM 4:1–7.)

Paragraph 5:9–16 The woman described her beloved

In 5:9 the Jerusalem women asked the woman in what ways the man was so much better than other men. In 5:10–16 the woman answered with a poetic description of her beloved that uses many metaphors and hyperbole. Some verses describe the man as though he were a statue.

These verses are similar to 4:1–7 in which the man described the woman’s body. Here in 5:9–16 she described his body. It was rare in ancient Israel for a woman to describe a man’s body in detail like this. In 4:1–7 where the man described the woman, he spoke directly to her. However, in this section where the woman described him, she did not speak directly to him. She spoke to the women of Jerusalem about him.

The description in 5:9–16 has the similar phrases My beloved (5:10) and This is my beloved (5:16) near its beginning and end, forming an inclusio. It also mentions his golden head (5:11) near the beginning and his legs on bases of gold (5:15) near the end. The woman began by describing his head, then the rest of his body, and ended by mentioning his head again. In the description (5:11–16), four of the six verses describe parts of the man’s head (5:11–13, 16), which shows that the woman focused especially on his head. Her description of him may seem strange to modern readers, but she intended her description to show that he was completely desirable.

5:15a–b

In 5:15a–b the woman continued to describe the man as if he were a statue. The statement “His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold” is a metaphor and also a hyperbole.

5:15a

His legs are pillars of marble

His legs are like tall columns of alabaster/marble,
His legs are as strong as tall posts made of finest stone,

His legs are pillars of marble: This clause is a metaphor. It indicates that the man’s legs were straight and strong, and they were beautiful like the precious stone called marble. Some other ways to translate this description are:

His legs are like columns made of alabaster

His legs are as tall and beautiful as marble columns

His legs are like tall posts made of beautiful stone

His legs: Some commentators think that “legs” may refer to the man’s genitals. Following this interpretation is not recommended. The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as His legs probably includes the entire legs from the thighs down to the ankles.

pillars of marble: The Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates as pillars of marble indicates that the man’s legs were straight and strong, like tall, rounded posts made of carved marble.

marble is a stone that is made of a certain mineral. The color of the stone can be various shades of white and a light rust color. The stone is strong and durable. Sculptors used it to carve statues or other valuable objects such as vases.

Some versions translate this word as “alabaster.” Marble and alabaster are similar, and marble is the harder of the two stones. The Hebrew word can refer to either of these two stones. Use the term that communicates best in your language.

Some other ways to translate the phrase pillars of marble are:

tall posts made of valuable stone

alabaster columns

5:15b

set on bases of pure gold.

set on bases/feet that are made of gold.
and his feet are as precious as gold.

set on bases of pure gold: Statues were set up on a strong base (foundation), which balanced the statue and kept it from falling over. Bases were often made of stone, but here the bases were made of gold. The phrase set on bases of pure gold probably implies that the man’s feet were like bases of gold. So the author indicates that the man’s head (5:11a) and his feet were valuable like gold.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

on feet of gold. (CEV)

placed in bases made of gold.

5:15c

His appearance is like Lebanon,

His appearance is awesome like Lebanon,
He is as majestic/wonderful as the region of Lebanon.

5:15d

as majestic as the cedars.

as esteemed as its cedar trees.
People admire him as they admire the tall/towering cedar trees there.

5:15c–d

The phrases in 5:15c–d are similes. They compare the man’s overall stature to the region of Lebanon and to the cedars in Lebanon. These similes are also hyperboles.

His appearance is like Lebanon, as majestic as the cedars: The phrase His appearance refers to the way the man seemed to the people who saw him. He seemed as wonderful and fascinating as the region of Lebanon, which has majestic mountains and tall cedar trees. Some other ways to translate 5:15c–d are:

He is majestic, like the Lebanon Mountains with their towering cedars. (GNT)

He looks as magnificent as the Lebanon Mountains and their tall cedar trees.

Lebanon: Lebanon was a rugged mountainous region north of Israel. It was famous for its tall cedar trees and was known as a beautiful and wild place. So when the woman described the man as being like the cedars of Lebanon, she implied that he was the tallest and strongest among all the other men. This description is like the phrase in 5:10 that describes the man as “outstanding among ten thousand.”

In earlier chapters the man also praised the woman by comparing her to Lebanon. He said that the fragrance of her garments was like Lebanon (4:11c), and he described her as being like streams that flow from Lebanon (4:15c). So here she responded to his praise in a similar way.

Lebanon was discussed in 4:8 and 4:15. Refer to the Notes there for more information.

as majestic as the cedars: Here the woman compared the man to the cedar trees in Lebanon. The word majestic indicates that the trees are of very good quality. The cedars of Lebanon were large and tall, and people valued their lumber highly. Cedars of Lebanon were also fragrant trees.

Here the woman compared the man to those cedars. He was tall, noble, and strong like the cedars of Lebanon. He was the choice man among all the other men. Some other ways to translate the comparison are:

like the cedars of Lebanon that everyone chooses as the best/finest trees.

as the cedar trees in Lebanon, which people admire/consider as the best of all trees.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

שׁוֹקָי⁠ו֙ עַמּ֣וּדֵי שֵׁ֔שׁ מְיֻסָּדִ֖ים עַל־אַדְנֵי־פָ֑ז

legs_of,his pillars_of alabaster set on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in bases_of pure_gold

Here the woman is speaking of the man’s thighs as if they were pillars of alabaster set on bases of refined gold because the man’s legs are strong and majestic looking. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [His thighs are strong and majestic like pillars of alabaster set on bases of gold]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

שׁוֹקָי⁠ו֙

legs_of,his

The word the ULT translates as thighs most likely refers to the entirety of a person’s legs, so you could translate this term as “legs” as in the UST.

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

שֵׁ֔שׁ

alabaster

The word translated as alabaster can refer to either alabaster or marble, types of strong stone that are nice looking and used to make large columns, statues, and other things. If your readers would not be familiar with alabaster or marble, you could use the name of something similar in your area, or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: [marble] or [stone]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

מַרְאֵ֨⁠הוּ֙ כַּ⁠לְּבָנ֔וֹן בָּח֖וּר כָּ⁠אֲרָזִֽים

appearance_of,his [is]_like,Lebanon choice like,cedars

The woman is saying that the man’s appearance is like Lebanon, as choice as the cedars because he is tall, strong, and outstanding in comparison to other men, just as the cedars of Lebanon are better than all other trees. Lebanon was famous for its cedar trees which were considered to be superior. The word choice here means “excellent quality.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: [His appearance is tall and strong and stately. He is outstanding among other men] or [His appearance is majestic. He is strong and tall and better than other men]

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 5:15

Hebrew word order