SNG 5:16 Interlinear View

5:16 OSHB note: Marks a place where we agree with BHQ against BHS in reading L.

5:16 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.

5:16 OSHB note: We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.

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.

5:16

This verse is a climax to the woman’s long description of the man. She answered the teasing question that the Jerusalem women asked in 5:9.

5:16a

His mouth is most sweet;

His mouth is delicious/delightful to kiss.
His kisses delight me.

In 5:15c–d the woman summarized her description of the man’s body. Now in 5:16 she again described the man’s mouth.

His mouth is most sweet: There are different ways to interpret the word mouth and the whole clause here:

His “sweet mouth” refers to his kisses. For example:
His mouth is sweet to kiss (GNT) (CEV, NCV, GNT)
His “sweet mouth” refers to his speech. For example:
His conversation is sweetness itself (NJB) (NJB, RSV)

Most English versions translate literally and do not make the meaning of “sweet mouth” explicit.These versions include BSB, ESV, NASB, NET, NIV, NJPS, NLT, and REB. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). His “sweet mouth” probably refers to his kisses, since that fits with his physical description better than interpretation (2).

Some ways to translate this meaning are:

Use a figure of speech in your language that implies kissing. For example:
His mouth is delicious… (NJPS)
His mouth is delightful…
Make the meaning explicit. For example:
His mouth is sweet to kiss (NCV)
His kisses are sweet/delightful

Translate the meaning in a natural way in your language.

most sweet: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as most sweet is a figure of speech. Here it indicates that the man’s kisses are delightful. It implies that it is sweet when the man kisses the woman or when she kisses him. Those kisses give great pleasure.

General Comment on “mouth” and “kisses”

The author refers to the theme of the couple’s mouths and their implied kisses often throughout the book. The first time was in 1:2, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.” Since the woman began the book with the theme of kisses, it is not surprising that she focused here on her beloved’s mouth as she described his body. (Also see 8:1, and possibly 2:3.) The man referred to her mouth and kisses in 4:3, 4:11, and 7:9.

5:16b

he is altogether lovely.

He is desirable in every way. (NLT)
Everything about him is delightful.

he is altogether lovely: This clause indicates that the woman considered her beloved to be precious and wonderful in every way. It is similar to what the man said to her in 4:7: “You are altogether beautiful, my darling; in you there is no flaw.” Some other ways to say this are:

everything about him enchants me (GNT)

he is altogether lovable (NJB)

he is desirable in every way (NLT)

5:16c

This is my beloved,

This is/describes my love.
This is what the one I love is like.

5:16e

O daughters of Jerusalem.

O maidens of Jerusalem. (NJPS)
for you as you asked, young women of Jerusalem.

5:16c–e

The clause “This is my beloved” here in 5:16c and the phrase “My beloved” in 5:10a form an inclusio. They occur at the beginning and the end of the woman’s description of the man (5:10–16). The woman emphasized that in 5:10–16 she answered the question that the Jerusalem women asked her in 5:9.

This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem: The two clauses in 5:16c–d, This is my beloved and this is my friend, have almost the same meaning in this context. The two clauses show that the woman has now answered the question that the Jerusalem women asked in 5:9—“How is your beloved better than others?” Indicate in a natural way that this clause answers that question. For example:

That is what my beloved and friend is like, women of Jerusalem.

Now I have told you what my beloved and friend is like, Jerusalem women.

Some other ways to translate 5:16c–e are:

Change the order of phrases in 5:16c–e. For example:
O women of Jerusalem, now I have told you about my lover. That is what my dear one is like.
Translate the similar meanings of 5:16c and 5:16d only once. For example:
This is what my lover is like, women of Jerusalem. (GNT)

5:16d

and this is my friend,

I have described my beloved man,
Now I have described this dear one of mine

and this is my friend: This is the only place in the Song where the woman (or the man) used the Hebrew word that the BSB translates as friend to describe their relationship. The plural form “friends” was used in 5:1 to refer to the wedding guests.

The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as friend can have different meanings, depending on the context. It can be used to describe different types of friendly relationships. Here the meaning is similar to the meaning of the word “beloved.” In some languages it may be more natural to translate this meaning only once. For example, the GNT translates the two statements in 5:16c–d as:

This is what my lover is like (GNT)

Other ways to translate friend here are:

darling (REB)

companion (NET)

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