SNG 6:2 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 6:1–3 The man was in his garden

In 5:10–16 the woman answered the women’s question by describing the man. Here in 6:1, the women responded with another question. They asked the woman where the man went, and they offered to help her find him (6:1). When she responded in 6:2–3, she said that her beloved was in his garden. (He was not missing.) Maybe she realized where he was when she praised him to the women. She realized that she and her beloved were still committed to each other, as she said in 6:3, “I belong to my beloved and he belongs to me.”

The “garden” in 6:2 is probably a metaphor for the woman. In 4:12–5:1 the man described the woman as a “garden.” In 4:16–5:1 she described herself as “his garden.”

Although 6:1 begins a new chapter, the poetic section continues until 6:3. It is helpful to show in some way that the chapter division does not indicate the end of the poetic section. This may be done with section headings, line breaks, or a footnote.

6:2a

My beloved has gone down to his garden,

My darling has gone down to his garden,
My love went to his garden

6:2b

to the beds of spices,

to his spice beds
where the spice beds are,

6:2a–b

My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices: Literally, this clause indicates that the man went down to his garden where there were flowers and spice plants. The phrases in 6:2a–b do not indicate that he went to two different places. The word garden and the phrase beds of spices refer to the same place. The beds of spices probably refers to a specific part of the garden.

Some other ways to translate 6:2a–b are:

My darling has gone down to his garden of spices (CEV)

My beloved has gone down to the beds of spices in his garden

My dear one has descended to his garden where the spice plants are.

My beloved has gone down: The author probably used the word down here because most people’s gardens were located on a lower level than their houses. They often planted gardens near sources of water like springs or streams, which were in a valley. In some cultures it may be confusing to use the word down here. If that is true in your language, you may omit it. For example:

My beloved went to his garden (GW)

his garden: The phrase his garden is used here as a metaphor to refer to the young woman herself. In 4:12–5:1 the man described the woman as a “garden.” In 4:16–5:1 she is described specifically as the man’s garden, and in 6:2–3 it is clear that their love is mutual.

It is not clear whether the text implies that the man and woman had sexual relations at this time. During her dream (5:2–7) she feared that she had lost her beloved and that maybe he had stopped loving her. But this metaphor implies that their love for one another was still strong. That is clear from her statement in 6:3a–b, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”

the beds of spices: The phrase the beds of spices is parallel to “his garden” (6:2a). beds of spices further describes “his garden.”

6:2c

to pasture his flock in the gardens

to delight in the garden
to enjoy his garden

to pasture his flock in the gardens: Here the BSB has supplied the phrase his flock, which is not in the Hebrew text. There are different ways to interpret the phrase to pasture…in the gardens:

It is a figure of speech to refer to the man himself “grazing” or “browsing” in the garden. For example:
to browse in the gardens… (NIV) (NIV, NLT, NCV, NET, NJPS, ESV)
It has the literal meaning that the man pastures his flock in the garden. For example:
He is feeding his flock in the garden (GNT) (BSB, RSV, GW, GNT, CEV, NASB, NJB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Earlier in the Song (2:8–9; 2:17) the author compared the man to a gazelle. In the similar phrase in 2:16b the Notes also recommended the meaning “graze,” as in interpretation (1) here.It is true that the same verb can also be used to refer to grazing sheep as in 1:7b. However, in that context, it clearly referred to sheep, whereas here it is used to refer directly to the man. Because the BSB follows interpretation (2), the NIV will be used as the source text here in 6:2c.

(NIV) to browse in the gardens: The clause to browse in the gardens is a metaphor. Its exact meaning is uncertain, but it probably implies that the man will enjoy the woman and experience the delight that she will give him. Other ways to translate the metaphor are:

to delight in the gardens (REB)

to enjoy his gardens

(NIV) in the gardens: Here the word gardens is plural, but in 6:2a the author used a singular form to refer to his garden. Both forms probably refer to the same garden. They do not imply that there were many gardens. If a plural form is confusing here in your language, it is fine to refer to only one “garden,” as in the GNT.

6:2d

and to gather lilies.

and gather lilies there.
and pick beautiful, fragrant flowers.

and to gather lilies: The phrase to gather lilies is a metaphor. The word lilies probably refers to the delights that the woman gave. (In 2:1–2 she compared herself to a lily of the valley, and the man responded that she was like a lily among thorns.) It is uncertain exactly what gather lilies implies here. However, its meaning is similar to 6:2c, which refers to the man loving the woman and enjoying her love for him.

Some other ways to translate the metaphor are:

and take some of its sweet-smelling flowers.

and pick some of the beautiful lilies.

lilies: As in 2:1b, the Hebrew word that the BSB translates as lilies refers here to a common wildflower that was usually red or purple.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

דּוֹדִ⁠י֙ יָרַ֣ד לְ⁠גַנּ֔⁠וֹ לַ⁠עֲרוּג֖וֹת הַ⁠בֹּ֑שֶׂם לִ⁠רְעוֹת֙ בַּ⁠גַּנִּ֔ים וְ⁠לִ⁠לְקֹ֖ט שֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים

lover_of,my gone_down to,garden_of,his to,the_beds_of of_(the),spice to,graze in,gardens and,to,gather lilies

Here the woman resumes the “garden” metaphor that was used in [4:12-5:1](../04/12.md) by again referring to her body as a garden. The phrase graze in the gardens and glean lilies are both metaphors for the man enjoying the woman’s body. If you used the word “like” to translate [4:12-5:1](../04/12.md), you should continue to use it here, or if it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [My beloved went to me. I am like a garden where beds of spices grow. He came to me in order to enjoy my body like a gazelle enjoys grazing in gardens and like a person enjoys gleaning lilies]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

דּוֹדִ⁠י֙ יָרַ֣ד לְ⁠גַנּ֔⁠וֹ לַ⁠עֲרוּג֖וֹת הַ⁠בֹּ֑שֶׂם

lover_of,my gone_down to,garden_of,his to,the_beds_of of_(the),spice

The phrase to the beds of spices explains where in the garden the man went down to. This phrase is not describing a separate location from the garden (woman). If it would be helpful to your readers, you could include this information. Alternate translation: [My beloved went down to the beds of spices in his garden] or [My beloved went to me who is like his spice garden]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / go

יָרַ֣ד

gone_down

Your language may say “gone” rather than went in a context such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: [has gone down]

לַ⁠עֲרוּג֖וֹת הַ⁠בֹּ֑שֶׂם

to,the_beds_of of_(the),spice

See how you translated the similar phrase bed of spices in [5:13](../05/13.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

בַּ⁠גַּנִּ֔ים

in,gardens

Here the phrase in the gardens refers to the woman just like the phrase his garden does earlier in the verse. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could include this information. Alternate translation: [in his gardens] or [in his garden]

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 6:2

Hebrew word order