SNG 7:5 Interlinear View

1. Hebrew word
2. Hebrew lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. Gloss
8. CAPS codes
9. OET tags
10. OET word #
2. 405757
3. -
4. -
6. -
8. S
9. -
10. 283292
1. צַוָּארֵ,ךְ
2. 405758,405759
3. neck of your
4. -
6. S-Ncmsc,Sp2fs
7. neck_of,your
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283293
1. כְּ,מִגְדַּל
2. 405760,405761
3. +is like (the) tower of
4. -
5. 4026
6. P-R,Ncbsc
7. [is]_like_(the),tower_of
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283294
1. הַ,שֵּׁן
2. 405762,405763
3. (the) ivory
4. -
5. 8127
6. P-Td,Ncbsa
7. of_(the),ivory
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283295
1. עֵינַיִ,ךְ
2. 405764,405765
3. eyes of your
4. -
6. S-Ncbdc,Sp2fs
7. eyes_of,your
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283296
1. בְּרֵכוֹת
2. 405766
3. +are pools
4. -
5. 1295
6. P-Ncfpa
7. [are]_pools
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283297
1. בְּ,חֶשְׁבּוֹן
2. 405767,405768
3. in Ḩeshbōn
4. in
5. 2809
6. P-R,Np
7. in,Heshbon
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283298
1. עַל
2. 405769
3. at
4. -
6. P-R
7. at
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283299
2. 405770
3. -
4. -
6. -x-maqqef
8. -
9. -
10. 283300
1. שַׁעַר
2. 405771
3. the gate of
4. -
5. 8179
6. P-Ncmsc
7. the_gate_of
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283301
1. בַּת
2. 405772
3. Bath-
4. -
6. P-Np
7. of_Bath-
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283302
2. 405773
3. -
4. -
6. -x-maqqef
8. -
9. -
10. 283303
1. רַבִּים
2. 405774
3. Rabbim
4. -
5. 1337
6. P-Np
7. -Rabbim
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283304
1. אַפֵּ,ךְ
2. 405775,405776
3. nose of your
4. -
5. 639
6. S-Ncmsc,Sp2fs
7. nose_of,your
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283305
1. כְּ,מִגְדַּל
2. 405777,405778
3. +is like the tower of
4. -
5. 4026
6. P-R,Ncbsc
7. [is]_like,the_tower_of
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283306
1. הַ,לְּבָנוֹן
2. 405779,405780
3. (the) Ləⱱānōn
4. -
5. 3844
6. P-Td,Np
7. of_(the),Lebanon
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283307
1. צוֹפֶה
2. 405781
3. which watches
4. -
5. 6822
6. V-Vqrmsa
7. [which]_watches
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283308
1. פְּנֵי
2. 405782
3. the face of
4. -
5. 6440
6. P-Ncbpc
7. the_face_of
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283309
1. דַמָּשֶׂק
2. 405783
3. Damascus
4. -
5. 1834
6. P-Np
7. of_Damascus
8. -
9. Y-1014
10. 283310
2. 405784
3. -
4. -
6. -x-sof-pasuq
8. -
9. -
10. 283311

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 6:4–8:4: The man praised the woman and sang about springtime

In this section the man described the woman in two separate speeches (6:4–10 and 7:1–10). Some verses are difficult to understand, especially 6:11–13, and it is important to think about them carefully. The woman responded to the man in 7:11 and continued to speak to the end of the section at 8:4.

The verse numbering in the Hebrew text is different from the BSB and a majority of English versions. The Hebrew text begins chapter 7 where the BSB begins 6:13, so in chapter 7 the verses in the Hebrew text are one number higher than the verse numbers in the BSB. For example, 6:13–7:13 in the BSB is 7:1–14 in the Hebrew text (and also in the NJB and NJPS). It is helpful to be aware that some commentaries follow the Hebrew verse numbering. The Notes will follow the verse numbers in the BSB (along with the majority of English versions).

Paragraph 7:1–10 The man praised the woman and she responded

In 7:1–9a the man sang another praise song to the woman, and then she responded in 7:9b–10. Here the man used a different order to describe her beauty. He began with her feet and moved upward to her head as the final focus. In other descriptions (4:1–5, 5:10–16, and 6:4–7) he began with the head and moved downward. Here, he described several parts of her body that he described earlier in the book (neck, eyes, breasts, hair, and head), and he mentioned some other parts for the first time. Notice that 7:3 is identical to 4:5a.

Scholars differ about whether the woman was dancing in this section. In 6:13 the woman said that she did not want spectators to look at her as though she were a dancer. In 7:1–10 the man did not describe her movements, but only her physical features. So, she was probably not dancing in this unit. Some scholars think that she was naked or dressed in transparent clothing, but that idea is not supported in the text.

These verses have many metaphors and similes, and scholars differ about how to interpret some of them. The Notes will discuss each one and give translation suggestions.

7:5a

Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel,

Your head is as majestic as Mount Carmel (NLT)
Your head is like a crown for your body, as Mount Carmel is like a crown for the land,
Your head completes your beauty, just as Carmel Mountain beautifies all the land around it.

Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel: The phrase Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel is more literally “your head upon you is like Carmel.” Mount Carmel refers to a majestic, tall mountain called Mount Carmel. The phrase implies that the woman’s head gave her majesty and beauty, as Mount Carmel adds majesty and beauty to the land of Israel.

Some ways to translate this simile are:

Your head is as majestic as Mount Carmel (NLT)

Your head shows your dignity/glory that is like Carmel mountain.

Mount Carmel: Mount Carmel is a mountain that is surrounded by flat land, so it is especially prominent and majestic. It is about 550 meters (1800 feet) high, and overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.

7:5b

the hair of your head like purple threads;

and your wavy/flowing hair is like a queen’s purple tapestry.
and the sheen of your hair radiates royalty. (NLT)

the hair of your head like purple threads: The clause the hair of your head like purple threads compares the woman’s long wavy hair to the color purple. Purple dye was expensive, and people considered purple to be a royal color. In this verse the color purple probably suggests that the woman was as majestic as a queen. It may imply that her hair was a shiny black color as the sun shone on it. It is unlikely that she dyed her hair purple.

Some ways to translate the clause are:

and your hair is like purple cloth (NCV)

Your hair is like royal tapestry (NIV)

the sheen of your hair radiates royalty (NLT)

your locks are shiny black

7:5c

the king is captured in your tresses.

Its beauty captures/captivates a king.
Your beautiful hair fascinates even a king.

the king is captured in your tresses: This clause is a figure of speech. It indicates that when a man, even a king, looks at the woman’s hair (tresses), he is like a captive. He cannot stop looking at it because it is so beautiful. The man implies that he himself is like such a king. Some other ways to translate the clause are:

its beauty could hold a king captive. (GNT)

you have captured your king with its loveliness

your hair is so lovely that the king cannot escape its charms.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

רֹאשֵׁ֤⁠ךְ עָלַ֨יִ⁠ךְ֙ כַּ⁠כַּרְמֶ֔ל

(Some words not found in UHB: neck_of,your [is]_like_(the),tower_of of_(the),ivory eyes_of,your pools in,Heshbon on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in gate_of daughter_of -rabbim nose_of,your [is]_like,the_tower_of of_(the),Lebanon looking face/surface_of Damascus )

The man is saying that the woman’s head is beautiful and majestic like Mount Carmel and it increases the beauty of the rest of her body. Mount Carmel is a beautiful and majestic looking mountain and adds beauty to what is below it. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [Your head is beautiful and majestic like Mount Carmel]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

כַּ⁠כַּרְמֶ֔ל

Carmel refers to the mountain called Mount Carmel. You could include this information if it would be helpful to your readers.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ⁠דַלַּ֥ת רֹאשֵׁ֖⁠ךְ כָּ⁠אַרְגָּמָ֑ן

Here the word purple refers to wool cloth that was dyed a purple-red color. The phrase the loose hair of your head is like purple could mean: (1) that the woman’s hair was a shiny black that reflected a black-purplish color in sunlight. Alternate translation: [and the loose hair of your head is shiny and black] or [and the loose hair of your head looks shiny purplish black as the sun shines on it] (2) that the woman’s hair made her look like a queen (purple was associated with royalty). Alternate translation: [and the loose hair of your head is like royal cloth]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מֶ֖לֶךְ אָס֥וּר בָּ⁠רְהָטִֽים

The man is speaking of the beauty of the tresses of the woman’s hair as if they could capture a king because the woman’s tresses are so beautiful that they captivate his attention. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [Your tresses are so beautiful that a king is not able to stop admiring them] or [Your hair is so beautiful that a king is not able to stop admiring it] or [the king is captivated by your tresses]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

מֶ֖לֶךְ אָס֥וּר

The implication is that the man speaking here is the king. You could include this information if it would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [your king is held captive] or [I, your king, am held captive]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

מֶ֖לֶךְ אָס֥וּר בָּ⁠רְהָטִֽים

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, the context implies that the woman’s tresses did it. Alternate translation: [the tresses hold the king captive] or [your tresses hold the king captive]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

בָּ⁠רְהָטִֽים

Here the writer assumes his readers will understand that tresses refers to the woman’s hair which hangs down from her head. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could include this information. Alternate translation: [in the long locks of your hair] or [in the flowing locks of your hair]

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.