SNG 7:7 Interlinear View

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.

7:7–9a

In these verses the man describes the woman with metaphors of a palm tree and various fruits. (In 5:15c–d she compared the man to a cedar tree.)

7:7a

Your stature is like a palm tree;

Your stature/figure is like that of the date palm,
You are tall and slender like a palm tree. (CEV)

Your stature is like a palm tree: The Hebrew clause that the BSB translates as Your stature is like a palm tree is literally “This your stature is-like a date-palm tree.” A date palm tree is taller and more slender than many other trees. The man implied that the woman was tall and slender, like a date palm tree.

Some other ways to translate the comparison are:

You are tall and slender like a palm tree (CEV)

Your figure/stature is like a palm tree

You are tall like a palm tree (NCV)

palm tree: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as palm tree refers specifically to the date palm tree. It is a type of tropical tree that produces sweet fruit called “dates.” In some languages the date palm tree is not known. If that is true in your language, some other ways to translate it are:

Use a more general word that refers to a tree like the palm tree, as in the BSB.
Refer more generally to a tree that is tall and slender and produces fruit. For example:
tall slender fruit tree

7:7b

your breasts are clusters of fruit.

and your breasts are like its clusters of dates.
and your breasts are as sweet/delicious as its fruits.

your breasts are clusters of fruit: The phrase your breasts are clusters of fruit compares the woman’s breasts to the bunches of fruit called “dates” on the date palm tree. These clusters of dates probably reminded the man of the full shape of the woman’s breasts on her tall slender body. Her breasts did not literally look like date clusters.

In some languages people are not familiar with the date palm tree and its clusters of dates. Some other ways to translate this comparison are:

Use a more general term for clusters of fruit. For example:
your breasts are like bunches of fruit
Substitute a different fruit that is known to people in your area and is appropriate for the comparison. For example:
your breasts are like clusters of grapes. (NET)
Indicate how the woman’s breasts were like clusters of dates or other fruit. For example:
your breasts are as lovely as clusters of dates.
your breasts are well-shaped like beautiful fruit

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

זֹ֤את קֽוֹמָתֵ⁠ךְ֙ דָּֽמְתָ֣ה לְ⁠תָמָ֔ר

(Some words not found in UHB: what? beautiful and,how! pleasant love with,delights )

The man is saying that the woman is tall like a palm tree. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [You are tall]

Note 2 topic: translate-unknown

לְ⁠תָמָ֔ר & לְ⁠אַשְׁכֹּלֽוֹת

(Some words not found in UHB: what? beautiful and,how! pleasant love with,delights )

A palm tree refers to a date palm, which is tall, thin, and produces small fruits called dates. The term clusters refers to bunches of dates that grow on the date palm. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of tree or its fruit, you could use the name of something similar in your area, or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: [a tall and slender fruit tree … its clusters of fruit] or [a tall fruit tree … like its clusters of delicious fruit]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ⁠שָׁדַ֖יִ⁠ךְ לְ⁠אַשְׁכֹּלֽוֹת

(Some words not found in UHB: what? beautiful and,how! pleasant love with,delights )

The man is saying that the woman’s breasts are like the clusters of plump dates that grow on date palms. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [and your breasts are plump and round] or [and your breasts are plump and round like its clusters]

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 7:7

Hebrew word order

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

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

7:7–9a

7:7a

7:7b

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