OET interlinear SNG 8:6

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

שִׂימֵ֨⁠נִי כַֽ⁠חוֹתָ֜ם עַל־לִבֶּ֗⁠ךָ

set,me as_a,seal on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in heart_of,your

Here, heart could represent: (1) the chest of a person. Alternate translation: [Place me like a seal that is hung by a cord around your neck and hangs down onto your chest] (2) the emotions and thoughts of a person. Alternate translation: [Always love and think about me] or [Always love and think about me as if I were stamped onto your heart] If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language, or you could state the meaning plainly.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

שִׂימֵ֨⁠נִי כַֽ⁠חוֹתָ֜ם עַל־לִבֶּ֗⁠ךָ כַּֽ⁠חוֹתָם֙ עַל־זְרוֹעֶ֔⁠ךָ

set,me as_a,seal on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in heart_of,your as_a,seal on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in arm_of,your

The woman is saying that she wants the man she loves to be close to her like the seal hanging from a cord around his neck down over his heart (chest) and like a seal that is worn on his arm. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [Please keep me very near to you]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

כַּֽ⁠חוֹתָם֙ עַל־זְרוֹעֶ֔⁠ךָ

as_a,seal on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in arm_of,your

The word which the ULT translates as arm can refer to any part of the arm, including the wrist and hand. The phrase the seal on your arm refers to a seal that is worn on a bracelet on the wrist. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could include this information. Alternate translation: [like a seal worn on your wrist] or [like a seal worn on a bracelet on your wrist]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

כַּֽ⁠חוֹתָם֙ עַל־זְרוֹעֶ֔⁠ךָ

as_a,seal on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in arm_of,your

The speaker is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. If it would be clearer in your language, you could supply these words from earlier in the sentence. Alternate translation: [place me like the seal on your arm]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

עַזָּ֤ה כַ⁠מָּ֨וֶת֙ אַהֲבָ֔ה קָשָׁ֥ה כִ⁠שְׁא֖וֹל קִנְאָ֑ה

Azzah as_~_as_the,death love fierce as,sheol jealousy

The phrases strong like death is love and unyielding like Sheol is zeal are comparisons because romantic love and death are both very strong and overcome a person in a powerful and irresistible way, while Sheol and the zeal of romantic love are both unyielding. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly.

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

כִּֽי־עַזָּ֤ה כַ⁠מָּ֨וֶת֙ אַהֲבָ֔ה

that/for/because/then/when Azzah as_~_as_the,death love

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of love, you could express the same idea in another way that is natural in your language.

קָשָׁ֥ה כִ⁠שְׁא֖וֹל קִנְאָ֑ה

fierce as,sheol jealousy

Here the word the ULT translates as zeal could: (1) have the positive meaning of the romantic fervor that lovers have for one another. Alternate translation: [unyielding like Sheol is the zeal lovers have for each other] or [the passionate feelings lovers have for one another is unyielding like Sheol] (2) refer to the negative feelings of lovers who are jealous for the affection, love, and attention of the other. Alternate translation: [unyielding like Sheol is jealousy] or [the jealousy lovers have for the love of one another is unyielding like Sheol]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

קָשָׁ֥ה כִ⁠שְׁא֖וֹל קִנְאָ֑ה

fierce as,sheol jealousy

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of zeal, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [lovers zealously love each other in a way that is unyielding like Sheol] or [lovers passionately love each other in a way that is unyielding like Sheol]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

כִ⁠שְׁא֖וֹל

as,sheol

Here, Sheol represents death. This line is parallel in meaning to the preceding line. The woman is again referring to death by association with Sheol, which is where dead people were thought to go in that culture. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly.

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

רְשָׁפֶ֕י⁠הָ רִשְׁפֵּ֕י אֵ֖שׁ שַׁלְהֶ֥בֶתְ יָֽה

flashes_of,its flashes_of fire שַׁלְהֶבֶתְ יָה

Here the woman is speaking of the zeal of romantic love as if it were flashes of fire and the flame of Yah. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [The zeal of lovers is like flashes of fire and like the flame of Yahweh] or [The passion of lovers is like flashes of fire and like the flame of Yahweh]

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

שַׁלְהֶ֥בֶתְ יָֽה

שַׁלְהֶבֶתְ יָה

Here, the flame of Yah is an expression that means “lightning.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the lightning of Yah] or [the flashes of lightning]