SNG 1:12 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Ἕως οὗ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν ἀνακλίσει αὐτοῦ· νάρδος μου ἔδωκεν ὀσμὴν αὐτοῦ.
(Heōs hou ho basileus en anaklisei autou; nardos mou edōken osmaʸn autou. )

UST During the time that he who is like a king to me reclined on his couch,
⇔ the fragrance of my perfume spread around the room.

OEB No OEB SNG book available

WEBBE While the king sat at his table,
⇔ my perfume spread its fragrance.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET While the king was at his banqueting table,
⇔ my nard gave forth its fragrance.

LSV While the king [is] in his circle,
My spikenard has given its fragrance.

FBV As the king lay on his couch, my nard perfume gave off its fragrance.

T4T While the king was on his couch,
⇔ the smell of my perfume spread around the room.

LEB • While the king was on his couch, my nard gave its fragrance.

BBE While the king is seated at his table, my spices send out their perfume.

Moff When my king lies on his diwan
⇔ my charms breathe out their fragrance;

JPS While the king sat at his table, my spikenard sent forth its fragrance.

ASV ⇔ While the king sat at his table,
⇔ My spikenard sent forth its fragrance.

DRA A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts.

YLT While the king [is] in his circle, My spikenard hath given its fragrance.

Drby While the king is at his table, My spikenard sendeth forth its fragrance.

RV While the king sat at his table, my spikenard sent forth its fragrance.

SLT The king yet in his divan, my spikenard gave its odor.

Wbstr While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth its smell.

KJB-1769 ¶ While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.
(¶ While the king sitteth/sits at his table, my spikenard sendeth/sends forth the smell thereof. )

KJB-1611 ¶ While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth foorth the smell thereof.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps When the king sitteth at the table, he shall smell my Nardus:
(When the king sitteth/sits at the table, he shall smell my Nardus:)

Gnva My welbeloued is as a bundle of myrrhe vnto me: he shall lie betweene my breasts.
(My well-beloved is as a bundle of myrrh unto me: he shall lie between my breast/chests. )

Cvdl When the kynge sytteth at the table, he shal smell my Nardus:
(When the king sitteth/sits at the table, he shall smell my Nardus:)

Wycl My derlyng is a bundel of myrre to me; he schal dwelle bitwixe my tetis.
(My darling is a bundle of myrrh to me; he shall dwell between my teats/nipples.)

Luth Da der König sich herwandte, gab meine Narde seinen Geruch.
(So the/of_the king itself/yourself/themselves turned_here, gave my Narde his odour.)

ClVg Fasciculus myrrhæ dilectus meus mihi; inter ubera mea commorabitur.[fn]
(Fasciculus myrrh beloved mine to_me; between breasts my will_stay. )

1.12 Fasciculus. Mors dilecti mei, quam pro mea salute subiit, semper in mea memoria commorabitur. Item fasciculo myrrhæ comparatur, dum propter nos crucis injurias toleravit. Myrrha arbor est Arabiæ, altitudinis quinque cubitorum, similis spicæ quam acanthum dicunt, cujus gutta viridis atque amara, unde nomen accepit myrrha. Gutta ejus sponte manans, pretiosior est, corticis vulnere vilior, quæ medendis infirmitatibus est salubris: unde, et myrrhatum vinum a militibus accepit. Ubera mea. Castarum ubera non franguntur; sed meretricum, laxis pellibus irrugantur. Unde Ezechiel: In Ægypto fractæ sunt mammæ tuæ Ezech. 23..

1.12 Fasciculus. Mors beloved my/mine, how for my salute subiit, always in/into/on my memory will_stay. Item fasciculo myrrh is_compared, while because us cross/frame injurias toleravit. Myrrha arbor it_is Arabiæ, height five cubits/elbows, similar spicæ how acanthum they_say, whose gutta mendis and_yet bitter, from_where/who name he_received myrrha. Gutta his voluntarily manans, at_a_pricesior it_is, corticis vulnere vilior, which medendis infirmitatibus it_is healthys: from_where/who, and myrrhatum wine from militibus he_received. Ubera my. Castarum breasts not/no franguntur; but meretricum, laxis skins irrugantur. From_where/who Ezechiel: In to_Egypt broken are mother yours Ezech. 23..

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:2–2:7: The woman and man admired each other

In Section 1:2–2:7, the woman and man praised each other, and they became more confident that they loved each other. In the introduction (1:2–4) the woman spoke about her desire for the man. Then she spoke of her humble life working in the family vineyard (1:5–6), and she seemed to question whether she was worthy for him to love her. Then he praised her, and she praised him. When she spoke at the end of the section (2:3–6), she felt secure that he loved her.

In this section, the woman used several comparisons to speak of her feelings about the man. She spoke as though he were a shepherd (1:7–8) or a king (1:4; 1:12), implying that he was like a shepherd or king to her in certain ways. He was also like a bag of myrrh (1:13), henna blossoms (1:14), and an apple tree (2:3–4) to her. The woman compared herself to “a rose of Sharon,” and “a lily of the valleys” (2:1). The man compared her to “a mare of Pharaoh’s chariots” (1:9). The Notes will discuss the meaning of each of these comparisons as it occurs in its section.

Lines 1:2–4 are the introduction to Section 1:2–2:7. In these lines, the poet summarizes the Song’s message and introduces its main characters: the woman, the man, and a group of young women. In the Song the woman spoke more often than the man spoke. After the title (1:1), she began the Song by saying that she wanted him to kiss her. She referred to him only as “him” or “you.” In Hebrew poetry, the authors do not introduce their characters as they do in stories, but in some languages it may be more natural to introduce them and identify them. Some ways to do this are:

Provide headings to identify the characters. Some headings may apply only to a verse or part of a verse. For example:
1:4e The Woman commented about the young women of Jerusalem You may need to use a different form the first time a character is introduced. For example:
1:2–4b A woman speaks to the man she loves
Use a speech introducer in the first part of the verse. If you use this option, you may want to indicate in some way that the speech introducer is not in the text itself. For example:
1:4e (The woman said to her beloved,) “Rightly do they love you.”
1:2a [There were a certain woman and man. She said to/about him,] “Let him kiss me…

Choose an option that fits your situation, and use it consistently throughout the book. You should also decide how you will refer to the speakers in the headings. Some ways to do that are:

woman, man, women (GNT)

beloved, lover, friends (NIV)

bride, groom, companions (REB)

she, he, others (ESV)

The woman often referred to the man as “my beloved” (RSV), and she also called him “the one whom my soul loves,” “the king,” and “my friend.” The man often referred to her as “my love” and also as “fairest among women,” “my dove,” “my sister,” “my bride,” and “queenly maiden.”

Paragraph 1:12–14 The woman replied to the man

In 1:12–14 the woman replied to what the man said in 1:9–11 about her beauty. Here in 1:12–14 she also admired him and indicated that she desired him. She mentioned the sweet fragrance that was present when they were together. In 1:12 it was the fragrance of the woman’s perfume that affected the man.A few Bible commentators (e.g., Fox and Murphy) think that “my nard” refers to the king. In other words, they view it as a metaphor describing the king, as in 1:13–14. However, 1:12 does not at all parallel the form of the two comparisons in verses 13–14. It seems more likely that nard in 1:12 refers to the woman’s perfume, not to the king himself.

In 1:13–14 the woman used two metaphors to compare the man with fragrances. The metaphors imply that the man delighted her like a wonderful fragrance. In these lines she probably imagined or dreamed about being with her beloved. She was probably not actually with him.

1:12a–b

While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance: The clause While the king was at his table (1:12a) tells where the king was while the scent of the woman’s perfume was in the air. In OT times, people reclined, or lay, on couches when they ate, so the REB has “While the king reclines on his couch.” Use natural verb forms in your language to describe this. Some ways to do this in English are:

While the king reclines on his couch, my spikenard gives forth its scent. (REB)

My king is sitting at his table, and the scent of my perfume is in the air.

1:12a

While the king was at his table,

My “king” sits at his table,

the king: In this context the woman used the word king as a poetic term of affection to refer to her beloved. He was not an actual king. It is good to translate the term here as you did in 1:4b. For example:

my chief

my king

at his table: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as table describes something round. The phrase at his table is more literally “in his circle/round.” Scholars differ about what the word “circle/round” refers to here:

It refers to a “couch.” For example:
his couch (REB) (CEV, ESV, NCV, NJPS, NLT, REB, RSV, GNT)
It refers to a “table.” For example:
his table (NIV) (BSB, GW, NASB, NET, NIV)
It refers to “an enclosure,” maybe to his room or to a different enclosed place. For example:
his own room (NJB) (NJB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), as most versions and scholars do. It is possible that the word is another way to refer to the same couch that is mentioned in 1:16c.

1:12b

my perfume spread its fragrance.

my nard spread its fragrance.
and the odor of my perfume fills the room/air.

my perfume spread its fragrance: The Hebrew word translated as perfume in the BSB, is more literally, “nard.” Nard refers to an expensive perfume imported from India. It had a beautiful fragrance, and it seemed to encourage sexual desire in that culture. The clause my perfume spread its fragrance indicates that the smell of the woman’s perfume spread through the air. Everyone around could smell it. Other ways to translate this are:

my perfume fills the air with its fragrance. (GW)

the smell/odor of my perfume spread throughout the room.

Describe the spreading fragrance of perfume in a way that is natural in your language. In some languages, it may be possible to translate the idea with an idiom that would fit the poetic style.

my perfume: The phrase my perfume refers here to a type of perfumed oil that the woman spread on her body. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

the perfume that I rubbed on my body

my expensive nard perfume

perfume: The word perfume refers here to perfumed oil that was made from the nard plant. This plant grows in the Himalaya mountains far away, so the nard oil was rare and expensive in Israel. For more information about the nard plant and a picture of it, see the note on perfume in 4:13c.

General Comment on 1:12

In some languages, a time clause does not occur first in the sentence. So the order of the two clauses in this verse may need to be reversed. For example: