SNG 2:6 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=none 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 Εὐώνυμος αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὴν κεφαλήν μου, καὶ ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτοῦ περιλήψεταί με.
(Euōnumos autou hupo taʸn kefalaʸn mou, kai haʸ dexia autou perilaʸpsetai me. )

BrTr His left hand shall be under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me.

UST The man whom I love has placed his left arm under my head,
⇔ and he holds me close with his right arm.

OEB No OEB SNG book available

CSB May his left hand be under my head, and his right arm embrace me.

NLT His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.

NIV His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.

CEV Put your left hand under my head and embrace me with your right arm.

ESV His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me!

NASB “Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me.”

LSB Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me.”

WEBBE His left hand is under my head.
⇔ His right hand embraces me.

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(5-6)Oh! Give me something refreshing to eat—and quickly!
Apricots, raisins—anything. I’m about to faint with love!
His left hand cradles my head,
and his right arm encircles my waist!

NET His left hand caresses my head,
⇔ and his right hand stimulates me.

LSV His left hand [is] under my head,
And his right embraces me.

FBV He supports my head with his left hand, and holds me close with his right.

T4T Put your left arm under my head
⇔ and with your right arm hold me close.

LEB • His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces[fn] me.

2:? Or “would embrace me”

NRSV O that his left hand were under my head, and that his right hand embraced me!

NKJV His left hand is under my head, And his right hand embraces me.

NAB His left hand is under my head and his right arm embraces me.

BBE His left hand is under my head, and his right hand is round about me.

Moff Let his left hand caress my head,
⇔ let his right hand embrace me.

JPS Let his left hand be under my head, and his right hand embrace me.

ASV His left hand is under my head,
⇔ And his right hand doth embrace me.

DRA His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me.

YLT His left hand [is] under my head, And his right doth embrace me.

Drby His left hand is under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me.

RV His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
(His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth/does embrace me. )

SLT His left hand is under my head, and his right shall embrace me.

Wbstr His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.

KJB-1769 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
(His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth/does embrace me. )

KJB-1611 His left hand is vnder my head, and his right hand doeth imbrace me.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps Set about me cuppes of wine, comfort me with apples, for I am sicke of loue.
(Set about me cups of wine, comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love.)

Gnva His left hande is vnder mine head, and his right hand doeth imbrace me.
(His left hand is under mine head, and his right hand doth/does embrace me. )

Cvdl His left hade lyeth vnder my heade, & his right hande enbraceth me.
(His left hand lieth/lies under my head, and his right hand embraceth/embraces me.)

Wycl His left hond is vndur myn heed; and his riyt hond schal biclippe me.
(His left hand is under mine heed; and his right hand shall biclippe me.)

Luth Seine Linke liegt unter meinem Haupte, und seine Rechte herzet mich.
(His left_(hand) lies(v) under my heade, and his law/right embrace me.)

ClVg Læva ejus sub capite meo, et dextera illius amplexabitur me.[fn]
(Left_hand his under head mine, and right_hand of_that will_be_embraced me. )

2.6 Læva ejus. Noli aliunde capiti requiem quærere; si enim lævam ejus habueris, omnia tibi, quæ mea sunt tribuentur. Læva ejus sub capite meo. Cum corda fidelium in hac vita, per sacramentorum participationem, per pignus Spiritus, per Scripturarum solatia confortantur: quæ et ad subsidium peregrinationis dat Deus: dextera amplexabitur, cum post hanc vitam cœlestia præmia accipiemus. Læva id est, præsens vita, et temporalia Dei dona, dum per spem mentem roborat, est sub capite ad consolationem data: et dextera, id est æterna vita amplexabitur, sicut protegens, quando per remunerationem nos glorificabit. Quasi: Temporalia Dei beneficia quo a mundi cupiditatibus et perturbationibus aliquantulum quiescere queam adjuvant in hoc loco peregrinationis, et æternorum promissio amplius delectat.

2.6 Left_hand his. Don't aliunde to_the_head rest/repose to_seek/search_for; when/but_if because lævam his habueris, everything to_you, which my are tribuentur. Left_hand his under head mine. Since hearts faithful in/into/on this_way life, through sacramentrum participationem, through pledge Spirit, through Scripturarum alonetia confortantur: which and to support(n) of_pilgrimage gives God: right_hand will_be_embraced, when/with after this life heaven prizes be_acceptedemus. Left_hand that it_is, present life, and temporal_(things) of_God dona, while through hope mind roborat, it_is under head to consolation data: and right_hand, that it_is eternal life will_be_embraced, like protegens, when through remunerationem us glorificabit. Quasi: Temporalia of_God benefits where from world cupiditatibus and perturbationibus somentulum to_rest queam assisted in/into/on this instead of_pilgrimage, and eternalrum promise more delights.

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 2:1–7 The man and woman praised each other

Lines 2:1–7 are the end of the first poetic section in the Song. In them, the man and woman praised each other. He brought her to his banquet room and embraced her. In 2:7 she cautioned the women of Jerusalem not to awaken love before the right time.

2:6–7

These two verses are a refrain that is repeated in 8:3–4.

2:6a

His left hand is under my head,

His left hand is under my head,
The left arm of my love is a pillow for my head,

2:6b

and his right arm embraces me.

and he uses his right arm to embrace me.
and with his right arm he holds me close to him.

2:6a–b

His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me: In Hebrew this verse is more literally, “his left hand under my head and his right hand embraces me.” The Hebrew clause in 2:6a does not have a verb. Scholars interpret this verse in different ways:

The woman described what the man was doing. He was embracing her. For example:
His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me. (NIV) (BSB, ESV, GW, NAB, NET, NIV, NJB, NLT, REB, GNT, NJPS)
The woman wished or requested that the man would embrace her. For example:
O that his left hand were under my head and his right hand embraced me! (NRSV)
Put your left hand under my head and embrace me with your right arm. (CEV) (CEV, NASB, NRSV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

His…his: In this verse the pronoun his refers to the man whom the woman loved. In some languages it may be more natural to make this explicit. For example:

my love

left hand…right arm: In Hebrew there is a word that means “left hand/arm” and a different word that means “right hand/arm.” Both words refer to either a person’s hand or his whole arm (from shoulder to fingertips).

Use an appropriate word to refer to the part of the hand or arm that would be used in this context. In some languages different words may be needed in 2:6a and 2:6b. For example:

^6aMy lover’s left hand is under my head, ^6band his right arm holds me tight. (NCV)

His left hand…under my head: This clause probably indicates that the man supported the woman’s head with his left arm as she lay in his arms. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

His left arm/hand is the place where I rest my head

His left arm pillows my head

his right arm embraces me: The word that the BSB translates as embraces can refer generally to any embrace or specifically to a sexual caress. Most English versions translate it in the general way. Use an appropriate expression in your language. Some other ways to translate it are:

his right arm is round me. (REB)