SNG 2:9 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 Ὅμοιός ἐστιν ἀδελφιδός μου τῇ δορκάδι ἢ νεβρῷ ἐλάφων ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη Βαιθήλ· ἰδοὺ οὗτος ὀπίσω τοῦ τοίχου ἡμῶν, παρακύπτων διὰ τῶν θυρίδων, ἐκκύπτων διὰ τῶν δικτύων.
(Homoios estin adelfidos mou taʸ dorkadi aʸ nebrōi elafōn epi ta oraʸ Baithaʸl; idou houtos opisō tou toiⱪou haʸmōn, parakuptōn dia tōn thuridōn, ekkuptōn dia tōn diktuōn. )

BrTr My kinsman is like a roe or a young hart on the mountains of Bæthel: behold, he is behind our wall, looking through the windows, peeping through the lattices.

ULT My beloved is being like a gazelle or a young stag.
⇔ Behold, this one is standing behind our wall,
⇔ gazing through the windows,
⇔ looking through the lattices.

UST like a gazelle or a young male deer.
⇔ Look! There he is! He is standing outside the wall of our house,
⇔ peering in through the window,
⇔ and looking intently through the wooden strips inside the window frame.

OEB No OEB SNG book available

WEBBE My beloved is like a roe or a young deer.
⇔ Behold, he stands behind our wall!
⇔ He looks in at the windows.
⇔ He glances through the lattice.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag.
⇔ Look! There he stands behind our wall,
⇔ gazing through the window,
⇔ peering through the lattice.

LSV My beloved [is] like to a roe,
Or to a young one of the harts. Behold, this—he is standing behind our wall,
Looking from the windows,
Blooming from the lattice.

FBV my love is like a gazelle or a young deer! Look, he's there, standing behind our wall, looking through the window, peering through the screen.

T4T like [SIM] a deer or a gazelle.
⇔ Now he is standing outside the wall of our house,
⇔ looking in the window,
⇔ and peering through the ◄lattice/wooden strips inside the window frame►.

LEB • My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag .[fn] Look! He is[fn] standing behind our wall,
• gazing through[fn] the window,
• looking through[fn] the lattice.

2:? Literally “the fawn of the stag”

2:? Literally “This is he”

2:? Literally “from”

BBE My loved one is like a roe; see, he is on the other side of our wall, he is looking in at the windows, letting himself be seen through the spaces.

Moff There he stands behind our wall,
⇔ gazing through the window
⇔ glancing through the lattice!

JPS My beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart; behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh in through the windows, he peereth through the lattice.

ASV My beloved is like a roe or a young hart:
⇔ Behold, he standeth behind our wall;
⇔ He looketh in at the windows;
⇔ He glanceth through the lattice.

DRA My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart. Behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices.

YLT My beloved [is] like to a roe, Or to a young one of the harts. Lo, this — he is standing behind our wall, Looking from the windows, Blooming from the lattice.

Drby My beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart. Behold, he standeth behind our wall, He looketh in through the windows, Glancing through the lattice.

RV My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh in at the windows, he sheweth himself through the lattice.
(My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth/stands behind our wall, he looketh/looks in at the windows, he sheweth/shows himself through the lattice. )

SLT My beloved is like to the roe or to the fawn of the hinds: behold him standing behind our wall looking forth from the windows, glancing from the lattices.

Wbstr My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattice.

KJB-1769 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.[fn]
(My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth/stands behind our wall, he looketh/looks forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattice. )

2.9 shewing…: Heb. flourishing

KJB-1611 [fn]My beloued is like a Roe, or a yong Hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh foorth at the windowe, [fn]shewing himselfe through the lattesse.
(My beloved is like a Roe, or a young Hart: behold, he standeth/stands behind our wall, he looketh/looks forth at the window, showing himself through the lattice.)

2:9 Verse 17.

2:9 Heb. flourishing.

Bshps Me thinke I heare the voyce of my beloued: lo, there commeth he hopping vpon the mountaines, and leaping ouer the litle hilles.
(Me think I hear the voice of my beloved: lo, there cometh/comes he hopping upon the mountains, and leaping over the little hills.)

Gnva My welbeloued is like a roe, or a yong hart: loe, he standeth behinde our wall, looking forth of the windowes, shewing him selfe through the grates.
(My well-beloved is like a roe, or a young hart: lo, he standeth/stands behind our wall, looking forth of the windows, showing himself through the grates. )

Cvdl My beloued is like a Roo or a yonge hart. Beholde, he stondeth behynde or wall, he loketh in at the wyndowe, & pepeth thorow the grate.
(My beloved is like a Roe/Gazelle or a young hart. Behold, he standeth/stands behind or wall, he looketh/looks in at the window, and peepeth/peeps through the grate.)

Wycl My derlyng is lijk a capret, and a calf of hertis; lo! he stondith bihynde oure wal, and biholdith bi the wyndows, and lokith thorouy the latisis.
(My darling is like a she-goat, and a calf of hearts; lo! he standeth/stands behind our wall, and beholdeth/beholds by the windows, and looketh/looks through the lattice.)

Luth Mein Freund ist gleich einem Rehe oder jungen Hirsch. Siehe, er stehet hinter unserer Wand und siehet durchs Fenster und gucket durchs Gitter.
(My friend is even on roe/deer or young/youthful deer. See/Look, he stands behind ours wall and see/look through window and looks through lattice/grid.)

ClVg Similis est dilectus meus capreæ, hinnuloque cervorum. En ipse stat post parietem nostrum, respiciens per fenestras, prospiciens per cancellos.[fn]
(Similis it_is beloved mine goat, sing deer(sg). En exactly_that/himself stands after wall our, respiciens through the_windows, prospiciens through railings. )

2.9 Similis. Quia acute videt, et in altis montium habitat, velociter saltat. Unde et rarius a nobis videtur: semper ascendit a nativitate usque ad sinum patris. Similis. Et quamvis divinitate sua ita omnes transcendat, tamen factus est homo, pro me natus est de gentili et patriarcharum semine. In assumptione carnis et humanitate comparatur capreæ; in varietate virtutum et miraculorum hinnulo. Cervus flatu narium serpentem de cavernis extrahit, et superata pernicie veneni pabulo delectatur. Quoniam istis versiculis speculativæ vitæ sublimitas est expressa, restat activæ vitæ, quæ omni Ecclesiæ communis est, perfectionem ostendere. Unde sequitur. En ipse stat, etc. Post parietem. Paries, qui ab ejus aspectu nos seducit, mortalitatis conditio est, quam peccando meruimus, qui ita conditi sumus, ut si non peccaremus, omnes electi divinum lumen indefessi cerneremus: ad quod intuendum perpauci perfectiores, cum labore, fide purificati nunc pertingunt: sed in hoc pariete misericordia Dei fenestras et cancellos unde nos prospicere fecit, quia mentibus, quanquam oppressit, gratiam suæ cognitionis aperuit, et crebra nos suæ inspirationis luce respicit. Per cujus inspirationis prospectum, quia hoc maxime Deus agit, ut nos a temporalibus ad promerenda cœlestia provocet, recte subjungitur: En dilectus meus loquitur mihi, qui supra monuit filias Jerusalem ad custodiam meæ quietis: me ad colendas vineas mittit ostendens opportunitatem. Post parietem. Moraliter si feceris ædificationem tuam, Deus veniet post parietem tuum, prospiciens per fenestras, id est, per quinque sensus sollicite contuetur; ubi enim non prospicit sponsus, mors ascendit: unde Jeremias: Ecce mors ascendit per fenestras nostras Jer. 9.; per retia. Omnia retibus diaboli plena sunt, quibus capereris, nisi quia sponsus subjecit se retibus mundi qui eminenter, et conscindens viam faceret, ut dicas: Anima nostra sicut passer erepta est de laqueo venantium Psal. 123.. Per fenestras. Sicut sol intrans per fenestras illuminat domum, ita Christus exemplo et admonitione apostolorum nos illuminavit. Sicut per cancellos, id est, per parva foramina parva lux intrat, sic obscura cognitio per prophetas.

2.9 Similis. Because acute he_sees, and in/into/on high mountains he_lives, quickly saltat. From_where/who and rarius from us it_seems: always went_up from birth until to pocket of_the_father. Similis. And although/however divinity his_own so/thus everyone transcendat, nevertheless became it_is human, for me born it_is from/about nationli and patriarchs with_seed. In assumptione of_flesh and humanitate is_compared goat; in/into/on variety virtues and miraclerum hinnulo. Cervus flatu narium snake from/about cavernis outsidehit, and overcomesa pernicie veneni pabulo is_delighted. Since to_these versiculis watchtowertivæ of_life sublimity/loftiness it_is expressa, remains activæ of_life, which all Assemblies/Churches common it_is, perfection to_show. From_where/who follows. En exactly_that/himself stands, etc. After wall. Paries, who/which away his by_sight us seducit, mortalitatis conditio it_is, how by_sinning meruimus, who/which so/thus conditi we_are, as when/but_if not/no to_sinmus, everyone chosen divine the_light indefessi cerneremus: to that intuendum perpauci perfectiores, when/with with_hard_work, with_faith purificati now pertingunt: but in/into/on this pariete mercy of_God the_windows and railings from_where/who us prospicere he_did, because minds, quanquam oppressed, grace his/her_own knowledge opened, and crebra us his/her_own inspirationis light looks_back. Per whose inspirationis prospectum, because this especially/most God acts, as us from temporal to promerenda heaven provocet, correctly/straight subjoinsur: En beloved mine speaks to_me, who/which above warned daughters Yerusalem to custody my quiet: me to colendas vineyards sends showing opportunitatem. After wall. Moraliter when/but_if you_did buildsionem your(sg), God will_come after wall your(sg), prospiciens through the_windows, that it_is, through five sense carefully contuetur; where because not/no prospicit groom, death went_up: from_where/who Yeremias: Behold death went_up through the_windows ours Yer. 9.; through net. Everything retibus devils full are, to_whom to_catchris, except because groom subyecit himself retibus world who/which eminenter, and conscindens way/road would_do, as say: Soul our like sparrow erepta it_is from/about trap hunters Psal. 123.. Per the_windows. Like the_sun insidens through the_windows illuminates house/home, so/thus Christ/Messiah example and admonitione of_the_apostles us illuminated. Like through railings, that it_is, through small foramina small light enters, so dark knowledge through a_prophets.

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:8–3:5: The man called the woman, but later she could not find him

The author began this scene at a different place and time from the ending of the preceding section (1:1–2:7). At the end of that section, the woman and man were together, but at the beginning of this section (2:8) the woman was in her room at home, and the man was coming to her over the hills.

There are two poems in Section 2:8–3:5. In the first poem (2:8–17) the man came and stood outside the woman’s room. She quoted what he said as he invited her to come out with him and enjoy a beautiful spring day. The second poem (3:1–5) describes a time when the woman searched for her beloved at night. This second poem has much in common with Section 5:2–6:3. See the discussion of similarities at the beginning of that section.

Both parts of this section (2:8–17 and 3:1–5) may describe what the woman imagined or what she dreamed. The descriptions may not refer to actual events in the poem.

Paragraph 2:8–17

This beautiful poem (2:8–17) describes springtime. In springtime, new plants begin to grow, flowers bloom, and fruit trees begin to blossom. In these lines springtime symbolizes that love was growing between the woman and the man. The woman first spoke to herself, but then she quoted the man as he invited her to come out of her house and go away with him.

This poem begins and ends in a similar way. At the beginning (2:8–9) the man came to the woman over the mountains like a gazelle or stag. At the end (2:17) he again roamed on the mountains like a gazelle or stag.

In these lines the woman spoke. However, from 2:10b through 2:14 she quoted what the man said. Then she continued speaking in 2:15–17.

2:9a

My beloved is like a gazelle

My true love is a gazelle,
My love reminds me of a beautiful deer,

2:9b

or a young stag.

he is a young stag.
a strong, young deer.

2:9a–b

In this clause the woman continued the comparison that she began in 2:8c. In 2:9 she mentioned two animals that her beloved was like. In some languages it may be helpful to mention the animals earlier in 2:8. See the General Comment on 2:8–9 after the notes on 2:9c for an example.

My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag: Here the author used a simile to compare the man to a gazelle and a young stag. The man moved fast and gracefully like a gazelle and a stag move. In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit how the man was like a gazelle or stag. For example:

My beloved is as fast/strong and graceful as a gazelle, as a young stag.

In other languages it may be more natural to use a metaphor. For example:

My love is a gazelle, a wild stag.Bloch and Bloch, page 59.

a gazelle or a young stag: The words gazelle and stag refer to two animals that belong to the antelope family. A stag is a male deer. The female deer, called a “doe,” was mentioned in 2:7. Gazelles and stags are fast, graceful, and beautiful. If two similar animals like these are unknown in your area, you can compare the man to one animal with these characteristics. For example:

My beloved is like a young deer.

In some cultures there are no animals like the gazelle and stag. If that is true in your language, some ways to translate the words are:

Use a general word that refers to a graceful animal that runs and jumps on rocky hillsides. For example:
like a fast-moving, beautiful animal
like an animal that is swift and beautiful
Use a loan word from the national language with a descriptive word. For example:
a graceful gazelle
Substitute an animal with similar characteristics that is known in your area. It should also fit the joyful tone that the woman used to describe the man. Some dangerous animals (like lions) are fast and graceful, but they would not fit this context.Similar advice is given in A Handbook on the Song of Songs, Ogden and Zogbo, page 69.

Gazelles were also mentioned in 2:7b, but their specific characteristics were not in focus.

or a young stag: There is an ellipsis in the phrase or a young stag. The full form is:

or he is like a young stag.

The word or introduces an animal that is similar to the gazelle in 2:8. The woman implied that her beloved was like both a deer and a young stag. Comparing him to both of these animals emphasizes the comparison. Other ways to connect 2:9a and 2:9b are:

like a gazelle, like a young stag (GNT)

like a deer, a beautiful deer

2:9c

Look, he stands behind our wall,

Look! He is standing there on the other side of my wall.
There he stands outside our^(excl) family home!

Look, he stands behind our wall: In this clause the woman was excited and joyful that her beloved was there, standing near the wall of her house. She emphasized this excitement by using the word Look. Some other ways to translate her excitement are:

Behold, there he stands behind our wall. (RSV)

There he is standing behind our wall!

The phrase Look, he stands is similar to “Look! Here he comes” in 2:8b. It is good to translate these two phrases in a similar way. That emphasizes the contrast between the man’s leaping on the hills as he comes to the woman (2:8b–d) and his quiet waiting as he stands by her window (2:9d–e).

he stands behind our wall: Here the woman continued to compare the man to a gazelle or stag. She thought of him and the gazelle/stag at the same time.

In some languages it may be difficult to refer to both a man and a deer in the same way (as English does with the pronoun he). If you must choose to refer either to the man or the deer, it is better to refer to the man. It is he who stood outside and invited the woman to come with him. For example:

There my beloved stands behind our wall

behind our wall: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as wall occurs only here in the Old Testament. It probably refers to a wall of the house rather than to a courtyard wall. The phrase behind our wall indicates that the man was outside the house near one of its walls. The woman was inside the house. In 2:9d–e the man spoke to her from outside the wall of the house near her window. The house was probably her family’s home.

Some other ways to translate behind our wall are:

outside the wall of our^(excl) house

beside the house wall

The wall probably refers to a wall in her family’s home. Be careful not to imply that the house belonged to the man and woman. In some languages it may be necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

the wall of my family home

General Comment on 2:8–9

In 2:8–9 the woman compared her beloved to a gazelle or young stag. However, she did not mention those animals until verse 9. In some languages it is clearer to introduce the animals in verse 8. One way to do this is to combine 2:8–9 and move 2:9a–b before 2:8c–d. For example:

^8aListen! My beloved approaches. ^9aMy beloved is like a gazelle ^9bor a young stag. ^8bLook! Here he comes

^8cleaping upon the mountains,

^8dbounding over the hills.

2:9d–e

There is parallelism in 2:9d and 2:9e:

^9d gazing through the windows,

^9e peering through the lattice.

The lines have similar meanings. The parallel parts are marked in similar ways. In some languages it may be more natural to express the meaning only once. For example:

^9d-elooking in through the window

windows…lattice: The Hebrew words that the BSB translates as windows and lattice (2:9e) are both plural in Hebrew. There are at least two ways to interpret these plural forms:

It is a special use of the plural form in Hebrew, and it should be translated as singular.This use of the plural is called “the plural of generalization.” For example:
He looks in at the window, (NJB)
he peers through the opening. (GNT, CEV, GW, NJB, NET, NLT)
It indicates that the man was moving around the house looking into different windows and lattices. He was trying to see the woman. For example:
peeking through the windows, (NCV)
looking through the blinds. (BSB, NCV, RSV, ESV, NIV, NASB, REB, KJV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The text says that the man was standing there. It does not indicate that he was moving from one window to another. However, both (1) and (2) have support from versions and commentaries, and either is acceptable.

Since the BSB follows interpretation (2), the Notes will use the NET as the source line for 2:9d.

2:9d

gazing through the windows,

He peers into the window
He stares through the window

(NET) gazing through the window: The phrase gazing through the window indicates that the man was looking through the window into the house. The author had just compared the man to a gazelle or stag, so readers can imagine either the man or a curious gazelle or stag standing beside the window.

The man looked into the window to attract the woman’s attention. He wanted to invite her to come outside and be with him. There was nothing improper in his actions.

(NET) gazing: The Hebrew word that the NET translates as gazing means “staring at” or “looking at intently.” The man stood outside the house and looked through the window into the inside of the house.See Bloch & Bloch, page 154, “When windows, doors, holes, gaps, etc. are involved, min acquires a secondary sense of ‘through.’ ” He hoped to see the woman there.

2:9e

peering through the lattice.

and looks through the openings in the window covering.
to see into the house.

peering through the lattice: This phrase has almost the same meaning as 2:9d. For a suggestion on combining these parts of the verse, see the General Comment on 2:9d–e at the end of the notes for 2:9e.

peering: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as peering occurs only here in the Old Testament. It means “to gaze” or “to peer.” It has almost the same meaning as “gazing” in 2:9d. The Hebrew verb form implies that the man was peering through the window as the woman spoke.

lattice: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as lattice occurs only here in the OT. A lattice is a small framed opening in the wall. It has almost the same meaning as windows in 2:9d. Sometimes, a lattice had small wooden bars across it to make it stronger.

General Comment on 2:9d–e

The lines in 2:9d–e have similar meanings. In some languages it may be more natural to combine the two parallel lines into one line. For example, the CEV says:

Now he stands outside our wall, (2:9c)

looking in through the window (2:9d–e)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-unknown

לִ⁠צְבִ֔י

(to)_a,gazelle

See how you translated the plural form, “gazelles,” in [2:7](../02/07.md); then translate this word as the singular form of “gazelles.”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

הָֽ⁠אַיָּלִ֑ים

of,the_deer(s)

The writer assumes that the readers will understand that a stag is an adult male deer. You could include this information if it would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [adult male deer]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הִנֵּה

see/lo/see!

See how you translated the word Behold in [1:15](../01/15.md) where it occurs with the same meaning.

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

זֶ֤ה

this

Here the phrase this one refers to the man whom the woman calls My beloved in the first part of this verse. If this is not clear for your readers, you could specify the person here. Alternate translation: [this man] or [my beloved]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

אַחַ֣ר כָּתְלֵ֔⁠נוּ

after wall_of,our

Here the word our refers to the woman and her family and does not include the man, so use the exclusive form of that word in your translation if your language marks that distinction. Alternate translation: [behind the wall of my house] or [on the other side of the wall of my family’s house]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

מַשְׁגִּ֨יחַ֙ מִן־הַֽ⁠חֲלֹּנ֔וֹת מֵצִ֖יץ מִן־הַֽ⁠חֲרַכִּֽים

gazing from/more_than the,windows peering from/more_than the,lattices

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. Hebrew poetry was based on this kind of repetition, and it would be good to show this to your readers by including both phrases in your translation rather than combining them. However, if it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the phrases with a word other than “and” in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: [gazing through the windows, yes, looking through the lattices]

Note 7 topic: translate-plural

הַֽ⁠חֲלֹּנ֔וֹת & הַֽ⁠חֲרַכִּֽים

the,windows & the,lattices

Here the words windows and lattices are plural forms and could: (1) have a plural meaning here, indicating that the man was walking around the house and looking into the house through different windows and lattices. (2) be used with singular meanings here, indicating the multiple openings of a single window and lattice. Alternate translation: [the window … the lattice]

Note 8 topic: translate-unknown

הַֽ⁠חֲרַכִּֽים

the,lattices

The lattices are vertical and horizontal strips found inside a window frame. They have spaces between them through which a person could look. If your readers would not be familiar with lattices, you could use the name of something similar in your area, or you could use the wording of the UST. Alternate translation: [the screen]

Parallel SNG 2:9