SNG 4:11 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 Κηρίον ἀποστάζουσι χείλη σου νύμφη· μέλι καὶ γάλα ὑπὸ τὴν γλῶσσάν σου· καὶ ὀσμὴ ἱματίων σου, ὡς ὀσμὴ Λιβάνου.
(Kaʸrion apostazousi ⱪeilaʸ sou numfaʸ; meli kai gala hupo taʸn glōssan sou; kai osmaʸ himatiōn sou, hōs osmaʸ Libanou. )

BrTr Thy lips drop honeycomb, my spouse: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is as the smell of Libanus.

ULT Your lips drip with nectar, my bride;
⇔ honey and milk are under your tongue
⇔ and the smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

UST When you kiss me, my bride, it is as delightful as eating honey.
⇔ Your kisses are as sweet as milk mixed with honey.
⇔ The aroma of your clothes
⇔ is like the aroma of cedar trees in Lebanon.

OEB No OEB SNG book available

WEBBE Your lips, my bride, drip like the honeycomb.
⇔ Honey and milk are under your tongue.
⇔ The smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(8-15)Come with me from Lebanon, my bride.
  Leave Lebanon behind, and come.
Leave your high mountain hideaway.
  Abandon your wilderness seclusion,
Where you keep company with lions
  and panthers guard your safety.
You’ve captured my heart, dear friend.
  You looked at me, and I fell in love.
  One look my way and I was hopelessly in love!
How beautiful your love, dear, dear friend—
  far more pleasing than a fine, rare wine,
  your fragrance more exotic than select spices.
The kisses of your lips are honey, my love,
  every syllable you speak a delicacy to savor.
Your clothes smell like the wild outdoors,
  the fresh scent of high mountains.
Dear lover and friend, you’re a secret garden,
  a private and pure fountain.
Body and soul, you are paradise,
  a whole orchard of succulent fruits—
Ripe apricots and peaches,
  oranges and pears;
Nut trees and cinnamon,
  and all scented woods;
Mint and lavender,
  and all herbs aromatic;
A garden fountain, sparkling and splashing,
  fed by spring waters from the Lebanon mountains.

NET Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride,
⇔ honey and milk are under your tongue.
⇔ The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

LSV Your lips drop honey, O spouse,
Honey and milk [are] under your tongue,
And the fragrance of your garments
[Is] as the fragrance of Lebanon.

FBV Nectar drips from your lips; milk and honey are under your tongue. The smell of your clothes is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

T4T Being kissed by you is as enjoyable as eating [MTY] honey;
⇔ your kisses are as sweet as milk mixed with honey.
⇔ The aroma of your clothes
⇔ is like [SIM] the aroma of cedar trees in Lebanon.

LEB • Your lips drip nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your lips;
• the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon.

BBE Your lips are dropping honey; honey and milk are under your tongue; and the smell of your clothing is like the smell of Lebanon.

Moff Your lips drop honey, my bride,
⇔ your whispers are honey and milk;
⇔ the scent of your robes is as scent of Lebanon,

JPS Thy lips, O my bride, drop honey — honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

ASV Thy lips, O my bride, drop as the honeycomb:
⇔ Honey and milk are under thy tongue;
⇔ And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

DRA Thy lips, my spouse, are as a dropping honeycomb, honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments, as the smell of frankincense.

YLT Thy lips drop honey, O spouse, Honey and milk [are] under thy tongue, And the fragrance of thy garments [Is] as the fragrance of Lebanon.

Drby Thy lips, [my] spouse, drop [as] the honeycomb; Honey and milk are under thy tongue; And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

RV Thy lips, O my bride, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.
(Thy/Your lips, Oh my bride, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy/your tongue; and the smell of thy/your garments is like the smell of Lebanon. )

SLT Thy lips will drop honey droppings, O bride: honey and milk under thy tongue, and the odor of thy garments as the odor of Lebanon.

Wbstr Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honey-comb; honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

KJB-1769 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.
(Thy/Your lips, Oh my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy/your tongue; and the smell of thy/your garments is like the smell of Lebanon. )

KJB-1611 Thy lips, O my spouse! drop as the hony combe: hony and milke are vnder thy tongue, and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Thy lippes, O my spouse, drop as the hony combe, yea mylke and hony is vnder thy tongue, and the smell of thy garmentes is like the smell of Libanus.
(Thy/Your lips, Oh my spouse, drop as the honeycomb, yea milk and honey is under thy/your tongue, and the smell of thy/your garments is like the smell of Libanus.)

Gnva Thy lippes, my spouse, droppe as honie combes: honie and milke are vnder thy tongue, and the sauoure of thy garments is as the sauoure of Lebanon.
(Thy/Your lips, my spouse, drop as honeycombs: honey and milk are under thy/your tongue, and the savour of thy/your garments is as the savour of Lebanon. )

Cvdl Thy lippes (o my spouse) droppe as the hony combe, yee mylck and hony is vnder thy tonge, and the smell of thy garmentes is like the smell of frankynsense.
(Thy/Your lips (o my spouse) drop as the honeycomb, ye/you_all milk and honey is under thy/your tongue, and the smell of thy/your garments is like the smell of frankincense.)

Wycl Spousesse, thi lippis ben an hony coomb droppynge; hony and mylk ben vndur thi tunge, and the odour of thi clothis is as the odour of encence.
(Spousesse, thy/your lips been an honeycomb dropping; honey and milk been under thy/your tongue, and the odour of thy/your clothes is as the odour of incense.)

Luth Deine Lippen, meine Braut, sind wie triefender Honigseim, Honig und Milch ist unter deiner Zunge, und deiner Kleider Geruch ist wie der Geruch Libanons.
(Your lips, my bride, are as/like dripping/oozingder honeycomb, honey and milk is under your(s) tongue, and your(s) clothes odour is as/like the/of_the odour Lebanons.)

ClVg Favus distillans labia tua, sponsa; mel et lac sub lingua tua: et odor vestimentorum tuorum sicut odor thuris.[fn]
(Honeycomb dripping lips your, bride; honey and milk under tongue/language your: and smell clothes yours like smell incenses. )

4.11 Favus distillans. Superius per labia, doctores, hic per labia ipsa vox doctorum. Unde et melli congrue comparantur. Favus, mel in cera. Mel in cera est spiritualis eloquiorum sensus divinorum in littera distillans, quia pene singulæ sententiæ multos habent sensus. Vel aliter: In favo mel latet, cera videtur: labia ergo favus vocantur, quia dum in carnis fragilitate sapientia magna habetur, quasi mel in cera absconditur. Mel et lac sub lingua. GREG. Tanta est spiritualis dulcedo in verbis, quanta corporalis est in melle et lacte: et hoc sub lingua, id est, non cuilibet patens, sed tantum bonis. Qui peccantem aspere corripit et inter aspera dulcedinis quiddam admiscet, habet mel, non in lingua, sed sub lingua. Odor vestimentorum. Id est fama bonorum operum, quibus vestiuntur, ne nudi inveniantur, et quibus turpitudo præcedentium delictorum operitur, est sicut thus, quia in omnibus operibus suis orat, cum bene operatur, cum intentione perveniendi ad Deum, unde: Sine intermissione orate I Thess. 5.. Supra nomine unguentorum, infusio sancti Spiritus ostenditur, quibus corda fidelium illustrantur et ad spirituale certamen præparantur: Vocabulo vestimentorum, facta justorum notantur, quæ foris sunt. Unde et pulchra distinctione, quæ per homines fiunt opera, thuri comparantur; quæ vero divina largitione fiunt dona, modum comparationis excedunt. Consulte postquam singula Ecclesiæ membra Dominus sigillatim prædicavit, etiam unguenta quibus tota esset delibuta, digna laude commendat. Nulla sunt quippe membra, vel magna vel parva quæ non hujus unctionis spiritualis sint infusione consecrata. Laudavit et vestimenta, id est opera justitiæ, quia et hic omne corpus ejus ornatur. Nemo quippe in ea vitam meretur, nisi operibus justis indutus, quæ vel ipse fecit, vel si infans erat, alii pro eo fecerunt, et in illo.

4.11 Honeycomb dripping. Above through lips, teachers, this/here through lips herself voice of_teachers. From_where/who and melli congrue are_compared. Honeycomb, honey in/into/on cera. Mel in/into/on cera it_is spiritual eloquiorum sense divine in/into/on letter dripping, because almost/nearly singulæ sentences many they_have sense. Or otherwise: In favo honey latet, cera it_seems: lips therefore honeycomb are_called, because while in/into/on of_flesh fragilitate wisdom big is_held, as_if honey in/into/on cera hidur. Mel and milk under tongue/language. GREG. Tanta it_is spiritual sweet/pleasantlydo in/into/on with_words, how_much bodilys it_is in/into/on honey and milk: and this under tongue/language, that it_is, not/no to_anyone patens, but only good. Who peccantem aspere reprimands and between rough sweet/pleasantlydinis quiddam admiscet, has honey, not/no in/into/on tongue/language, but under tongue/language. Odor clothes. That it_is fame of_goods works, to_whom vestiuntur, not nudi I_foundantur, and to_whom ugliness they_will_precedeium I_sinrum coversur, it_is like thus, because in/into/on to_all works to_his_own prays, when/with well works, when/with intention perveniendi to God, from_where/who: Sine intermissione pray I Thess. 5.. Above by_name of_perfumes, infusio holy Spirit is_shown, to_whom hearts faithful illustrantur and to spiritual certamen beforeparantur: Callbulo clothes, facts of_the_righteous notentur, which outside are. From_where/who and beautiful distinctione, which through people/men are_made works, incense are_compared; which indeed/however divine largitione are_made dona, way comparisons excedunt. Consulte after each Assemblies/Churches members Master sigillatim preached, also unguenta to_whom the_whole was delibuta, worthy praise recommends. Nulla are indeed/sure membra, or big or small which not/no of_this anointing spiritual let_them_be infusione consecrata. Praisevit and clothes, that it_is works justice, because and this/here everything body his ornatur. Nobody indeed/sure in/into/on them life deserves, except works just dressed, which or exactly_that/himself he_did, or when/but_if infans was, others for by_him they_did, and in/into/on that/there.

SOTN SIL Open Translation Notes:

Section 3:6–5:1: The man and woman married and the man praised her

In 3:6 a new section begins. The author indicates this by several obvious changes from (3:1–5):

The scene changes from a nighttime dream to a public daytime event.
There is a change of speaker.
The search theme in the preceding verses changes to a wedding theme in this section.
The mood changes from anxious searching to joyful celebration.

In this section the author describes the couple’s wedding day. The section has several parts:

3:6–11 The man and woman came to their wedding in a grand procession

4:1–15 The man described his beautiful bride

4:16–5:1 The man and woman consummated their marriage

Paragraph 4:8–15 The man called his bride from Lebanon; and compared her to a private garden

In these lines the man continued to use figurative language to praise his bride (4:8–15). First, he spoke to her as if he and she were in Lebanon. Lebanon is a region north of Israel. It is far from Jerusalem (Zion), where they celebrated their wedding. In Lebanon the rugged mountains and wild animals make it dangerous for people to travel. The man calling the woman from Lebanon symbolizes that he thought the woman was wonderful and mysterious (like Lebanon), but perhaps she was reluctant to fully surrender herself to him. She seemed beyond his reach, as though she was up in the mountains, guarded by wild animals. Because he loved her, he was gentle as he wooed her, preparing her to surrender herself to him.

As you translate these lines, it is important to remember that the author used figurative language. The woman was not actually in Lebanon, and the man did not refer to a real journey from there. The garden descriptions in 4:12–15 are also figurative. They do not describe an actual garden.

Several poetic themes help to unify 4:8–15 and 4:16–5:1:

Lebanon (4:8, 11, 15): In the OT, Lebanon is often portrayed as a remote, beautiful, and fragrant place with mountains and cedar forests. (For example, see Psalm 72:16; Isaiah 35:2; 60:13; and Hosea 14:5–7.)
fragrances (4:10–11, 13–14, 16, 5:1, and maybe implied in 4:8)Lebanon was especially known for its fragrant cedar trees. So fragrance is probably implied in 4:8.
tastes (4:10–11, 13–14, 16, 5:1)
the garden metaphor (especially in focus in 4:12–5:1)

The context of 4:8–5:1, as well as 3:6–4:7, is probably the day of the couple’s wedding. In 5:1, the women of Jerusalem encouraged them to consummate their love as husband and wife.

4:11a

Your lips, my bride, drip sweetness like the honeycomb;

Your lips are as sweet as wild honey, my bride.
My bride, your kisses are like honey.

Your lips, my bride, drip sweetness like the honeycomb: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as drip has several meanings. Here it means “to drip” or “to drop.” Literally, it indicates that sweet nectar dripped from the bride’s lips. Figuratively, it indicates that the bride’s kisses were very sweet. Some other ways to translate the meaning are:

Your lips are as sweet as nectar, my bride. (NLT)

The taste of honey is on your lips, my darling; (GNT)

Your lips, my bride, drip sweetness: The phrase Your lips…drip sweetness is a metaphor that describes how “sweet” the bride’s kisses are.Some scholars interpret 4:11a–b as referring to the bride’s sweet words. Pope (page 484) says, “…the preferred reference is to friendly and sweet conversation. This seems plausible in the light of Proverbs 5:3 and the use of the verb…elsewhere for speech.” However, the context focuses on sensory experience. The man meant that her kisses gave him great pleasure. Some ways to translate the metaphor are:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
My bride, your lips drip honey (NCV)
Your lips are a honeycomb (CEV)
Use a simile. For example:
Your lips, my bride, are as sweet as honey. (NLT96)
Your lips taste like honey
Translate the meaning without a figure of speech. For example:
Your lips/kisses are wonderfully sweet.

Your lips: The phrase Your lips is probably a figure of speech that uses lips to represent kisses. Some ways to translate this figure of speech are:

When I kiss you

Your lips/kisses

my bride: For information on how to translate my bride, see the notes on 4:8a–b.

drip sweetness: The words drip sweetness are a figure of speech. Since the woman’s “lips” refer figuratively to kisses here, the phrase drip sweetness indicates that the woman’s kisses gave the man great pleasure

sweetness: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as sweetness refers specifically to “honey” or to a “honeycomb.” It does not refer to the nectar of flowers. However, if honey is unknown in your area, you may use a word that refers to the nectar of flowers.

4:11b

honey and milk are under your tongue,

There is a sweetness of honey and milk under your tongue.
Your kisses/mouth tastes like the sweetest honey and the richest/creamiest milk.

This part of the verse is parallel to 4:11a and has a similar meaning.

honey and milk are under your tongue: The phrase honey and milk are under your tongue is a metaphor. It indicates that the woman’s mouth was delightful. As with “lips” in 4:11a, the phrase under your tongue refers to the sweetness and pleasure that the woman’s kisses gave the man. It probably does not refer to her sweet speech, and it does not indicate that she was literally holding honey and milk in her mouth.

Honey and milk were luxury items. Here they imply that the woman’s love was an experience of luxurious delight.

Some ways to translate the metaphor are:

Use a metaphor. For example:
Your tongue is milk and honey for me. (GNT)
Use a simile. For example:
Your mouth is as delightful as milk and honey.
Your tongue is like milk and honey.
Translate the meaning more directly. For example:
Your mouth is full of delights.

Translate the meaning in a natural way in your language.

honey and milk: In other parts of the OT the phrase “milk and honey” was used to describe the land of Israel as a fruitful place with abundant food. Here in the Song the word order is changed to honey and milk. These terms were also used in other love poetry of the Near East to express the joy and beauty of love. See the preceding note for translation examples.

honey: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as honey is a general word that refers to sweet substances. These substances can be added to food to make it sweeter. These sweeteners include bees’ honey from honeycombs as well as date or grape syrups. Use an appropriate word in your language.

4:11c

and the fragrance of your garments is like the aroma of Lebanon.

The scent of your clothing is like the pleasing scents of Lebanon.
Your clothes smell like the sweet fragrance of Lebanon.

the fragrance of your garments is like the aroma of Lebanon: Here the man compared the fragrance of the woman’s clothing to the pleasant scent of the region of Lebanon. Lebanon was famous for its cedar trees, so some scholars think the fragrance refers to the fragrance of the cedar trees. Others think that it refers more generally to the many pleasing scents of Lebanon.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

Use a general way in your language to refer to a pleasant smell. For example:
Your clothes smell sweet/good like the region of Lebanon.
Use a more specific comparison that refers to the mountains or cedars of Lebanon. For example:
Your clothes smell like the cedars of Lebanon. (NCV)
The scent of your clothing is like that of the mountains and the cedars of Lebanon.

Choose a comparison that is pleasing in your language.

Lebanon: The land of Lebanon represented what was beautiful and fragrant. It was especially famous for its fragrant cedar trees. Refer to the notes on Lebanon in 4:8a–b and 4:8b for more information. It is important to notice the fragrance theme that is prominent throughout the Song.

garments: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as garments refers in general to clothing. It is good to use a general term in your language. For example:

clothing

clothes

like the aroma of Lebanon: The region of Lebanon is mentioned several times in 4:8–15. It forms a poetic Lebanon theme that helps give unity to lines 4:8–15. Here in 4:11 it forms an inclusio with 4:8, where the man said to the woman, “Come with me from Lebanon.” In 4:11, the man implied that the woman figuratively came from Lebanon, and she still smelled like that wonderful place.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

נֹ֛פֶת תִּטֹּ֥פְנָה שִׂפְתוֹתַ֖יִ⁠ךְ

nectar drip lips_of,your

Here the woman’s lips refer to the kisses from her lips. The man says that her lips drip with nectar to indicate the pleasantness of her kisses. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [Your kisses are so pleasant that it is as if your lips drip with nectar] or [Your kisses are delightfully sweet] or [Being kissed by you is as enjoyable as eating honey]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

נֹ֛פֶת

nectar

The word translated as nectar refers specifically to honey which drips or flows from a honeycomb. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly by translating it as “honey”.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

דְּבַ֤שׁ וְ⁠חָלָב֙ תַּ֣חַת לְשׁוֹנֵ֔⁠ךְ

honey and,milk below/instead_of tongue_of,your

The phrase honey and milk are under your tongue could mean: (1) that the taste of the woman’s kisses were as pleasant as milk and honey. Alternate translation: [your kisses are like milk and honey to me] or [your kisses are as pleasant and delightful as milk and honey] (2) that the woman’s words were as pleasant as milk and honey. Alternate translation: [your words are as pleasant as milk and honey] (3) that both the woman’s kisses and her words were as pleasant as milk and honey. Alternate translation: [the kisses from your mouth and your words are as pleasant as milk and honey to me]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ⁠רֵ֥יחַ שַׂלְמֹתַ֖יִ⁠ךְ כְּ⁠רֵ֥יחַ לְבָנֽוֹן

and,the_odor_of your(pl)_garments_of,of [is]_like,the_odor_of Ləⱱānōn

Lebanon is known for its forests of cedar trees. Cedar trees have a very pleasant smell. The phrase the smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon probably means that the woman’s clothes smelled like cedar wood. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could include this information. Alternate translation: [and the smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon’s pleasant-smelling cedar]

Parallel SNG 4:11

Section 3:6–5:1: The man and woman married and the man praised her

Paragraph 4:8–15 The man called his bride from Lebanon; and compared her to a private garden

4:11a

4:11b

4:11c