SNG 4:8 Parallel Verse View

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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 Δεῦρο ἀπὸ Λιβάνου νύμφη, δεῦρο ἀπὸ Λιβάνου· ἐλεύσῃ καὶ διελεύσῃ ἀπὸ ἀρχῆς Πίστεως, ἀπὸ κεφαλῆς Σανὶρ καὶ Ἑρμὼν, ἀπὸ μανδρῶν λεόντων, ἀπὸ ὀρέων παρδάλεων.
(Deuro apo Libanou numfaʸ, deuro apo Libanou; eleusaʸ kai dieleusaʸ apo arⱪaʸs Pisteōs, apo kefalaʸs Sanir kai Hermōn, apo mandrōn leontōn, apo oreōn pardaleōn. )

BrTr Come from Libanus, my bride, come from Libanus: thou shalt come and pass from the top of Faith, from the top of Sanir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

ULT Come with me from Lebanon, my bride;
⇔ come with me from Lebanon.
⇔ Descend from the top of Amana,
⇔ from the top of Senir and Hermon,
⇔ from the hiding places of lions,
⇔ from the mountains of leopards.

UST Come back to me, my bride. It is as though you are in Lebanon
⇔ far away, where I cannot reach you.
⇔ Come back to me.
⇔ It is as though you are inaccessible on the top of Mount Hermon
⇔ or the nearby peaks, where I cannot go to you.
⇔ Come from the mountains, where the lions have their dens
⇔ and where the leopards live.

OEB No OEB SNG book available

WEBBE Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
⇔ with me from Lebanon.
⇔ Look from the top of Amana,
⇔ from the top of Senir and Hermon,
⇔ from the lions’ dens,
⇔ from the mountains of the leopards.

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 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
⇔ come with me from Lebanon.
⇔ Descend from the crest of Amana,
⇔ from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon,
⇔ from the lions’ dens
⇔ and the mountain haunts of the leopards.

LSV Come from Lebanon, come in. Look from the top of Amana,
From the top of Shenir and Hermon,
From the habitations of lions,
From the mountains of leopards.

FBV Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come from Lebanon.[fn] Come down from the peak of Amana, from the peaks of Senir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains where leopards live.

4:8 It is thought that Lebanon is used symbolically here (together with the other locations mentioned) as remote and inaccessible.

T4T ⇔ My bride, it is as though you are in [MET] Lebanon
⇔ far away, where I cannot reach you;
⇔ come back to me.
⇔ It is as though you are inaccessible [MET]
⇔ on the top of Hermon Mountain or the nearby peaks.
⇔ Come from where the lions have their dens
⇔ and where the leopards live on the mountains.

LEB   • Come[fn] with me from Lebanon, my bride! Come with me[fn] from Lebanon!
• Look from the top of Amana,
  • from the top of Senir and Hermon,
• from the dwelling places of the lions,
  • from the mountains of leopard.

4:? Or “You must come”

4:? Or “With me”

BBE Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon; see from the top of Amana, from the top of Senir and Hermon, from the places of the lions, from the mountains of the leopards.

Moff Come from Lebanon, bride of mine,
⇔ come with me from Lebanon
⇔ from the peak of Amana
⇔ the lair of the lions
⇔ from the peaks of Shenir and Hermon,
⇔ the hill-haunt of panthers.
¶ 

JPS Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon; look from the top of Amana, from the top of Senir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

ASV Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
⇔ With me from Lebanon:
⇔ Look from the top of Amana,
⇔ From the top of Senir and Hermon,
⇔ From the lions’ dens,
⇔ From the mountains of the leopards.

DRA Come from Libanus, my spouse, come from Libanus, come: thou shalt be crowned from the top of Amana, from the top of Sanir and Hermon, from the dens of the lions, from the mountains of the leopards.

YLT Come from Lebanon, come thou in. Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Shenir and Hermon, From the habitations of lions, From the mountains of leopards.

Drby [Come] with me, from Lebanon, [my] spouse, With me from Lebanon, — Come, look from the top of Amanah, From the top of Senir and Hermon, From the lions' dens, From the mountains of the leopards.

RV Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Senir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

SLT Thou shalt come with me from Lebanon, O bride, with me from Lebanon: thou shalt go round about from the head of faith, from the head of Shenir and Hermon, from the dwellings of lions, from the mountains of panthers.

Wbstr Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

KJB-1769 ¶ Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

KJB-1611 ¶ Come with me from Lebanon (my spouse,) with me from Lebanon: looke from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the Lions dennes, from the mountaines of the Leopards.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps Come to me from Libanus (O my spouse) come to me from Libanus: looke from the top of Amana, from the top of Sanir and Hermon, from the lions dennes, and from the mountaines of the leopardes.
(Come to me from Libanus (Oh my spouse) come to me from Libanus: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Sanir and Hermon, from the lions dens, and from the mountains of the leopards.)

Gnva Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, euen with me from Lebanon, and looke from the toppe of Amanah, from the toppe of Shenir and Hermon, from the dennes of the lyons, and from the mountaines of the leopards.
(Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, even with me from Lebanon, and look from the top of Amanah, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the dens of the lions, and from the mountains of the leopards. )

Cvdl Come to me from Libanus (o my spouse) come to me from Libanus: come soone the next waye from the toppe of Amana, from the toppe of Sanir and Hermon, from the Lyons dennes and from the mountaynes of ye leopardes.
(Come to me from Libanus (o my spouse) come to me from Libanus: come soon the next way from the top of Amana, from the top of Sanir and Hermon, from the Lions dens and from the mountains of ye/you_all leopards.)

Wycl My spousesse, come thou fro the Liban; come thou fro the Liban, come thou; thou schalt be corowned fro the heed of Amana, fro the cop of Sanyr and Hermon, fro the dennys of liouns, fro the hillis of pardis.
(My spouse, come thou/you from the Liban; come thou/you from the Liban, come thou; thou/you shalt/shall be crowned from the head of Amana, from the cop of Sanyr and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the hills of pardis.)

Luth Komm, meine Braut, vom Libanon, komm vom Libanon! Gehe herein, tritt her von der Höhe Amana, von der Höhe Senir und Hermon, von den Wohnungen der Löwen, von den Bergen der Leoparden.
(Come, my bride, from_the Lebanon, come from_the Lebanon! Go herein, tread/step(v) her from the/of_the Höhe Amana, from the/of_the Höhe Senir and Hermon, from the houses/residences the/of_the lions, from the mountain(s)/hill(s) the/of_the leopards.)

ClVg Veni de Libano, sponsa mea: veni de Libano, veni, coronaberis: de capite Amana, de vertice Sanir et Hermon, de cubilibus leonum, de montibus pardorum.[fn]
(I_came from/about Libano, bride my: I_came from/about Libano, I_came, coronaberis: from/about head Amana, from/about top Sanir and Hermon, from/about beds lion, from/about the_mountains pardorum. )

4.8 Veni de Libano. GREG. Et quia vado ad te, tu debes venire ad me, cogitatione, locutione, opere. Vel, primus gradus est in carne pro bono opere: secundus in absolutione carnis ad percipiendam beatitudinem in anima: tertius recepto corpore quando in resurrectione duplices recipient stolas. Veni fide, veni opere, veni alios adducendo: vel ter veni propter fidem Trinitatis. Libanus mons Phœnicis, Hebraïce interpretatur candidatio, Græce thus: unde supra, Vadam ad montem myrrhæ et ad collem thuris. Dum prædicatores convertunt tales ad salutem, crescit corona de principibus victis certamine eorum. Veni. Quasi: ne timeas, ne sola venias: quia multos tibi addam. De capite Amana. Amana mons est Ciliciæ, Sanir et Hermon montes Judææ, in quibus leones habitant, per quos dæmones notantur, qui contra nos sæviunt: et quia illi convertuntur, quorum corda fuerunt cubilia leonum, dum vicissim eorum confessione Dominus creditur, quasi de leonum cubilibus coronantur, de quibus leo pellitur. Per Amana habemus illos, quos ipse, et per quos alios diabolus per magni studii vigilantiam decipit et conterit. Per Sanir, eos ad quos ignorantia talis deceptionis volat. Per Hermon, tales qui quasi in natura prompti sunt ad nequitiam, non quod diabolus designat. Per cubile leonum, illos quibus, et per quos aliis persecutoria dominatur sævitia. Per pardos hæreticos, quorum distinctis dolis decipit, de quorum singulorum principalibus Deus suis victoriæ confert coronam. De cubilibus leonum. Leones, propter superbiam, vel violentiam. Pardi propter crudelitatem vel variationem malignarum artium. Montium nomine superba infidelium corda designantur.

4.8 I_came from/about Libano. GREG. And because I_go to you(sg), you(sg) debes to_come to me, thought, spokeone, by_work. Or, primus degree/grade it_is in/into/on flesh/meat for good by_work: after/second in/into/on absolutione of_flesh to percipiendam happiness in/into/on soul: third recepto body when in/into/on resurrection duplices recipient robe/gowns. I_came with_faith, I_came by_work, I_came others adducendo: or three-times I_came because faith Trinitatis. Libanus mountain Phœnicis, Hebraïce interprets whitetio, Greece thus: from_where/who above, I_will_go to mountain myrrh and to hill incenses. While preachers convertunt tales to health, grows corona from/about princes/leaders victis competition their. I_came. Quasi: not fear, not alone come: because many to_you addam. From/About head Amana. Amana mountain it_is Ciliciæ, Sanir and Hermon mountains Yudahæ, in/into/on to_whom lions they_live, through which demons notentur, who/which on_the_contrary us sæviunt: and because them are_converted, whose hearts they_were beda lion, while villagessim their confession Master it_is_believed, as_if from/about lion beds coronantur, from/about to_whom lion pellitur. Per Amana we_have those, which exactly_that/himself, and through which others the_devil through great studii vigilantiam deceives and conterit. Per Sanir, them to which ignorance such deceptionis volat. Per Hermon, tales who/which as_if in/into/on nature/element prompti are to iniquity, not/no that the_devil designates. Per bed/couch lion, those to_whom, and through which to_others persecutoria dominates sævitia. Per pardos heretics, whose distinctis dolis deceives, from/about whose of_each principalibus God to_his_own victories confert crown. From/About beds lion. Leones, because pride, or violentiam. Pardi because crudelitatem or variationem malignarum artium. Montium by_name superba of_infidels hearts are_designated.

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s 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.

4:8–11

In 4:8–11 the man used figurative language to invite the woman to come and be intimate with him. He spoke as if she were in far-away Lebanon. This figure of speech is similar to the one in 2:14, where he spoke of her being like a dove hidden high on rocky cliffs. She was not on literal cliffs, and here in 4:8–11 she was not literally on the tops of mountains in Lebanon. The figurative language may suggest that the man perceived the woman as being reluctant to fully surrender herself to him. The love that the man expressed here in 4:8–11 is more intense than in 2:14. He wanted to have marital relations with his new bride.

4:8a

Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,

Come with me from the Lebanon Mountains, my bride. (GNT)
My bride, come from the Lebanon mountains with me.

4:8a–b

There is a textual issue in this part of the verse,One Hebrew text has ‘ittiy which means “with me.” An alternate Hebrew text, which some versions follow, has a word that means “come.” Since the word “come” is repeated later in the verse, the overall meaning of the verse is the same in both texts. but the two textual variations have the same general meaning. The text that the Notes follows is literally, “With me from Lebanon, bride, with me from Lebanon come.” In some languages, it is more natural to begin the sentence with the verb “come,” as in the BSB, or with the word “bride.” For example:

Come with me from Lebanon, my bride….

My bride, come from Lebanon with me….

Come with me from Lebanon, my bride: Here the man used a figurative way to tell his bride that he wanted her to be with him. He wanted the two of them to begin to experience the joys of physical love in their marriage.

The phrase Come with me is figurative. He and she were not actually in Lebanon, so he did not mean that he literally wanted her to leave Lebanon with him.

Some other ways to translate this metaphor are:

Use a simile or other comparison. It is helpful if the comparison implies marital relations between the man and his bride. For example:
My bride, come with me, as if we were coming from the remote Lebanon mountains.
Use a comparison and make the meaning more explicit. For example:
My bride, come and be secure with me, as if we are descending Lebanon’s rugged mountains, coming down from Lebanon.

Translate the meaning in a poetic way in your language.

from Lebanon: Lebanon was a mountainous region north of Israel. It was a beautiful place, but it was also rugged and dangerous. It was far from Jerusalem, and the man implied that in a figurative way, the woman, though wonderful and beautiful like Lebanon, seemed far away from him like Lebanon. Her distance from him is a poetic way that may imply that she was reluctant to fully surrender herself to him. He also may have seen her as beyond his reach, like a beautiful queen.

Such figurative themes are common throughout the Song. For example, see 2:14; 3:6–11; 5:2–7; and 6:10.

my bride: The Hebrew word that is translated as bride is used to refer to a woman during the time right before she marries, as she marries, and for some time after the marriage. The phrase my bride is one word in Hebrew—simply bride. It is used only in 4:8–5:1, where it is used five times. It is appropriate for that section of the Song, which focuses on the wedding celebration and the days immediately after it.The technical term used by many commentators is epithalamium, a poem celebrating a marriage.

In 4:8–5:1 the man seemed to use the word bride to show his delight that the woman was now his wife.There is disagreement among scholars about the meaning of my bride. My bride occurs twice in 4:9–10 along with the parallel, my sister. In that context, my sister is a term of affection and does not mean that she is literally his sister. So, some scholars think that bride in this context also is only a term of affection, and that it does not imply a marriage.However, every English version consulted by the Notes uses the term “bride.” The Notes take the view that the whole context from 3:6–5:1 is about a marriage, so references to bride should be taken literally. It is not used anywhere else in the Song. Use an appropriate way in your language for a husband to speak to his new wife. For example:

beloved wife

you the one I married

4:8b

come with me from Lebanon!

Accompany me from the Lebanon mountains.
Come from Lebanon to be with me.

come with me from Lebanon: Here the clause in 4:8a is repeated to add emphasis to what the man said to his bride. It emphasizes that he greatly desired to be with the woman he loved. In some languages it may not be natural to repeat this phrase or to repeat it in exactly the same words. It may be necessary to use a different way to indicate that the man was emphasizing what he just said. For example:

yes, please come with me from there!

come, let’s descend those peaks!

4:8c

Descend from the peak of Amana,

Descend from the summit of Amana,
Come down from Amana mountain,

4:8d

from the summits of Senir and Hermon,

and from the summits of Senir and Hermon.
come down to me from Mount Senir and Mount Hermon.

4:8c–f

Descend from the peak of Amana, from the summits of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of the lions, from the mountains of the leopards: In 4:8c–f the man continued to invite the woman to come with him. In some languages his command to the woman to “descend” may wrongly imply that he wanted her to come down those peaks alone. Translate in a way that implies that the man will descend the peaks with her. For example:

You will travel with me from the peak of Mount Amana, from the mountain peaks in Senir and Hermon, from the lairs of lions, from the mountains of leopards. (GW)

We will come down from the top of Mount Amana. We will descend from the tops of Mount Senir and Mount Hermon, where lions and leopards live/roam.

Let’s go down from the tops of Amana, Senir, and Hermon mountains, where lions and leopards have their homes.

from the summits of Senir and Hermon: In 4:8c–d the author gave the names of three peaks in the Lebanon mountains—“Amana,” Senir, and Hermon.Two English versions (KJV and NJB) follow the interpretation that the text refers to looking down from the peaks. For example, the KJV has, “look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon.” Some scholars believe that the names Senir and Hermon refer to the same peak.Mount Senir may be the Amorite name for Mount Hermon. Another possibility is that Senir refers to the whole Lebanon range while Hermon is a specific mountain in that range. However, you should include all three names in your translation.

General Comment on 4:8c–d

The list of three mountain peaks in 4:8c–d seems to imply that the woman was on several mountain peaks. But she was not actually in the Lebanon mountains or on top of any mountain peak. The author used a figurative way to describe her as remote and mysterious. The two lines, 4:8c–d, are parallel and have the same meaning. The man figuratively encouraged the woman to come and be intimate with him.

4:8e

from the dens of the lions,

Come from the lions’ lairs,
Descend from where the lions

4:8f

from the mountains of the leopards.

from the mountain haunts of leopards.
and leopards live.

4:8e–f

from the dens of the lions, from the mountains of the leopards: The lines of 4:8e and 4:8f are parallel to 4:8c and 4:8d. In 4:8e–f, the man continued to speak to his bride in a figurative way about their love. He invited her to come share in the security and joys of married love.

Some other ways to translate 4:8e–f are:

where the lions and leopards live. (GNT)

where the lions have their dens and leopards live among the hills. (NLT)

dangers lurk/hide there like lions and leopards lurk/hide to catch their prey.

from the dens of the lions: The phrase dens of the lions refers to the homes of lions where they take care of their young cubs. Some other ways to translate the phrase are:

homes of lions

places where the lions live

from the mountains of the leopards: The phrase from the mountains of the leopards refers to the mountains where leopards live. Another way to translate this phrase is:

from the mountains where the leopards live/roam

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אִתִּ֤⁠י מִ⁠לְּבָנוֹן֙ כַּלָּ֔ה אִתִּ֖⁠י מִ⁠לְּבָנ֣וֹן תָּב֑וֹאִי תָּשׁ֣וּרִי ׀ מֵ⁠רֹ֣אשׁ אֲמָנָ֗ה מֵ⁠רֹ֤אשׁ שְׂנִיר֙ וְ⁠חֶרְמ֔וֹן מִ⁠מְּעֹנ֣וֹת אֲרָי֔וֹת מֵֽ⁠הַרְרֵ֖י נְמֵרִֽים

with,me from,Lebanon bride with,me from,Lebanon come descend from,the_top_of Amana from,the_top_of Sənīr and,Hermon from_[the],dens_of lions from_[the],mountains_of leopards

This entire verse is a metaphor. This is poetry and the writer is not literally indicating that the woman is in the mountains and in danger. Rather, he is using this metaphor to express his feelings regarding the distance between them and his strong desire to have her near him. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / go

אִתִּ֤⁠י & תָּב֑וֹאִי

with,me & come

Your language may say “go” rather than come in a context such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: [Go with me … go]

תָּשׁ֣וּרִי

descend

The word translated as Descend here could mean: (1) to come down from a height. Alternate translation: [Climb down] (2) to bend down and look. Alternate translation: [Bend down and look]

Note 3 topic: translate-names

מֵ⁠רֹ֣אשׁ אֲמָנָ֗ה מֵ⁠רֹ֤אשׁ שְׂנִיר֙ וְ⁠חֶרְמ֔וֹן

from,the_top_of Amana from,the_top_of Sənīr and,Hermon

The word Hermon is the name of a mountain range in northern Israel, and Amana and Senir are both the names of mountain peaks.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

מִ⁠מְּעֹנ֣וֹת אֲרָי֔וֹת מֵֽ⁠הַרְרֵ֖י נְמֵרִֽים

from_[the],dens_of lions from_[the],mountains_of leopards

These two phrases mean very similar things. 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 for your readers, you could combine these two phrases into one as modeled by the UST.

Parallel SNG 4:8