SNG 5:15 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 Κνῆμαι αὐτοῦ στύλοι μαρμάρινοι τεθεμελιωμένοι ἐπὶ βάσεις χρυσᾶς· εἶδος αὐτοῦ ὡς Λίβανος, ἐκλεκτὸς ὡς κέδροι.
(Knaʸmai autou stuloi marmarinoi tethemeliōmenoi epi baseis ⱪrusas; eidos autou hōs Libanos, eklektos hōs kedroi. )

BrTr His legs are marble pillars set on golden sockets: his form is as Libanus, choice as the cedars.

ULT His thighs are pillars of alabaster set on bases of refined gold;
⇔ his appearance is like Lebanon, as choice as the cedars.

UST His legs are like alabaster columns
⇔ that are set in bases made of pure gold.
⇔ He is majestic, like the mountains of Lebanon.
⇔ He is tall and strong and outstanding like the cedar trees that grow there.

OEB No OEB SNG book available

WEBBE His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold.
⇔ His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(10-16)My dear lover glows with health—
  red-blooded, radiant!
He’s one in a million.
  There’s no one quite like him!
My golden one, pure and untarnished,
  with raven black curls tumbling across his shoulders.
His eyes are like doves, soft and bright,
  but deep-set, brimming with meaning, like wells of water.
His face is rugged, his beard smells like sage,
  His voice, his words, warm and reassuring.
Fine muscles ripple beneath his skin,
  quiet and beautiful.
His torso is the work of a sculptor,
  hard and smooth as ivory.
He stands tall, like a cedar,
  strong and deep-rooted,
A rugged mountain of a man,
  aromatic with wood and stone.
His words are kisses, his kisses words.
  Everything about him delights me, thrills me
through and through!
  That’s my lover, that’s my man,
  dear Jerusalem sisters.

NET His legs are like pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold.
⇔ His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars.

LSV His limbs pillars of marble,
Founded on sockets of fine gold,
His appearance as Lebanon, choice as the cedars.

FBV His legs are columns of alabaster set on bases of gold. He looks strong, like the mighty cedars of Lebanon.

T4T His legs are like [MET] pillars of marble
⇔ that are set in bases made of pure gold.
⇔ He is majestic, like the mountains of [SIM] Lebanon,
⇔ as delightful/beautiful as [SIM] cedar trees.

LEB • His legs are columns of alabaster,[fn] set on bases of gold; his appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars .[fn]

5:? Or “marble”

5:? Literally “the cedars”

BBE His legs are as pillars of stone on a base of delicate gold; his looks are as Lebanon, beautiful as the cedar-tree.

Moff his limbs are marble columns
⇔ resting on sockets of gold
⇔ he towers to the eye like Lebanon,
⇔ as lordly as a cedar,

JPS His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold; his aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

ASV His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold:
⇔ His aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

DRA His legs as pillars of marble, that are set upon bases of gold. His form as of Libanus, excellent as the cedars.

YLT His limbs pillars of marble, Founded on sockets of fine gold, His appearance as Lebanon, choice as the cedars.

Drby His legs, pillars of marble, set upon bases of fine gold: His bearing as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars;

RV His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

SLT His legs bases of white marble, founded upon of pure gold: his aspect as Lebanon, choice as the cedars.

Wbstr His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

KJB-1769 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

KJB-1611 His legges are as pillars of marble, set vpon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)

Bshps His legges are as the pillers of Marble set vpon sockettes of golde. His face is as Libanus: and as the beautie of the Cedar trees.
(His legs are as the pillars of Marble set upon sockets of gold. His face is as Libanus: and as the beauty of the Cedar trees.)

Gnva His legges are as pillars of marble, set vpon sockets of fine golde: his countenance as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
(His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. )

Cvdl His legges are as the pilers of Marbell, sett vpon sokettes of golde: His face is as Libanus, and as the bewty of the Cedre trees:
(His legs are as the pillars of Marbell, set upon sockets of gold: His face is as Libanus, and as the beauty of the Cedar trees:)

Wycl Hise lippis ben pilers of marble, that ben foundid on foundementis of gold; his schapplinesse is as of the Liban, he is chosun as cedris.
(His lips been pillars of marble, that been founded on foundations of gold; his shapelyness is as of the Liban, he is chosen as cedars.)

Luth Seine Beine sind wie Marmelsäulen, gegründet auf güldenen Füßen. Seine Gestalt ist wie Libanon, auserwählt wie Zedern.
(His legs are as/like Marmelsäulen, founded on/in/to golden feet. His shape(n) is as/like Lebanon, chosen as/like cedars.)

ClVg Crura illius columnæ marmoreæ quæ fundatæ sunt super bases aureas. Species ejus ut Libani, electus ut cedri.[fn]
(Crura of_that columns marmoreæ which fundatæ are over bases golds. Species his as Libani, elected as cedars. )

5.15 Crura illius columnæ, id est, itinera passionis, incarnationis, quæ columnæ dicuntur propter rectitudinem et firmitatem, quia quidquid per eum gestum est, ante tempora a Deo dispositum est. Fundatæ super bases. Id est super prophetas, quia talis apparuit, qualis prædictus ab illis in divina dispositione legentibus. Vel bases ipsa dispositio Dei, quæ ordinavit. Species ejus ut Libani. Quid per singula ipsius Redemptoris membra laudo, totum brevi comprehendam: quomodo Libanus altitudine et amplitudine est insignis; ita Dominus inter omnes qui de terra orti sunt, antecellit. Et sicut ille mons nobilium ferax est arborum, ita ille omnes sanctos in se radicatos extollit et conservat; et sicut cedrus pulchritudine, fortitudine, sublimitate, odore, omne decus silvarum antecedit: sic dilectus speciosus forma præ filiis hominum Psal. 44., quia ipse non accepit ad mensuram, et de plenitudine ejus omnes accepimus Joan..

5.15 Crura of_that columns, that it_is, itinera passion, incarnation, which columns are_said because straighttudinem and firmitatem, because whatever through him gesture it_is, before times from to_God dispositum it_is. Fundatæ over bases. That it_is over a_prophets, because such appeared, such_as beforedictus away to_them in/into/on divine dispositione lawfullyntibus. Or bases herself dispositio of_God, which he_ordered. Species his as Libani. What through each of_his/her_own Redemptoris members laudo, whole shortly comprehendam: how Libanus height and amplitudine it_is remarkables; so/thus Master between everyone who/which from/about earth/land orti are, antecellit. And like he/that_one mountain nobleum ferax it_is arborum, so/thus he/that_one everyone saints in/into/on himself radicatos extollit and conservat; and like cedar beautifultudine, with_courage, sublimitate, smelle, everything decus of_the_woods antecedit: so beloved speciosus form before to_the_children of_men Psal. 44., because exactly_that/himself not/no he_received to measure, and from/about fullness his everyone we_received Yohan.

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:2–6:3: At night the woman searched for the man and praised him

Scholars differ about the meaning of this section and how it relates to the rest of the Song. In 5:2–7 the woman told the Jerusalem women that the man came to her door at night but went away. She told them that now she longed to see him and was searching for him. Then she asked them to give him a message if they saw him (5:8). They asked why she was so attracted to him (5:9), and she replied by describing him (5:10–16). Then they asked her where he went (6:1), and she told them that he went down to his garden (6:2–3).

The section contains several interpretation issues:

In 5:2–7 did the woman describe a dream or a real event, or is 5:2–7 a poetic way to describe her feelings and thoughts about the man? The woman described one type of event (probably dreamed or imagined) as she and the man related to each other. The author did not always tell about events in order, and he repeated certain themes to examine them from different points of view. The Song is not a simple story but a poem, and it uses various ways to describe the romantic love.
Section 3:6–5:1 told about the wedding of the man and woman. Does Section 5:2–6:3 tell about a time after they married? Although 3:6–5:1 told about the wedding of the man and woman, 5:2–6:3 may not refer to a time after the wedding. It may describe something they experienced more than once. In other sections also, the man and woman were apart at the beginning but together at the end (as in 1:2–2:7). If 5:2–6:3 refers to a time before their wedding,Some scholars view the whole book, Song of Songs, as a large chiasm. (For example, Dorsey suggests abcdcʹbʹaʹ, (1999, p.200.)) So, the section, 3:6–5:1 is the central and climactic part of the chiasm, and what comes before and after are related to the center, not chronologically but thematically. So, the material both before and after, may be pointing to the grand central climax, the wedding. What follows the wedding, 5:2–8:14, may actually repeat much of the material in 1:2–3:5. Again, this is more of a cyclical rather than chronological way of understanding the book. it describes the woman’s hopes and fears as she imagined her future with the man (as in 3:1–4). The dream might indicate that she feared that he had stopped loving her, but at the end of 6:2–3, she realized that he continued to love her faithfully.Some scholars believe that this section follows chronologically after the wedding. Some of these scholars interpret it as describing a time of conflict for the newly married couple. But the theme of marital conflict does not seem to fit the overall message or tone of the Song.
How should a translator interpret the figures of speech in this section? Some scholars interpret these figures as euphemisms for sexual organs and sexual activity. However, such interpretations may cause a translator to refer more explicitly to sexual matters than is normal or justified in the Song. (For more information, see “Standards for respectful speech and actions in the Song” in POEM 4:1–7.)

Paragraph 5:9–16 The woman described her beloved

In 5:9 the Jerusalem women asked the woman in what ways the man was so much better than other men. In 5:10–16 the woman answered with a poetic description of her beloved that uses many metaphors and hyperbole. Some verses describe the man as though he were a statue.

These verses are similar to 4:1–7 in which the man described the woman’s body. Here in 5:9–16 she described his body. It was rare in ancient Israel for a woman to describe a man’s body in detail like this. In 4:1–7 where the man described the woman, he spoke directly to her. However, in this section where the woman described him, she did not speak directly to him. She spoke to the women of Jerusalem about him.

The description in 5:9–16 has the similar phrases My beloved (5:10) and This is my beloved (5:16) near its beginning and end, forming an inclusio. It also mentions his golden head (5:11) near the beginning and his legs on bases of gold (5:15) near the end. The woman began by describing his head, then the rest of his body, and ended by mentioning his head again. In the description (5:11–16), four of the six verses describe parts of the man’s head (5:11–13, 16), which shows that the woman focused especially on his head. Her description of him may seem strange to modern readers, but she intended her description to show that he was completely desirable.

5:15a–b

In 5:15a–b the woman continued to describe the man as if he were a statue. The statement “His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold” is a metaphor and also a hyperbole.

5:15a

His legs are pillars of marble

His legs are like tall columns of alabaster/marble,
His legs are as strong as tall posts made of finest stone,

His legs are pillars of marble: This clause is a metaphor. It indicates that the man’s legs were straight and strong, and they were beautiful like the precious stone called marble. Some other ways to translate this description are:

His legs are like columns made of alabaster

His legs are as tall and beautiful as marble columns

His legs are like tall posts made of beautiful stone

His legs: Some commentators think that “legs” may refer to the man’s genitals. Following this interpretation is not recommended. The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as His legs probably includes the entire legs from the thighs down to the ankles.

pillars of marble: The Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates as pillars of marble indicates that the man’s legs were straight and strong, like tall, rounded posts made of carved marble.

marble is a stone that is made of a certain mineral. The color of the stone can be various shades of white and a light rust color. The stone is strong and durable. Sculptors used it to carve statues or other valuable objects such as vases.

Some versions translate this word as “alabaster.” Marble and alabaster are similar, and marble is the harder of the two stones. The Hebrew word can refer to either of these two stones. Use the term that communicates best in your language.

Some other ways to translate the phrase pillars of marble are:

tall posts made of valuable stone

alabaster columns

5:15b

set on bases of pure gold.

set on bases/feet that are made of gold.
and his feet are as precious as gold.

set on bases of pure gold: Statues were set up on a strong base (foundation), which balanced the statue and kept it from falling over. Bases were often made of stone, but here the bases were made of gold. The phrase set on bases of pure gold probably implies that the man’s feet were like bases of gold. So the author indicates that the man’s head (5:11a) and his feet were valuable like gold.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

on feet of gold. (CEV)

placed in bases made of gold.

5:15c

His appearance is like Lebanon,

His appearance is awesome like Lebanon,
He is as majestic/wonderful as the region of Lebanon.

5:15d

as majestic as the cedars.

as esteemed as its cedar trees.
People admire him as they admire the tall/towering cedar trees there.

5:15c–d

The phrases in 5:15c–d are similes. They compare the man’s overall stature to the region of Lebanon and to the cedars in Lebanon. These similes are also hyperboles.

His appearance is like Lebanon, as majestic as the cedars: The phrase His appearance refers to the way the man seemed to the people who saw him. He seemed as wonderful and fascinating as the region of Lebanon, which has majestic mountains and tall cedar trees. Some other ways to translate 5:15c–d are:

He is majestic, like the Lebanon Mountains with their towering cedars. (GNT)

He looks as magnificent as the Lebanon Mountains and their tall cedar trees.

Lebanon: Lebanon was a rugged mountainous region north of Israel. It was famous for its tall cedar trees and was known as a beautiful and wild place. So when the woman described the man as being like the cedars of Lebanon, she implied that he was the tallest and strongest among all the other men. This description is like the phrase in 5:10 that describes the man as “outstanding among ten thousand.”

In earlier chapters the man also praised the woman by comparing her to Lebanon. He said that the fragrance of her garments was like Lebanon (4:11c), and he described her as being like streams that flow from Lebanon (4:15c). So here she responded to his praise in a similar way.

Lebanon was discussed in 4:8 and 4:15. Refer to the Notes there for more information.

as majestic as the cedars: Here the woman compared the man to the cedar trees in Lebanon. The word majestic indicates that the trees are of very good quality. The cedars of Lebanon were large and tall, and people valued their lumber highly. Cedars of Lebanon were also fragrant trees.

Here the woman compared the man to those cedars. He was tall, noble, and strong like the cedars of Lebanon. He was the choice man among all the other men. Some other ways to translate the comparison are:

like the cedars of Lebanon that everyone chooses as the best/finest trees.

as the cedar trees in Lebanon, which people admire/consider as the best of all trees.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

שׁוֹקָי⁠ו֙ עַמּ֣וּדֵי שֵׁ֔שׁ מְיֻסָּדִ֖ים עַל־אַדְנֵי־פָ֑ז

legs_of,his pillars_of alabaster set on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in bases_of pure_gold

Here the woman is speaking of the man’s thighs as if they were pillars of alabaster set on bases of refined gold because the man’s legs are strong and majestic looking. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [His thighs are strong and majestic like pillars of alabaster set on bases of gold]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

שׁוֹקָי⁠ו֙

legs_of,his

The word the ULT translates as thighs most likely refers to the entirety of a person’s legs, so you could translate this term as “legs” as in the UST.

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

שֵׁ֔שׁ

alabaster

The word translated as alabaster can refer to either alabaster or marble, types of strong stone that are nice looking and used to make large columns, statues, and other things. If your readers would not be familiar with alabaster or marble, you could use the name of something similar in your area, or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: [marble] or [stone]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

מַרְאֵ֨⁠הוּ֙ כַּ⁠לְּבָנ֔וֹן בָּח֖וּר כָּ⁠אֲרָזִֽים

appearance_of,his [is]_like,Lebanon choice like,cedars

The woman is saying that the man’s appearance is like Lebanon, as choice as the cedars because he is tall, strong, and outstanding in comparison to other men, just as the cedars of Lebanon are better than all other trees. Lebanon was famous for its cedar trees which were considered to be superior. The word choice here means “excellent quality.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: [His appearance is tall and strong and stately. He is outstanding among other men] or [His appearance is majestic. He is strong and tall and better than other men]

Parallel SNG 5:15