SNG 5:9 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.)

OET (OET-RV) Most beautiful among women, how is your dearest better than another darling?
⇔ What is your dearest more than another, that you adjure us like that?

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 Τί ἀδελφιδός σου ἀπὸ ἀδελφιδοῦ, ἡ καλὴ ἐν γυναιξί; τί ἀδελφιδός σου ἀπὸ ἀδελφιδοῦ, ὅτι οὕτως ὥρκισας ἡμᾶς;
(Ti adelfidos sou apo adelfidou, haʸ kalaʸ en gunaixi; ti adelfidos sou apo adelfidou, hoti houtōs hōrkisas haʸmas; )

BrTr What is thy kinsman more than another kinsman, O thou beautiful among women? what is thy kinsman more than another kinsman, that thou hast so charged us?

ULT What is your beloved more than another beloved,
⇔ most beautiful among women?
⇔ What is your beloved more than another beloved,
⇔ that thus you adjure us?
⇔ 

UST You who are the most beautiful of all the women,
⇔ why do you think that the man you love is better than other men?
⇔ In what way is he better than other men
⇔ that would cause you to want us to solemnly promise that we will tell him that?

OEB No OEB SNG book available

WEBBE How is your beloved better than another beloved,
⇔ you fairest amongst women?
⇔ How is your beloved better than another beloved,
⇔ that you do so adjure us?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Why is your beloved better than others,
⇔ O most beautiful of women?
⇔ Why is your beloved better than others,
⇔ that you would command us in this manner?

LSV What [is] your beloved above [any] beloved,
O beautiful among women? What [is] your beloved above [any] beloved,
That thus you have adjured us?

FBV Why is the one you love better than any other, most beautiful of women? In what way is the one you love better than any other that we should promise you that?

T4T You who are the ◄fairest/most beautiful► among women,
⇔ why do you think that the one who loves you is better than other men?
⇔ In what way is the man who loves you better than other men
⇔ with the result that you ask us to tell him that?

LEB • How is your beloved better than another lover ,[fn] O most beautiful among women?
• How is your beloved better than another lover ,[fn]
• that you adjure us thus?

5:? Literally “What is your beloved more than another beloved …?”

BBE What is your loved one more than another, O fairest among women? What is your loved one more than another, that you say this to us?

Moff “And what is your darling more than another,
⇔ O fairest of women?
⇔ What is your darling above all others,
⇔ that you charge us thus?”
¶ 

JPS 'What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so adjure us?'

ASV ⇔ What is thy beloved more than another beloved,
⇔ O thou fairest among women?
⇔ What is thy beloved more than another beloved,
⇔ That thou dost so adjure us?

DRA What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O thou most beautiful among women? what manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, that thou hast so adjured us?

YLT What [is] thy beloved above [any] beloved, O fair among women? What [is] thy beloved above [any] beloved, That thus thou hast adjured us?

Drby What is thy beloved more than [another] beloved, Thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than [another] beloved, That thou dost so charge us?

RV What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so adjure us?
(What is thy/your beloved more than another beloved, Oh thou/you fairest among women? what is thy/your beloved more than another beloved, that thou/you dost/do so adjure us? )

SLT What is thy beloved above the beloved, O beautiful one among women? What thy beloved above the beloved, that thou didst thus adjure us?

Wbstr What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

KJB-1769 ¶ What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
(¶ What is thy/your beloved more than another beloved, Oh thou/you fairest among women? what is thy/your beloved more than another beloved, that thou/you dost/do so charge us? )

KJB-1611 ¶ What is thy beloued more then another beloued, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloued more then another beloued, that thou doest so charge vs?
(¶ What is thy/your beloved more then another beloved, Oh thou/you fairest among women? what is thy/your beloved more then another beloved, that thou/you dost/do so charge us?)

Bshps What maner of man is thy loue aboue other louers, O thou fairest among women? Or what can thy loue do more then other louers, that thou chargest vs so straytly?
(What manner of man is thy/your love above other lovers, Oh thou/you fairest among women? Or what can thy/your love do more then other lovers, that thou/you chargest us so straitly?)

Gnva O the fairest among women, what is thy welbeloued more then other welbeloued? what is thy welbeloued more then another louer, that thou doest so charge vs?
(Oh the fairest among women, what is thy/your well-beloved more then other well-beloved? what is thy/your well-beloved more then another lover, that thou/you dost/do so charge us? )

Cvdl Who is thy loue aboue other louers, O thou fayrest amonge wemen? Or, what can thy loue do, more then other louers, that thou chargest vs so straitly?
(Who is thy/your love above other lovers, Oh thou/you fairest among women? Or, what can thy/your love do, more then other lovers, that thou/you chargest us so straitly?)

Wycl A! thou faireste of wymmen, of what manner condicioun is thi derlyng `of the louede? of what manner condicioun is thi derling of a derling? for thou hast bisouyt vs bi an hooli thing.
(A! thou/you fairest of women, of what manner condition is thy/your darling of the loved? of what manner condition is thy/your darling of a darling? for thou/you hast bisouyt us by an holy thing.)

Luth Was ist dein Freund vor andern Freunden, o du Schönste unter den Weibern? Was ist dein Freund vor andern Freunden, daß du uns so beschworen hast?
(What is your(s) friend before/in_front_of change friends, o you(sg) most_beautiful_(one) under the women? What is your(s) friend before/in_front_of change friends, that you(sg) us/to_us/ourselves so summoned have?)

ClVg Chorus Qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, o pulcherrima mulierum? qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, quia sic adjurasti nos?[fn]
(Chorus As it_is beloved your(sg) from beloved, o beautifulrima of_women? such_as it_is beloved your(sg) from beloved, because so you_have_sworn/promised us? )

5.9 Qualis est dilectus. Hæc sponsa recolens intima conscientiæ, expavescit, et pigritiam suam accusans ex humilitate ad laborem festinat, dicens: Obsecro, quia sic adjurasti nos fervore divinæ charitatis, quam habes, me quoque fac ardere, et salutari admonitione in ejus amore me confirmes. Apta et præconia virtutum ac potentiæ ejus congrua laude decantans, denuo interrogatur, in qualium mentibus ejus soleant vestigia reperiri.

5.9 As it_is beloved. This bride recalling intima conscience, expavescit, and pigritiam his_own accusans from humility to work is_in_a_hurry, saying: Please, because so you_have_sworn/promised us fervore divine of_charity, how you_have, me too do ardere, and healthy admonitione in/into/on his with_love me confirmes. Suitable and I_begnia virtues and of_power his congrua praise decantans, denuo asksur, in/into/on qualium minds his soleant footsteps findri.

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.

5:9a–b

In this verse the Jerusalem women asked two similar questions. The second question repeats the first one and adds a reason clause. The Hebrew text is more literally:

^9aHow is your lover more than a lover, most beautiful of women? ^9bHow is your lover more than a lover that thus you make us swear?

In some languages it is more natural to translate the phrase “How is your lover more than a lover” only once. For example:

What makes your loved one so special that you make us swear this, most beautiful woman?

How is your beloved better than others, O most beautiful among women?: Here the Jerusalem women asked the woman a real question. They used the phrase O most beautiful among women as a praise name for her. In some languages it is more natural to begin the sentence with this praise name. For example:

Most beautiful of women, what makes your beloved better than any other beloved? (GW)

5:9a

How is your beloved better than others,

How is your beloved better than any other person’s beloved,
What makes your man so special,

How is your beloved better than others: Scholars differ about the meaning of than here:

It means “better than.” For example:
How is your beloved better than others (NIV) (BSB, NIV, NRSV, ESV, GW, REB, NLT, NET, NCV, NJB, NJPS)
It means “different from.” For example:
is your lover different from everyone else? (GNT) (GNT, CEV, NASB, NLT96, NAB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Interpretations (1) and (2) are similar, but the women wanted to know what caused the woman to consider her beloved so much better than any other man.

Some other ways to translate this question are:

What makes your lover better than other lovers

What is it about your loved one that makes you think that he is better than any other lover?

why is the one you love more special than others? (CEV)

5:9

(reordered) Most beautiful woman, why should we swear/promise you that? How is your man better than any other man?

5:9b

O most beautiful among women?

O fairest among women? (RSV)
most beautiful of women?

O most beautiful among women?: The phrase most beautiful among women also occurred in 1:8, and you should translate it the same way in both verses. It is more literally “the beautiful one among women.” The man used this phrase to show his admiration for the woman. He compared her to other women, and indicated that she was more beautiful than any of them.

Translate this comparison in a natural way in your language. In some languages it may not be natural to use a phrase like this as direct address. Some other ways to translate it are:

As a statement. For example:
You are the most beautiful of women. (NCV)
You are very beautiful. Other women are not beautiful beside you.
As an exclamation. For example:
Oh very beautiful woman among all other women!

Translate the phrase in a natural way in your language.

5:9c

How is your beloved better than another,

How is your beloved better than another beloved,
What makes your man so special,

5:9d

that you charge us so?

that you make us swear to do that?
that we should promise you?

5:9c–d

How is your beloved better than another, that you charge us so?: In 5:9c the author repeated the question in 5:9a and added the clause in 5:9d. With this added clause, the question implies that 5:9c is the reason for 5:9d. Because her beloved was better than other lovers, she made the women swear to tell him that she longed for him.

Some other ways to translate this question are:

How is your beloved better than others that you want us to swear such an oath?

What is so wonderful about your lover that you make us swear to tell him that?

Why do you want us to swear that? What makes your lover so special?

that you charge us so?: The phrase that you charge us so means “that you want to make us swear that oath.” It implies that the woman wants them to swear to give him her message because he is especially wonderful and important to her.The logical relation between 5:9c and 5:9d is probably grounds-conclusion. [0] Most English versions use the connector word that. Another way to translate 5:9c–d is:

How is your lover better than other lovers? Why do you want us to promise this? (NCV)

charge: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as charge means “to place/put under oath.” It indicates that someone requires another person to take an oath. Often, the oath requires the person to do something (or not to do something). Here the oath requires the women to give the woman’s message to her beloved if they see him.

In some languages oaths are connected with evil spirits that torment people who fail to perform the oath. That is not the meaning here. So if that is true in your language, use a different word that does not imply that.

Some other ways to translate this verb are:

adjure (RSV)

make us promise

General Comment on 5:9

Some scholars suggest that in 5:9 the Jerusalem women teased the woman. They seemed to doubt that the man was so special. Their question gave the woman an opportunity to describe her beloved for them in 5:10–16. Other scholars suggest that the women wanted her to describe him to help them in their search. However, the women probably knew what he looked like. (In 1:3 the woman mentioned that they loved him.)

When the woman described the man in 5:10–18, she used figures of speech. For example, she said that “His lips are like lilies” (5:13c) and “His eyes are like doves” (5:12a). She used these figures of speech to imply her feelings about him. She did not use realistic descriptions.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-poetry

מַה־דּוֹדֵ֣⁠ךְ מִ⁠דּ֔וֹד הַ⁠יָּפָ֖ה בַּ⁠נָּשִׁ֑ים מַה־דּוֹדֵ֣⁠ךְ מִ⁠דּ֔וֹד שֶׁ⁠כָּ֖כָה הִשְׁבַּעְתָּֽ⁠נוּ

what? lover_of,your more,than_a_lover O,beautiful_[one] among,women what? lover_of,[is]_your more,than_a_lover (cmp),thus you,have_adjured_us

The phrase What is your beloved more than another beloved is repeated for emphasis. This is a common feature of Hebrew poetry, and you may want to begin a new line at the start of each parallel statement. However, if it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine them into one. Alternate translation: [What is your beloved more than another beloved, most beautiful among women, that thus you adjure us] or [Most beautiful among women, what is your beloved more than another beloved, that thus you adjure us]

מַה־דּוֹדֵ֣⁠ךְ מִ⁠דּ֔וֹד

what? lover_of,your more,than_a_lover

Alternate translation: [What makes the man you love better than other men] or [What is so special about the man you love]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

מַה־דּוֹדֵ֣⁠ךְ מִ⁠דּ֔וֹד הַ⁠יָּפָ֖ה בַּ⁠נָּשִׁ֑ים

what? lover_of,your more,than_a_lover O,beautiful_[one] among,women

If it would be more natural in your language, you could change the order of these phrases. Alternate translation: [Most beautiful among women, what is your beloved more than another beloved]

הַ⁠יָּפָ֖ה בַּ⁠נָּשִׁ֑ים

O,beautiful_[one] among,women

See how you translated the phrase most beautiful among women in [1:8](../01/08.md).

שֶׁ⁠כָּ֖כָה הִשְׁבַּעְתָּֽ⁠נוּ

(cmp),thus you,have_adjured_us

Alternate translation: [with the result that thus you adjure us] or [with the result that you request us to promise that we tell him that] or [that would make you want to thus adjure us]

Note 3 topic: writing-oathformula

הִשְׁבַּעְתָּֽ⁠נוּ

you,have_adjured_us

See how you translated the word adjure in the previous verse.

Parallel SNG 5:9