SNG 6:1 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not necessarily 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 Bible-translators and others 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 early looks into the drafted 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 Speaker(s)=Yerushalem's young women (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 Ποῦ ἀπῆλθεν ὁ ἀδελφιδός σου ἡ καλὴ ἐν γυναιξὶ; ποῦ ἀπέβλεψεν ὁ ἀδελφιδός σου; καὶ ζητήσομεν αὐτὸν μετὰ σοῦ.
(Pou apaʸlthen ho adelfidos sou haʸ kalaʸ en gunaixi; pou apeblepsen ho adelfidos sou; kai zaʸtaʸsomen auton meta sou.)

BrTr Whither is thy kinsman gone, thou beautiful among women? whither has thy kinsman turned aside? tell us, and we will seek him with thee.

ULT Where did he go, your beloved,
⇔ most beautiful woman among women?
⇔ Where did he turn, your beloved,
⇔ and let us seek him with you?

UST You who are the most beautiful of the women,
⇔ where has the man you love gone?
⇔ Tell us which direction he went,
⇔ and we will go with you to search for him.

BSB Where has your beloved gone,
⇔ O most beautiful among women?
⇔ Which way has he turned?
⇔ We will seek him with you.

OEB No OEB SNG 6:1 book available

WEBBE Where has your beloved gone, you fairest amongst women?
⇔ Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?

NET Where has your beloved gone,
⇔ O most beautiful among women?
⇔ Where has your beloved turned?
⇔ Tell us, that we may seek him with you.

LSV To where has your beloved gone,
O beautiful among women? To where has your beloved turned,
And we seek him with you?

FBV So where has your love gone, most beautiful of women? Which direction did he go so we can look for him with you?

T4T You who are the most beautiful of all the women,
⇔ where has the one who loves you gone?
⇔ If you tell us which [RHQ] direction he went,
⇔ we will go with you to search for him.

LEB • Where has your beloved gone,
• O most beautiful among women?
• Where has your beloved turned
• that we may seek him with you?

BBE Where is your loved one gone, O most fair among women? Where is your loved one turned away, that we may go looking for him with you?

Moff “And where has your darling gone,
⇔ O fairest of women
⇔ where has your darling wandered,
⇔ that we may look for him too?”

JPS 'Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither hath thy beloved turned him, that we may seek him with thee?'

ASV Whither is thy beloved gone,
⇔ O thou fairest among women?
⇔ Whither hath thy beloved turned him,
⇔ That we may seek him with thee?

DRA (SNG 5:17) Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou most beautiful among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside, and we will seek him with thee?

YLT Whither hath thy beloved gone, O fair among women? Whither hath thy beloved turned, And we seek him with thee?

Drby Whither is thy beloved gone, Thou fairest among women? Whither is thy beloved turned aside? And we will seek him with thee.

RV Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither hath thy beloved turned him, that we may seek him with thee?
(Whither/Where is thy/your beloved gone, Oh thou/you fairest among women? whither/where hath/has thy/your beloved turned him, that we may seek him with thee/you?)

SLT Where went thy beloved, O beautiful one among women? where turned away thy beloved, and we will seek him with thee.

Wbstr Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.

KJB-1769 Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.
(Whither/Where is thy/your beloved gone, Oh thou/you fairest among women? whither/where is thy/your beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee/you.)

KJB-1611 ¶ Whither is thy beloued gone? O thou fairest among women, whither is thy beloued turned aside? that we may seeke him with thee.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Whyther is thy loue gone then O thou fairest among women? whyther is thy loue departed, and we wyll seke hym with thee?
(Whither/Where is thy/your love gone then Oh thou/you fairest among women? whither/where is thy/your love departed, and we will seek him with thee/you?)

Gnva My welbeloued is gone downe into his garden to the beds of spices, to feede in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
(My well-beloved is gone down into his garden to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.)

Cvdl Whither is thy loue gone the (o thou fayrest amonge weme) whither is thy loue departed, that we maye seke him with the?
(Whither/Where is thy/your love gone the (o thou/you fairest among women) whither/where is thy/your love departed, that we may seek him with the?)

Wycl (SNG 5:17) Thou faireste of wymmen, whidur yede thi derlyng? whidur bowide thi derlyng? and we schulen seke hym with thee.
(Thou/You fairest of women, whither/where went thy/your darling? whither/where bowed thy/your darling? and we should seek him with thee/you.)

Luth Wo ist denn dein Freund hingegangen, o du Schönste unter den Weibern? Wo hat sich dein Freund hingewandt? So wollen wir mit dir ihn suchen.
(Where is because/than your(s) friend went_there, o you(sg) most_beautiful_(one) under the women? Where has itself/yourself/themselves your(s) friend turned_towards? So want we/us with you/to_you(sg) him/it search_for.)

ClVg (SNG 5:17) Chorus Quo abiit dilectus tuus, o pulcherrima mulierum? quo declinavit dilectus tuus? et quæremus eum tecum.][fn]
(Chorus Where he_went/is_gone beloved your(sg), o most_beautiful of_women? where declined beloved your(sg)? and we_will_seek him with_you.])

5.17 Quo abiit dilectus. Audita qualitate dilecti, de qua quæsierant filiæ Jerusalem, addunt aliam quæstionem: quia enumeratis tot laudibus, quis audiens non concupiscat? et hoc in unitate sanctæ Ecclesiæ inquiri oportet, in qualium corde potissimum, et in quo genere conversationis Dominus soleat inveniri. Quo abiit, non relinquendo eos in quibus erat, sed ubi alios associet, et post alios etiam alios invitet, et sic abire, et declinare dicitur, ad modum candelæ, quæ cum accensa sit, multas alias circumquaque accendit, ipsa tamen nihil patiens detrimenti. Quo abiit. GREG. Sciendum, quod Deus, qui ubique est, in loco est, sed localis non est. Locale dicitur, quod circumscribitur secundum partes loci supra et infra, ante et retro, dextera et sinistra. Cum vero angeli et humanæ animæ loco circumscribi non possunt, longe minus illa incomprehensibilis substantia. Major vero cognitio, quæ in præsenti de Deo haberi potest, et secundum ejus sola opera: quia quod altius est, in carne possumus mirificentiam operum Dei subtiliter attendere. Quo abiit dilectus tuus, o pulcherrima mulierum. Licet Deus communi modo omnibus rebus insit, præsentia, potentia, substantia, tamen familiari modo dicitur inesse, id est, per gratiam, illis, quibus opera sua videntur mirabiliora, qui licet plenam Dei notitiam non habeant, tamen mirificentiam operum Dei acutius considerant.

5.17 Where he_went/is_gone beloved. Heard quality beloved, from/about which they_had_sought daughters Yerusalem, they_add another question: because you(pl)_enumerate so_many praises, who/any hearing not/no may_desire? and this in/into/on unity holy Assemblies/Churches to_be_investigated it_is_necessary, in/into/on of_whatever_kind heart most_chiefly, and in/into/on where in_general conversation Master may_be_in_the_habit_of to_be_found. Where he_went/is_gone, not/no to_be_left them in/into/on to_whom was, but where others may_join, and after others also others may_invite, and so to_go_away, and to_decline it_is_said, to way tallow_candle, which when/with lit be, fines others on_every_side lights_up, herself nevertheless nothing patient diminishment. Where he_went/is_gone. GREG. To_be_known, that God, who/which everywhere it_is, in/into/on instead it_is, but local not/no it_is. Local it_is_said, that is_abridged after/second parts loci above and below, before and back, right_hand and left_side. Since indeed/however messengers/angels and human soul instead to_be_abridged not/no they_can, far_away minus that incomprehensible substance. Mayor indeed/however knowledge, which in/into/on present from/about to_God to_be_had can, and after/second his/her alone opera: because that higher it_is, in/into/on flesh/meat we_can wonderfullyntiam works of_God subtly to_attend. Where he_went/is_gone beloved your(sg), o most_beautiful of_women. It’s_possible God common just/only to_all things may_be_in, presence, power, substance, nevertheless domestic just/only it_is_said to_be_in, that it_is, through grace, to_them, to_whom works his_own they_seem more_wonderfula, who/which although full of_God knowledge not/no let_them_have, nevertheless wonderfullyntiam works of_God more_sharply they_consider.

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 6:1–3 The man was in his garden

In 5:10–16 the woman answered the women’s question by describing the man. Here in 6:1, the women responded with another question. They asked the woman where the man went, and they offered to help her find him (6:1). When she responded in 6:2–3, she said that her beloved was in his garden. (He was not missing.) Maybe she realized where he was when she praised him to the women. She realized that she and her beloved were still committed to each other, as she said in 6:3, “I belong to my beloved and he belongs to me.”

The “garden” in 6:2 is probably a metaphor for the woman. In 4:12–5:1 the man described the woman as a “garden.” In 4:16–5:1 she described herself as “his garden.”

Although 6:1 begins a new chapter, the poetic section continues until 6:3. It is helpful to show in some way that the chapter division does not indicate the end of the poetic section. This may be done with section headings, line breaks, or a footnote.

6:1a

Where has your beloved gone,

Where has your love gone,
Where did your true love go,

Where has your beloved gone: In 5:8 the woman asked the other women to give her beloved a message if they saw him. Because of what she said, the other women thought that she did not know where he was. So in 6:1 they offered to help her find him. They asked her where he went, because they wanted to know where to start their search. This clause is parallel to 6:1c. Some other ways to translate the question are:

where has your lover gone? (GNT)

Which way did your beloved turn (REB)

tell us where he has gone (CEV)

6:1b

O most beautiful among women?

fairest of women?
O woman of rare beauty? (NLT)

O most beautiful among women: The phrase most beautiful among women also occurred in 1:8 and 5:9, and you should translate it the same way in all three verses. For more information, see the notes on 5:9a–b.

6:1c

Which way has he turned?

Tell us which way your true love turned,
Which direction did your love go?

6:1d

We will seek him with you.

so that we may search for him with you?
Tell us, so that we^(excl) can help you find him.

6:1c–d

Which way has he turned? We will seek him with you: In 6:1c–d the Jerusalem women repeated the question that they asked in 6:1a, and then they told their purpose for the question: They wanted to help the woman search for her beloved. They implied that she should tell them which way he went when he left her. Some other ways to translate 6:1c–d are:

Where has your beloved turned? Tell us, that we may seek him with you. (NET)

What direction did he go/take? We want to help you search for him.

Which way has he turned: The clause Which way has he turned is parallel to 6:1a and has a similar meaning. It means “in which direction” or “which way did your beloved go?” Some other ways to translate the clause are:

Tell us which way your lover went (GNT)

Which way did he turn…? (NLT)

General Comment on 6:1

Scholars have different ideas about why the Jerusalem women wanted to help the woman search for the man. Some scholars think that their motives were good, and they wanted to help their friend find him. Other scholars think that they were teasing or mocking her. Others think that they were jealous, or that they only wanted to look at this handsome man. In the context, it seems most likely that their motives were pure and they really wanted to help the woman.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

אָ֚נָה הָלַ֣ךְ דּוֹדֵ֔⁠ךְ הַ⁠יָּפָ֖ה בַּ⁠נָּשִׁ֑ים אָ֚נָה פָּנָ֣ה דוֹדֵ֔⁠ךְ וּ⁠נְבַקְשֶׁ֖⁠נּוּ עִמָּֽ⁠ךְ

where gone lover_of,your where (Some words not found in UHB: where gone lover_of,your O,beautiful_[one] among,women where turned lover_of,your so,that,we_may_seek_him with,you )

The questions Where did he go, your beloved and Where did he turn, your beloved have basically the same meaning. This question is asked twice, in slightly different ways, for emphasis and poetic effect. This type of repetition is a common feature of Hebrew poetry, and it would be good to retain this repetition if possible. However, if it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine the phrases into one. Alternate translation: [Where did he go, your beloved, most beautiful woman among women? Let us seek him with you] or [Most beautiful woman among women, where did he turn your beloved? Let us seek him with you]

אָ֚נָה הָלַ֣ךְ דּוֹדֵ֔⁠ךְ & אָ֚נָה פָּנָ֣ה דוֹדֵ֔⁠ךְ

where gone lover_of,your & where (Some words not found in UHB: where gone lover_of,your O,beautiful_[one] among,women where turned lover_of,your so,that,we_may_seek_him with,you )

Alternate translation: [Where did your beloved go … Where did your beloved turn]

הַ⁠יָּפָ֖ה בַּ⁠נָּשִׁ֑ים

(Some words not found in UHB: where gone lover_of,your O,beautiful_[one] among,women where turned lover_of,your so,that,we_may_seek_him with,you )

See how you translated the phrase most beautiful woman among women in 1:8.

אָ֚נָה פָּנָ֣ה דוֹדֵ֔⁠ךְ

where where (Some words not found in UHB: where gone lover_of,your O,beautiful_[one] among,women where turned lover_of,your so,that,we_may_seek_him with,you )

Alternate translation: [Which way did your beloved go]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וּ⁠נְבַקְשֶׁ֖⁠נּוּ עִמָּֽ⁠ךְ