SNG 6:13 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.

OET (OET-RV) Return, return, woman from Shulam.
⇔ Return, return and let us look at you.
⇔ Why do you look at the Shulammite
⇔ like the dance of two armies?

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).

ULT Return, return, Shulammite,
⇔ return, return and let us look at you.
⇔ 
¶  Why do you look at the Shulammite
⇔ like the dance of two armies?

UST Come back to us, beautiful woman from Shulam,
⇔ come back to us, in order that we may see you!
⇔ Why do you want to look at the beautiful woman from Shulam,
⇔ as if she were a dancer who dances to entertain armies?

BSB Come back, come back, O Shulammite!
⇔ Come back, come back, that we may gaze upon you.
⇔ Why do you look at the Shulammite,
⇔ as on the dance of Mahanaim[fn]?

OEB No OEB SNG book available

WEBBE Return, return, Shulammite!
⇔ Return, return, that we may gaze at you.
⇔ Why do you desire to gaze at the Shulammite,
⇔ as at the dance of Mahanaim?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Turn , turn, O Perfect One!
⇔ Turn, turn, that I may stare at you!
⇔ Why do you gaze upon the Perfect One
⇔ like the dance of the Mahanaim?

LSV Return, return, O Shulammith! Return, return, and we look on you. What do you see in Shulammith?

FBV Come back, come back, Shulammite woman; come back, come back, so we can look at you![fn]
¶ Why do you want to look at the Shulammite dancing the dance of two camps?[fn]

6:13 Some see this line as spoken by the women of Jerusalem.

6:13 “The dance of two camps”: meaning unclear. Some see it as a reference to the place name in Genesis 32:1-3 in which case it would be the “dance of Mahanaim,” but what this would indicate is unknown.

T4T You who are the perfect one,
⇔ come back to us, in order that we may see you!
⇔ Why do you want to look at this woman who is perfect,
⇔ like [SIM] you like to watch two rows/lines of people dancing?

LEB No LEB SNG 6:13 verse available

BBE Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, so that our eyes may see you. What will you see in the Shulammite? A sword-dance.

Moff “Maid of Shulem, turn, ah turn, turn, ah turn, that we may see you.”
⇔ And what would you see in the maid of Shulem?
⇔ “We would see her in the sword-dance.”

JPS (7-1) Return, return, O Shulammite; Return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulammite? As it were a dance of two companies.

ASV ⇔ Return, return, O Shulammite;
⇔ Return, return, that we may look upon thee.
⇔ Why will ye look upon the Shulammite,
⇔ As upon the dance of Mahanaim?

DRA No DRA SNG 6:13 verse available

YLT Return, return, O Shulammith! Return, return, and we look upon thee. What do ye see in Shulammith?

Drby Return, return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon thee. — What would ye look upon in the Shulamite? — As it were the dance of two camps.

RV Return, return, O Shulammite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. Why will ye look upon the Shulammite, as upon the dance of Mahanaim?
(Return, return, Oh Shulammite; return, return, that we may look upon thee/you. Why will ye/you_all look upon the Shulammite, as upon the dance of Mahanaim? )

SLT Turn back, turn back, thou Shulamite; turn back, turn back, and we will look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As the stringed instrument of the camps.

Wbstr Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

KJB-1769 Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.[fn]
(Return, return, Oh Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee/you. What will ye/you_all see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies. )

6.13 of…: or, of Mahanaim

KJB-1611 [fn]Returne, returne, O Shulamite; returne, returne, that we may looke vpon thee: what will yee see in the Shulamite? as it were the company of two armies.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation and footnotes)

6:13 Or of Mahanaim.

Bshps Turne agayne turne agayne O thou perfect one, turne agayne turne agayne and we wyll loke vpon thee: What will ye see in the Sulamite? She is lyke men of warre singing in a companie.
(Turn again turn again Oh thou/you perfect one, turn again turn again and we will look upon thee/you: What will ye/you_all see in the Sulamite? She is like men of war singing in a company.)

Gnva No Gnva SNG 6:13 verse available

Cvdl Turne againe, turne againe (O thou Sulamite) turne agayne, turne agayne, that we maye loke vpon the. What pleasure haue ye more in ye Sulamite, than when she daunseth amonge the men of warre?
(Turn again, turn again (Oh thou/you Sulamite) turn again, turn again, that we may look upon them. What pleasure have ye/you_all more in ye/you_all Sulamite, than when she danceth/dances among the men of war?)

Wycl No Wycl SNG 6:13 verse available

Luth No Luth SNG 6:13 verse available

ClVg No ClVg SNG 6:13 verse available

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 6:4–8:4: The man praised the woman and sang about springtime

In this section the man described the woman in two separate speeches (6:4–10 and 7:1–10). Some verses are difficult to understand, especially 6:11–13, and it is important to think about them carefully. The woman responded to the man in 7:11 and continued to speak to the end of the section at 8:4.

The verse numbering in the Hebrew text is different from the BSB and a majority of English versions. The Hebrew text begins chapter 7 where the BSB begins 6:13, so in chapter 7 the verses in the Hebrew text are one number higher than the verse numbers in the BSB. For example, 6:13–7:13 in the BSB is 7:1–14 in the Hebrew text (and also in the NJB and NJPS). It is helpful to be aware that some commentaries follow the Hebrew verse numbering. The Notes will follow the verse numbers in the BSB (along with the majority of English versions).

Paragraph 6:11–13 She went to the orchard and imagined her beloved as a prince

It is difficult to be certain about who speaks in 6:11–13. There are also several ways to interpret the verses, and English versions vary greatly. The Notes recommends an interpretation that agrees with the author’s themes throughout the Song, and in general it follows the BSB text. The Notes for these verses include suggestions for footnotes that translators may include to tell readers the different interpretation options.

6:13–7:13

The verse numberings were added to the Hebrew text by men who copied it hundreds of years after the text itself was first written. In this verse the numbering is different from the numbering in most English versions, including the BSB. The Hebrew text numbers this verse as 7:1, but the BSB numbers it as 6:13. Because of that, each Hebrew verse in chapter 7 is one number higher than the BSB text. The BSB’s 6:13–7:13 are 7:1–14 in Hebrew. The Notes continues to use the numbering of the BSB.

6:13a

Come back, come back, O Shulammite!

Return, return, O Shulammite, (RSV)
Oh girl/woman from Shulam, please return!

Come back, come back, O Shulammite!: This line is parallel to 6:13b. The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as Come back occurs twice here and twice in 6:13b for emphasis. There are different ways to interpret the word in this context:

It means “return, come back.” For example:
Come back! Come back, young girl from Shulam… (NJB) (BSB, ESV, GW, NASB, NCV, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, REB, RSV)The NET and the NABRE have “turn” here. For example, the NABRE says, “Turn, turn, O Shulammite.” In this context the word “turn” seems somewhat ambiguous. It may imply that the friends were asking her to turn around and return to them (as in the first interpretation) or that she should turn as a part of the dance they wanted her to do for them.
It means “dance.” For example:
Dance, dance, girl of Shulam. (GNT) (GNT, CEV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). But interpretation (2) is also acceptable. Although 6:13d refers to a dance, the text does not explicitly say that the woman actually danced. Interpretation (1) implies that the women were asking her to return to them and not to go away.

In some languages, repeating the phrase Come back may not emphasize it, or the repetition may not be natural. If that is true in your language, use a different type of emphasis. For example:

Use punctuation for emphasis. For example, the NRSV has an exclamation mark:
Return, return, O Shulammite! (NRSV)
Use a word or phrase that adds emphasis. For example:
Please return, O Shulammite!
Oh return to us, woman from Shulam!
Use two different words or phrases. For example:
Come back, Shulam woman, return to us!

In some languages it may be more natural to begin the verse with the direct address to the woman. Use a natural way in your language to address her. Some other ways to translate 6:13a are:

Shulam woman, come back!

Please return, lady from Shulam!

Come back, return, Shulam girl!

O: The exclamation O in the BSB indicates that the women spoke directly to the Shulammite. It also adds emphasis to the women’s request that she return. Use a natural way in your language to emphasize the request. See the examples in the preceding note.

Shulammite: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as Shulammite probably indicates that the woman is from the town of Shulam.Most English versions follow this interpretation, including BSB, ESV, GW, NASB, NCV, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, REB, RSV, and GNT. However, the Hebrew word means “perfect one,” or “peaceful one,” and the NET translates, “Turn, turn, O Perfect One!” The CEV has, “Beautiful woman from Shulam.” Some scholars suggest that the Hebrew name Shulammite is the feminine form of the name “Solomon.” Another suggestion is that “Shulammite” refers to Abishag, the beautiful virgin from the village of Shunem who served King David (1 Kings 1:1–4). (Shulammite is not her name.) For example:

Come back! Come back, young girl from Shulam… (NJB)

It is possible that the word Shulam is derived from the Hebrew root meaning “whole,” “complete” or “perfect.” However, in this context the word has the definite article, so it is more likely that it is a title indicating that she is from Shulam.

6:13b

Come back, come back, that we may gaze upon you.

come back, come back so that we may gaze on you.
Turn back and stay with us so that we may continue to look at you.

Come back, come back, that we may gaze upon you: This line is parallel to 6:13a. It adds the new phrase that we may gaze upon you. The author repeated the friends’ request (Come back, come back) from 6:13a, so that the phrase come back occurs four times. This repetition emphasizes that the Jerusalem women really wanted the woman to return. They wanted to look at her and enjoy her beauty.

In some languages it may not be natural to repeat the phrase come back so many times. Use a natural way in your language to emphasize it. For example:

Please come back! We really want to look at you.

come back, that we may gaze upon you: The reason that the friends want the woman to return is so that they can look at her or “gaze at” her again. Some other ways to translate the reason for the request are:

please return so that we may enjoy/gaze-at your great beauty.

come back to us, so that we may gaze at you.

please return and let us have the pleasure of seeing you

6:13c

Why do you look at the Shulammite,

Why do you want to gaze on me, a girl from Shulam,
I am an ordinary woman from Shulam. I do not want you to stare/look at me

6:13d

as on the dance of Mahanaim?

as though you were looking at a dance for two armies?
as if I were dancing for two groups of soldiers.

6:13c–d

Why do you look at the Shulammite, as on the dance of Mahanaim?: Here the woman asked a rhetorical question. Scholars are not sure about what the question implies,Some motives that scholars suggest are modesty, insecurity, teasing, flirting, sarcasm, or rebuke. but the meaning is probably similar to the meaning of her statement in 1:6a, “Do not stare at me.”In 1:6 the woman expressed modesty by mentioning her sun-burned appearance. In 2:1 she also modestly compared herself to a common wildflower. She asked the chorus why they wanted to gaze at her. She did not think that she was so beautiful. Maybe she did not want to be the center of attention or a source of entertainment. The other women’s motive and interest in watching her was not like her beloved’s motive—he looked at her because he loved her. In 6:4–9 the man praised her, and in 6:10 the women praised her. In that culture, it often made a moral woman feel uneasy if she received too much praise.Following the woman’s modest statement in 2:1, the man lovingly contradicted her by praising her beauty in 2:2. In a similar manner following her modest statement in 6:13, the man went on to praise her beauty in 7:1–9. So this seems to be another example of the “modesty” motif. Looking back to 1:7 there might be another similarity. She did not want to go through the shepherds’ camp and be taken for an immoral girl. Perhaps here too she wanted to stay out of the limelight. She did not want to be viewed as a camp dancer or an entertainer.

In some languages a rhetorical question with Why may wrongly imply that the woman was angry with the other women. Some other ways to translate the meaning are:

Use a different type of rhetorical question. For example:
Should you look at this girl from Shulam, as though I were an entertainer?
Make the meaning more explicit with a statement and a question. For example:
What pleasure will you get from looking at me? I am only an ordinary girl from Shulam.
I’m only a girl from Shulam. Why do you look at me as if I were an entertaining dancer?
Use a statement. For example:
There is no reason to keep looking at me, since I am just a young girl from Shulam.
You should not gaze at me as though I were a camp dancer. I am only a girl from Shulam.

Use a natural way in your language to communicate the meaning that the woman implied.

as on the dance of Mahanaim?: There is an ellipsis in this part of the verse. The full form is:

as though you are looking upon a dance before two armies

The woman used the phrase to describe the way the other women looked at her. The meaning of the Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates as as on the dance of Mahanaim is uncertain. Some ways to interpret it are:

It means “a dance before two armies.” This implies performing a dance for soldiers. For example:
as upon a dance before two armies (ESV) (ESV, NCV, RSV, NASB)
The word “Mahanaim” refers to the name of a place. Although the place name means “two groups,” the whole phrase means “the dance of Mahanaim.” For example:
as on the dance of Mahanaim (NIV) (BSB, GW, NET, NIV, NJPS)
It means “two groups of dancers.” It refers to dancing with other people in two groups. (or to two rows of people watching the dance). For example:
as she moves so gracefully between two lines of dancers (NLT) (NJB, NLT, REB, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). However, it is not possible to be certain about the correct option, and any of the three options is acceptable.Options (1) and (3) are fairly literal translations based on the Hebrew, “the dance of the two groups.” Option (2) is a transliteration of the Hebrew and indicates that this may be the name of the dance, probably named after a village called Mahanaim. In some languages interpretation (1) may be confusing, and a literal translation of 6:13c–d may imply an immoral action. If that is true in your language, you may follow interpretation (2) or (3) instead.

The dance that the woman referred to was probably beautiful and entertaining. But the woman did not want the other women to look at her as though she were an entertainer.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / extrainfo

שׁ֤וּבִי שׁ֨וּבִי֙ הַ⁠שּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית שׁ֥וּבִי שׁ֖וּבִי וְ⁠נֶחֱזֶה־בָּ֑⁠ךְ

(shūⱱī shūⱱī ha⁠shshūlammit shūⱱī shūⱱī və⁠neḩₑzeh-bā⁠k)

It is difficult to know with certainty who is saying this. Because the author does not say who is speaking here, you should not indicate a speaker in the text of your translation. However, if you are using section headers, the speaker could be: (1) the young women of Jerusalem. If you decide this is who is speaking, you can indicate that with a section header. (2) friends of the man and woman. If you decide that this is who is speaking, you can place a section header indicating that. (3) the man. If you decide that this is who is speaking here, you can use a section header to indicate that.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

הַ⁠שּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית & בַּ⁠שּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית

(ha⁠shshūlammit & ba⁠shshūlammit)

The word translated as Shulammite refers to someone who is from the town of Shulam. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could include this information. Alternate translation: [woman from Shulam … at the woman from Shulam]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / reduplication

שׁ֤וּבִי שׁ֨וּבִי֙ הַ⁠שּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית שׁ֥וּבִי שׁ֖וּבִי וְ⁠נֶחֱזֶה־בָּ֑⁠ךְ

(shūⱱī shūⱱī ha⁠shshūlammit shūⱱī shūⱱī və⁠neḩₑzeh-bā⁠k)

The man is repeating the verb return for emphasis. If your language can repeat words for emphasis, it would be good to do that here. If not, your language may express the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: [Return Shulammite, return and let us look at you] or [Please return Shulammite, and let us look at you]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

מַֽה־תֶּחֱזוּ֙ בַּ⁠שּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית כִּ⁠מְחֹלַ֖ת הַֽ⁠מַּחֲנָֽיִם

(mah-teḩₑzū ba⁠shshūlammit ki⁠məḩolat ha⁠mmaḩₐnāyim)

It is difficult to know with certainty who is saying this. Because the author does not say who is speaking here, you should not indicate this in the text of your translation. However, if you are using section headers to indicate who is speaking, the speaker could be: (1) the man. If you decide that the man is speaking here, you can indicate this with a section header above this part of the verse. (2) the woman speaking of herself in the third person. If you decide that the woman is speaking here, you can place a section header indicating this.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

כִּ⁠מְחֹלַ֖ת הַֽ⁠מַּחֲנָֽיִם

(ki⁠məḩolat ha⁠mmaḩₐnāyim)

The speaker is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need to be complete. You could supply these words from the context if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [like you look at the dance of two armies] or [like you would look at the dance of two armies]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / simile