SNG 7:2 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=minor/spelling Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Your navel is like a round bowl
⇔ that never lacks spiced wine.
⇔ Your belly is like a pile of threshed wheat
⇔ encircled with lily flowers.

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 Ὡραιώθησαν διαβήματά σου ἐν ὑποδήμασί σου, θύγατερ ναδάβ· ῥυθμοὶ μηρῶν ὅμοιοι ὁρμίσκοις, ἔργον τεχνίτου.
(Hōraiōthaʸsan diabaʸmata sou en hupodaʸmasi sou, thugater nadab; ɽuthmoi maʸrōn homoioi hormiskois, ergon teⱪnitou. )

BrTr Thy steps are beautiful in shoes, O daughter of the prince: the joints of thy thighs are like chains, the work of the craftsman.

ULT Your navel is the rounded bowl—
⇔ that never lacks spiced wine.
⇔ Your belly is a heap of wheat
⇔ encircled with the lilies.

UST Your navel is like a round bowl
⇔ that is always full of wine mixed with spices.
⇔ Your belly is like a pile of wheat
⇔ with lilies growing around it.

BSB Your navel is a rounded goblet;
⇔ it never lacks blended wine.
⇔ Your waist is a mound of wheat
⇔ encircled by the lilies.

OEB No OEB SNG book available

WEBBE Your body is like a round goblet,
⇔ no mixed wine is wanting.
⇔ Your waist is like a heap of wheat,
⇔ set about with lilies.

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(1-12)Shapely and graceful your sandaled feet,
  and queenly your movement—
Your limbs are lithe and elegant,
  the work of a master artist.
Your body is a chalice,
  wine-filled.
Your skin is silken and tawny
  like a field of wheat touched by the breeze.
Your breasts are like fawns,
  twins of a gazelle.
Your neck is carved ivory, curved and slender.
  Your eyes are wells of light, deep with mystery.
  Quintessentially feminine!
Your profile turns all heads,
  commanding attention.
The feelings I get when I see the high mountain ranges
  —stirrings of desire, longings for the heights—
Remind me of you,
  and I’m spoiled for anyone else!
Your beauty, within and without, is absolute,
  dear lover, close companion.
You are tall and supple, like the palm tree,
  and your full breasts are like sweet clusters of dates.
I say, “I’m going to climb that palm tree!
  I’m going to caress its fruit!”
Oh yes! Your breasts
  will be clusters of sweet fruit to me,
Your breath clean and cool like fresh mint,
  your tongue and lips like the best wine.
The Woman

NET Your navel is a round mixing bowl –
⇔ may it never lack mixed wine!
⇔ Your belly is a mound of wheat,
⇔ encircled by lilies.

LSV Your waist [is] a basin of roundness,
It does not lack the mixture,
Your body a heap of wheat, fenced with lilies,

FBV Your navel is like a round bowl—may it never lack spiced wine![fn] Your abdomen is like a mound of wheat surrounded by lilies.

7:2 The meaning of this phrase is unclear.

T4T Your navel is like [MET] a round bowl
⇔ that is always full of wine mixed with spices.
⇔ Your waist is like [SIM] a mound/bundle of wheat
⇔ with lilies growing around it.

LEB • Your navel is a round wine-mixing bowl[fn] that does not lack mixed[fn] wine!
• Your belly is a heap of wheat
• encircled with lilies.

7:? Literally “a bowl of the roundness”

7:? Or “blended”

BBE Your stomach is a store of grain with lilies round it, and in the middle a round cup full of wine.

Moff your waist is round as a goble
⇔ (ever be it filled!)
⇔ your body a bundle of whea
⇔ encircled by lilies;

JPS (7-3) Thy navel is like a round goblet, wherein no mingled wine is wanting; thy belly is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies.

ASV Thy body is like a round goblet,
⇔ Wherein no mingled wine is wanting:
⇔ Thy waist is like a heap of wheat
⇔ Set about with lilies.

DRA Thy navel is like a round bowl never wanting cups. Thy belly is like a heap of wheat, set about with lilies.

YLT Thy waist [is] a basin of roundness, It lacketh not the mixture, Thy body a heap of wheat, fenced with lilies,

Drby Thy navel is a round goblet, [which] wanteth not mixed wine; Thy belly a heap of wheat, set about with lilies;

RV Thy navel is like a round goblet, wherein no mingled wine is wanting: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.
(Thy/Your navel is like a round goblet, wherein no mingled wine is wanting: thy/your belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies. )

SLT Thy navel a bowl of roundness, it will not want mixed wine; thy belly a heap of wheat enclosed with lilies.

Wbstr Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies.

KJB-1769 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.[fn]
(Thy/Your navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy/your belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies. )

7.2 liquor: Heb. mixture

KJB-1611 [fn]Thy nauell is like a round goblet, which wanteth not licour: thy belly is like an heape of wheate, set about with lillies.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation and footnotes)

7:2 Heb. mixture.

Bshps Thy nauell is lyke a rounde goblet, which is neuer without drynke. Thy wombe is like a heape of wheate that is set about with lilies.
(Thy/Your navel is like a round goblet, which is never without drink. Thy/Your womb is like a heap of wheat that is set about with lilies.)

Gnva Thy nauel is as a round cuppe that wanteth not licour: thy belly is as an heape of wheat compassed about with lilies.
(Thy/Your navel is as a round cup that wanteth not liquor: thy/your belly is as an heap of wheat compassed/surrounded about with lilies. )

Cvdl Thy nauell is like a rounde goblett, which is neuer without drynke: Thy wombe is like an heape of wheate, sett aboute with lilies:
(Thy/Your navel is like a round goblett, which is never without drink: Thy/Your womb is like an heap of wheat, set about with lilies:)

Wycl Thi nawle is as a round cuppe, and wel formed, that hath neuere nede to drynkis; thi wombe is as an heep of whete, biset aboute with lilies.
(Thy/Your navel is as a round cup, and well formed, that hath/has never need to drynkis; thy/your womb is as an heap of wheat, biset about with lilies.)

Luth Wie schön ist dein Gang in den Schuhen, du Fürstentochter! Deine Lenden stehen gleich aneinander wie zwo Spangen, die des Meisters Hand gemacht hat.
(How beautiful is your(s) gear/passage in the shoes, you(sg) prince(s)/ruler(s)tochter! Your lumbar stand even to_each_other as/like two clasps/buckles, the the master hand made has.)

ClVg Umbilicus tuus crater tornatilis, numquam indigens poculis. Venter tuus sicut acervus tritici vallatus liliis.[fn]
(Umbilicus your(sg) crater tornatilis, never indigens poculis. Belly your(sg) like acervus wheat fenced_off liliis. )

7.2 Umbilicus. Id est, infirmitas nostræ mortalitatis fit crater, quando infirmitatem nostram in nobis experti, ut alii per nos recognoscant, laboramus, vel aliquando eleemosynas damus. Tornatilis, id est rotundus et perfectus: qui enim ob id dat potum sitienti, vel calicem divini verbi porrigit erranti, ut a Deo remuneratore vel terrenam sapientiam exspectet: hujus crater non est torno factus, quia opus misericordiæ, quod fecit, non causa suæ fragilitatis erigendæ ad Deum fecit, sed terrenam mercedem requirit. Venter tuus. Venter noster acervus est tritici, cum memores nostræ fragilitatis, fructus bonorum operum, quibus perpetuo reficiamur, in præsenti vita nobis præparamus. Venter tuus. Quamvis sit inferior gradus, tamen triticea refectio erit Deo, quia in imo multi, in superiori pauci, non tamen dicimus in imo, id est, in peccato. Acervus. In imo latior, in summo angustior crescit. Sic et in nostris actionibus, quæ quanto altioris sunt meriti, tanto pauciores sui operarios inveniunt. In inferioribus plures sunt operarii. Multi de possessionibus eleemosynas tribuunt, pauci sunt qui possessiones relinquunt. Possunt in acervo tritici eleemosynæ, quas pauperibus erogamus, intelligi, et bene post craterem membra sponsæ acervo tritici comparantur, ut et potum et panem pauperibus dare signetur, quod et de corporali et spirituali refectione æque potest accipi. In apertis est doctrina poculum, in mysteriis est panis. Vallatus liliis. Cum omnia bona, quæ agimus, gratia videndæ æternæ claritatis gerimus. Et per hoc insidianti inimico aditum nostri cordis circumquaque obstruimus.

7.2 Umbilicus. That it_is, weakness our mortalitatis fit crater, when weakness ours in/into/on us experti, as others through us recognoscant, workamus, or sometimes eleemosynas damus. Tornatilis, that it_is rotundus and perfect: who/which because because that gives drink thirsty, or chalice/cup divine words porrigit they_are_wanderingi, as from to_God remuneratore or earthly wisdom exspectet: of_this crater not/no it_is torno became, because work/need of_mercy, that he_did, not/no cause his/her_own fragilitatis erigendæ to God he_did, but earthly a_reward requirit. Belly your(sg). Belly our acervus it_is wheat, when/with memores our fragilitatis, fruit of_goods works, to_whom forever reficiamur, in/into/on present life us beforeparamus. Belly your(sg). Although be lower degree/grade, nevertheless triticea refectio will_be to_God, because in/into/on rather multi, in/into/on superior a_few, not/no nevertheless we_say in/into/on rather, that it_is, in/into/on sin. Acervus. In rather latior, in/into/on top angustior grows. So and in/into/on ours actions, which how_much altioris are meriti, so_much a_fewores self to_workos I_foundunt. In lower_ones many are to_worki. Multi from/about possessions eleemosynas they_give, a_few are who/which possessions they_leave. Possunt in/into/on acervo wheat eleemosynæ, which to_the_poor I_will_begamus, to_be_understood, and well after craterem members brides acervo wheat are_compared, as and drink and bread/food to_the_poor dare signetur, that and from/about bodily and spiritual refectione equally can be_accepted. In apertis it_is teaching/instruction a_cup, in/into/on mysteries it_is bread/food. Vallatus liliis. Since everything good(s), which we_are_doing, grace seendæ eternal claritatis gerimus. And through this insidianti inimico aditum our of_the_heart circumquaque obstruimus.

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 7:1–10 The man praised the woman and she responded

In 7:1–9a the man sang another praise song to the woman, and then she responded in 7:9b–10. Here the man used a different order to describe her beauty. He began with her feet and moved upward to her head as the final focus. In other descriptions (4:1–5, 5:10–16, and 6:4–7) he began with the head and moved downward. Here, he described several parts of her body that he described earlier in the book (neck, eyes, breasts, hair, and head), and he mentioned some other parts for the first time. Notice that 7:3 is identical to 4:5a.

Scholars differ about whether the woman was dancing in this section. In 6:13 the woman said that she did not want spectators to look at her as though she were a dancer. In 7:1–10 the man did not describe her movements, but only her physical features. So, she was probably not dancing in this unit. Some scholars think that she was naked or dressed in transparent clothing, but that idea is not supported in the text.

These verses have many metaphors and similes, and scholars differ about how to interpret some of them. The Notes will discuss each one and give translation suggestions.

7:2a

Your navel is a rounded goblet;

Your navel is rounded like a drinking cup,
Your navel is like a well-shaped glass/bowl

7:2b

it never lacks blended wine.

and it is always filled with spiced wine.
continually full of blended wine.

7:2a–b

Your navel is a rounded goblet; it never lacks blended wine: Here the man used a metaphor. He compared the woman’s navel to a goblet that always has wine in it. It is the goblet that is filled with wine, not the woman’s navel. Her navel is like the goblet because it is round and can hold liquid. The wine in the goblet is a symbol of romantic love. This metaphor implies that the woman’s love excited the man, as if he were drinking wine.

Some ways to translate the metaphor are:

Use the metaphor and adapt it for your culture. For example:
your navel is a wine glass filled to overflowing. (CEV)
Use a simile. For example:
Your navel is like a round drinking cup always filled with wine. (NCV)
Your navel is like a gourd filled with wine.
Use a simile and indicate the meaning. For example:
Your navel is perfectly formed like a goblet filled with mixed wine. (NLT)
Translate the meaning without mentioning the bowl or cup. For example:
Your navel is as exciting as the best wine.

navel: In ancient Israel and all the countries near it, a woman’s navel was considered especially beautiful. Except for the GNT, all English versions refer explicitly to the navel. See the footnoteThe Hebrew word translated as “navel” in the BSB (and most English versions) is interpreted as a euphemism for the woman’s genitals by some commentators including Longman and Pope. (Pope bases his argument on a similarly spelled word in Arabic that means “vulva.”) These commentators also argue that the sequence of description from the feet upwards requires this interpretation since the order thigh, navel and belly would be out of logical ascending order. They interpret belly as the region below the navel, and they also assume that the poetic description would not avoid the genitals.However, according to Fox, the author was not strict about using an ascending order since, for example, the eyes are not lower than the nose (7:4). The order does not require a reader to reinterpret the word “navel.” In fact, there is no exegetical reason for reinterpreting it, especially with a sexual connotation that does not fit the Song’s modest tone.Mitchell comments: “All the philological evidence supports the meaning ‘navel’…Sadly, over the last two centuries commentators have increasingly chosen to ignore the obvious meaning of the Hebrew text….” for more information.

rounded goblet: The Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates as rounded goblet is literally “bowl the-roundness.” This type of goblet was often wide and round. Here the man used it to describe the woman’s navel. In some cultures it may not be appropriate to compare a woman’s navel to a goblet. It also may not be natural to describe the navel as “round.”

If that is true in your language, you may use a different comparison. For example:

your navel is like a wine glass

your navel is like a gourd for drinking

it never lacks blended wine: There are two main ways to interpret the Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates as it never lacks blended wine:

It is a statement that describes the woman’s navel. For example:
that never lacks blended wine… (NIV) (BSB, ESV, NASB, NCV, NIV, NJB, NLT, REB, RSV, GNT)
It is a wish or desire. For example:
Let mixed wine not be lacking… (NJPS) (GW, NET, NJPS)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English versions.The Hebrew verb is grammatically imperfect, but according to BART, it is jussive in meaning. This indicates wish or desire. Some commentators and a few English versions (GW, NET, and NJPS) follow this interpretation.

blended wine: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as blended wine is used only here in the OT. It probably refers to a special wine that is mixed with spices. Some other ways to translate it are:

spiced wine (GNT)

wine

delicious wine

For more information on how to translate wine, see the note on wine in 1:2b.

7:2c–d

Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by the lilies: The statement is 7:2c–d is a metaphor. It indicates that the woman’s waist was beautiful and nourishing like a pile of wheat surrounded by lilies. wheat was used to make bread, which was an important food in Palestine. lilies were very beautiful flowers.

Here wheat implies abundant food, and lilies imply beauty. Together these words imply that the woman’s love was like food and beauty for the man. Her navel satisfied him like food and made him feel happy. Some other ways to translate the metaphor are:

Use a simile. For example:
Your stomach is like a pile of wheat surrounded with lilies. (NCV)
Use a simile and indicate the meaning of the comparison. For example:
Your belly is lovely, like a heap of wheat set about with lilies. (NLT96)

7:2c

Your waist is a mound of wheat

Your stomach is like a pile of wheat (NCV)
Your belly is as beautiful as golden grain

Your waist is a mound of wheat: Here the man praised the woman by comparing her waist to a mound of wheat. Scholars are not sure how her waist was like a mound of wheat. They are also uncertain whether the mound of wheat refers to a pile of wheat grains or to wheat sheaves before a farmer removes the grains from them.

The pile of wheat grains probably had curved sides. The author may imply that the woman’s waist had similar curves and maybe also a golden color like ripe wheat grains or sheaves.

In some languages it may be necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

Your belly curves like a heap of wheat

Your stomach is lovely like a golden pile of wheat

It is important that readers understand that the man said this statement to praise the woman.

waist: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as waist refers to the part of the abdomen that contains the stomach. It is curved and gently protrudes. Use an appropriate word in your language for this part of the body.

7:2d

encircled by the lilies.

surrounded by lilies.
that has beautiful flowers/lilies growing all around it.

encircled by the lilies: The phrase encircled by the lilies gives another detail about the waist in 7:2c. It indicates that the mound of wheat has lilies growing all around it. It does not imply that the woman’s waist also has lilies around it. Rather, it indicates that the woman’s waist is as beautiful as a mound of wheat surrounded by lilies.

lilies: For more information about lilies, see the note at 2:16b.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

שָׁרְרֵ⁠ךְ֙ אַגַּ֣ן הַ⁠סַּ֔הַר אַל־יֶחְסַ֖ר הַ⁠מָּ֑זֶג