SNG 8:5 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 Τίς αὕτη ἡ ἀναβαίνουσα λελευκανθισμένη, ἐπιστηριζομένη ἐπὶ τὸν ἀδελφιδὸν αὐτῆς; Ὑπὸ μῆλον ἐξήγειρά σε· ἐκεῖ ὠδίνησέ σε ἡ μήτηρ σου, ἐκεῖ ὠδίνησέ σε ἡ τεκοῦσά σε.
(Tis hautaʸ haʸ anabainousa leleukanthismenaʸ, epistaʸrizomenaʸ epi ton adelfidon autaʸs; Hupo maʸlon exaʸgeira se; ekei ōdinaʸse se haʸ maʸtaʸr sou, ekei ōdinaʸse se haʸ tekousa se. )

BrTr Who is this that comes up all white, leaning on her kinsman? I raised thee up under an apple-tree; there thy mother brought thee forth; there she that bore thee brought thee forth.

ULT Who is that coming up from the wilderness,
⇔ leaning against her beloved?
⇔ Under the apple tree I awakened you;
⇔ there your mother was in labor with you;
⇔ there she was in labor; she gave birth to you.

UST Look at this woman who is coming up from the wilderness,
⇔ the woman who is leaning on the man she loves!
⇔ I woke you up when you were under the apple tree
⇔ at the place where your mother gave birth to you,
⇔ the place where you were born.

OEB No OEB SNG book available

WEBBE Who is this who comes up from the wilderness,
⇔ leaning on her beloved?
⇔ Under the apple tree I awakened you.
⇔ There your mother conceived you.
⇔ There she was in labour and bore you.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Who is this coming up from the desert,
⇔ leaning on her beloved?
⇔ Under the apple tree I aroused you;
⇔ there your mother conceived you,
⇔ there she who bore you was in labor of childbirth.

LSV Who [is] this coming from the wilderness,
Hastening herself for her beloved? Under the citron-tree I have awoken you,
There your mother pledged you,
There she [who] bore you gave a pledge.

FBV Who is this coming in from the wilderness holding her love close to her?
¶ I woke you up under the apple tree where your mother conceived you, and where she gave birth to you.[fn]

8:5 What this means is unclear.

T4T ⇔ Who is that woman who is coming up from the desert,
⇔ ◄leaning on/clinging close to► the man who loves her?
⇔ I woke you up when you were under the apple tree
⇔ at the place where your mother conceived you,
⇔ which is the same place where she gave birth to you.

LEB   • Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?
• Under the apple tree I awakened you;
  • there your mother conceived you ;[fn]
   • there she who was in labor gave birth to you.

8:? Literally “was in labor with you”

BBE Who is this, who comes up from the waste places, resting on her loved one? It was I who made you awake under the apple-tree, where your mother gave you birth; there she was in pain at your birth.

Moff (Who is this, coming up from the country,
⇔ leaning on her darling?) * * *
⇔ I woke you there, under the apple-tree,
⇔ just where you were swaddled,
⇔ a babe, just there, by your mother.

JPS Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple-tree I awakened thee; there thy mother was in travail with thee; there was she in travail and brought thee forth.

ASV ⇔ Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness,
⇔ Leaning upon her beloved?
⇔ Under the apple-tree I awakened thee:
⇔ There thy mother was in travail with thee,
⇔ There was she in travail that brought thee forth.

DRA Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I raised thee up: there thy mother was corrupted, there she was defloured that bore thee.

YLT Who [is] this coming from the wilderness, Hasting herself for her beloved? Under the citron-tree I have waked thee, There did thy mother pledge thee, There she gave a pledge [that] bare thee.

Drby Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? I awoke thee under the apple-tree: There thy mother brought thee forth; There she brought thee forth [that] bore thee.

RV Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened thee: there thy mother was in travail with thee, there was she in travail that brought thee forth.
(Who is this that cometh/comes up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened thee/you: there thy/your mother was in travail with thee/you, there was she in travail that brought thee/you forth. )

SLT Who this coming up from the desert, leaning herself upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I aroused thee: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she bearing thee, brought forth.

Wbstr Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple-tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bore thee.

KJB-1769 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.
(Who is this that cometh/comes up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee/you up under the apple tree: there thy/your mother brought thee/you forth: there she brought thee/you forth that bare thee/you. )

KJB-1611 (Who is this that commeth vp from the wildernesse, leaning vpon her beloued?) I raised thee vp vnder the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth, there she brought thee forth, that bare thee.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from marking of added words (and possibly capitalisation and punctuation))

Bshps (What is she this that cometh vp from the wildernesse, and leaneth vpon her loue?) I wake thee vp among the apple trees where thy mother conceaued thee, where thy mother I say brought thee into the worlde.
((What is she this that cometh/comes up from the wilderness, and leaneth/leans upon her love?) I wake thee/you up among the apple trees where thy/your mother conceived thee/you, where thy/your mother I say brought thee/you into the world.)

Gnva (Who is this that commeth vp out of the wildernesse, leaning vpon her welbeloued?) I raysed thee vp vnder an apple tree: there thy mother conceiued thee: there she coceiued that bare thee.
((Who is this that cometh/comes up out of the wilderness, leaning upon her well-beloved?) I raised thee/you up under an apple tree: there thy/your mother conceived thee/you: there she conceived that bare thee/you. )

Cvdl What is she this, that cometh vp from the wildernes, and leaneth vpon hir loue? I am the same that waked the vp amonge the aple trees, where thy mother beare ye, where yi mother brought the in to the worlde.
(What is she this, that cometh/comes up from the wilderness, and leaneth/leans upon her love? I am the same that waked the up among the apple trees, where thy/your mother bear ye/you_all, where ye/you_all mother brought the in to the world.)

Wycl Who is this spousesse, that stieth fro desert, and flowith in delices, and restith on hir derlynge? Y reiside thee vndur a pumgranate tre; there thi modir was corrupt, there thi modir was defoulid.
(Who is this spouse, that stieth from desert, and floweth/flows in delices, and resteth/rests on her darling? I raised thee/you under a pomegranate tree; there thy/your mother was corrupt, there thy/your mother was defiled.)

Luth Wer ist die, die herauffähret von der Wüste und lehnet sich auf ihren Freund? Unter dem Apfelbaum weckte ich dich, da deine Mutter dich geboren hatte, da mit dir gelegen ist, die dich gezeuget hat.
(Who is that, the drives_up from the/of_the desert and rejects itself/yourself/themselves on/in/to your(pl) friend? Under to_him apple_tree weckte I you/yourself, there your mother you/yourself born had, there with you/to_you(sg) located/situated is, the you/yourself conceived has.)

ClVg Chorus Quæ est ista quæ ascendit de deserto, deliciis affluens, innixa super dilectum suum? Sponsus Sub arbore malo suscitavi te; ibi corrupta est mater tua, ibi violata est genitrix tua.[fn]
(Chorus Which it_is these_(ones) which went_up from/about in_the_desert, delights flowing_in, innixa over beloved his_own? The_spouse Under a_tree I_prefer suscitavi you(sg); there corrupted it_is mother your, there violata it_is genitrix your. )

8.5 Quæ est ista? Judæa in tantam sponsi agniti charitatem exardescente, gentilis admirando et congratulando dicit: Quæ est ista? Sub arbore. Gentilibus admirantibus respondet, ille, qui est pax nostra, qui fecit utraque unum: et admonet meminisse gratiæ, per quam ipsa erepta est, et aliorum congaudere saluti. Suscitavi. Quod fuit effectus magnæ benignitatis, quia in illa arbore interius excæcata fuit mater tua, ex quo dixit: Sanguis ejus super nos, et super filios nostros Matth. 27..

8.5 Which it_is these_(ones)? Yudea in/into/on so_much grooms lambti charity exardescente, Gentile admirando and congratulando he_says: Which it_is these_(ones)? Under a_tree. Gentilibus admirantibus responds, he/that_one, who/which it_is peace our, who/which he_did both one: and reminds meminisse thanks, through how herself erepta it_is, and of_others congaudere saluti. I_woke_up. That it_was effects great benignitatis, because in/into/on that a_tree inside excæcata it_was mother your, from where he/she_said: Blood his over us, and over children ours Matth. 27..

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 8:5–14: Love has great power

In this final section, there are many key words and statements that repeat themes from earlier parts of the Song. For example, 8:5a mentions the woman coming up from the wilderness, as in 3:6. The author also repeats the themes of vineyard (8:12; 1:6), orchard (8:5; 2:3), and garden (8:13; 4:12–5:1). In the final verse of the Song, the author repeats the theme of a gazelle on the mountains, which was mentioned in 2:17. This final section also contains what many scholars consider a climax of the Song in 8:6–7.

Some other headings for this section are:

Homecoming (NRSV)

The Young Woman’s Love for Her Beloved

Paragraph 8:5–7 The woman spoke about the power of love

In this unit the speakers, location, and topic change (from the previous unit 8:1–4). But it is uncertain exactly how 8:5 relates to 8:6–7 and the rest of the Epilogue.

8:6–7 is a climax and conclusion of the Song, as it describes the great power of love.

8:5a

Who is this coming up from the wilderness,

Who is this young woman coming from the wilderness, (GW)
Who is she who is coming up from the deserted places,

Who is this coming up from the wilderness: In Hebrew the clause here in 8:5a is identical to 3:6a. The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as this is feminine and refers to the woman. For example:

Who is this young woman coming from the wilderness? (GW)

See the notes on 3:6a for further discussion. As with the question in 3:6, this question is probably rhetorical. It helps to draw attention to the woman. In some languages it is more natural to translate this rhetorical question as a statement or exclamation. For example:

What a wonderful woman this is who is coming up from the wilderness…!

Look at this beautiful woman coming from the wilderness!

this: The word this refers here to the woman, as it did in 3:6. In 3:6 she was coming as a bride to her wedding, so some versions may refer to her there as a bride. Since the focus is different here in 8:5, it is good to refer to her in a more general way in this verse. For example:

this young woman (GW)

coming up from the wilderness: The phrase coming up from the wilderness may refer back to 7:11–13. Those verses indicate that the woman wanted the man to go with her to the countryside. The text may imply that they went there and now in 8:5 they are returning to their home. However, this is not certain. In most languages it is fine to translate this phrase as you did in 3:6a.

8:5b

leaning on her beloved?

leaning on the one she loves?
and leaning on the shoulder of the one she loves? (CEV)

leaning on her beloved: The Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates as leaning on her beloved implies that the woman trusts the man and depends on him. It also implies that the man and woman love each other.

In some languages a phrase like leaning on may wrongly imply that the woman was tired or injured, so she needed to lean on the man. If that is true in your language, use a different phrase that will not imply that. For example:

walking close to her beloved

with her arm around her beloved (GW)

In some languages there is a special way to describe this. For example:

arm in arm with her lover (GNT)

Use a natural way in your language to describe a couple walking affectionately together.

leaning: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as leaning occurs only here. Scholars are not certain exactly what it means, but it implies here that the woman walked with the man in a way that showed trust and affection. Use a natural way to imply that in your language.

8:5c

I roused you under the apple tree;

It was under the apple tree that I awoke you.
Under the apple tree I woke you up, (GW)

I roused you under the apple tree: This clause implies that the man was under an apple tree, and the woman woke him up. The word roused may have two meanings here. It may indicate that she woke the man from sleep, and it may also imply that she caused him to have feelings of love for her. Some ways to translate the clause are:

Use a general phrase that can imply either that she woke him from literal sleep or that she caused him to feel romantic love for her. For example:
I aroused you.
I awakened you to love.
Use a specific phrase that implies that she aroused the man’s desire to express love toward her. For example:
I stirred up your passions. (CEV)

Use a natural way in your language to imply that the woman caused the man to realize that he felt romantic love for her. (Also see the discussions of the verbs “arouse” and “awaken” in 2:7c–d and 8:4.)

the apple tree: In this verse it is likely that the apple tree is a symbol for love. It may also refer to a literal apple tree. The fragrance and sweetness of the apple and other fruits are often associated with love in the Song. In 2:3a–b, the woman compared the man to an apple tree.

An apple tree is mentioned three other times in the Song (2:3, 5; and 7:8). It only occurs two other times in the whole OT. You should use the same term to refer to the apple tree in all of these verses.

8:5d

there your mother conceived you;

There your mother was in labor with you, (ESV)
where your mother gave you birth, (NLT)

there your mother conceived you: There are two ways to interpret the Hebrew word that the BSB translates as conceived in 8:5d:

It refers to the effort (labor) and pain that a woman experiences in giving birth to a child. For example:
There your mother was in labor with you. (ESV) (CEV, ESV, GW, NASB, NCV, NLT, REB, RSV, GNT)
It refers to conceiving a child. For example:
there your mother conceived you (NIV) (BSB, NET, NIV, NJB, NJPS)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with a majority of English versions. See the following note on 8:5e for translation examples.

8:5e

there she travailed and brought you forth.

there she who was in labor gave you birth. (NIV)
where in great pain she delivered you. (NLT)

there she travailed and brought you forth: The phrase brought you forth refers to “your mother” in 8:5d. However, it makes explicit that her labor pains were successful and she gave birth to him.

Some ways to translate 8:5d–e are:

It was there that the pains of childbirth came to your mother and she gave birth to you.

where your mother gave you birth, where in great pain she delivered you. (NLT)

There your mother went into labor with you. There she went into labor and gave birth to you! (GW)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / extrainfo

מִ֣י זֹ֗את עֹלָה֙ מִן־הַ⁠מִּדְבָּ֔ר מִתְרַפֶּ֖קֶת עַל־דּוֹדָ֑⁠הּ

who? this(f) coming_up from/more_than the,wilderness leaning on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in lover_of,her

The author does not say who is speaking here so you should not indicate who you think is speaking explicitly in the text of your translation. However, if you are using section headers to indicate who is speaking, the speakers here are most likely the “daughters of Jerusalem” who spoke several times earlier in the book and who were addressed in the previous verse.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

מִ֣י זֹ֗את עֹלָה֙ מִן־הַ⁠מִּדְבָּ֔ר מִתְרַפֶּ֖קֶת עַל־דּוֹדָ֑⁠הּ

who? this(f) coming_up from/more_than the,wilderness leaning on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in lover_of,her

The writer is using the question form, Who is that, to create a sense of expectation and interest. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate these words as a statement or an exclamation.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

עֹלָה֙

coming_up

The writer assumes that his readers understand that the group of people coming up from the wilderness to Jerusalem must travel upward because the wilderness is low in the Jordan valley and Jerusalem is built on hills. You could include this information if it would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [moving upward] or [arising]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / go

עֹלָה֙

coming_up

Your language may say “going” rather than coming in a context such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: [going up]

Note 5 topic: translate-unknown

הַ⁠תַּפּ֨וּחַ֙

the_apple,tree

See how you translated the phrase apple tree in [2:3](../02/03.md).

חִבְּלַ֣תְ⁠ךָ

she,was_in_labor_with_you

The phrase the ULT translates as was in labor with you could: (1) refer to the process of a mother being in labor and be translated as the ULT models. (2) refer to the act of conception. Alternate translation: [conceived you]