Chapter 4 Early Biblical Hebrew part 2

37.

let us look at Shir Hashirim or Song of Songs שִׁ֥יר הַשִּׁירִ֖ים (also Songs of Solomon).This in the peshat,the simple interpretation of the Bible this book is an erotic love poem between two lovers.The remez or the hint a deeper level of interpretation views this book as an allegory for God’s love of Israel.This book is traditionally attributed to King Solomon by the book itself’s own claim,or some say by the phrasing it was written for Solomon.This phrase here asher lishlomo אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִשְׁלֹמֹֽה means to or for Shlomo (Solomon).Based on scripture this could go either way really.

Right here I would like to make a Hebrew grammatical point.In a lot of languages English included personal and place names are respected outside of prefixes.So if Hebrew followed English grammar asher lishlomo would be “asher le Shlomo” which is to or for Solomon (or maybe of Solomon).In Hebrew the prefix for ,for or to “le” attaches you have compensatory lengthening of the short e vowel to a long ee vowel and the li attaches right onto the name Shlomo ,hence asher lishlomo.For instance if you wanted to say “in Boston” in Hebrew you would say with be meaning in and the second beit would then sound as “v” so you would say bevoston.Here in second Chronicles is says Yehudah/Judah and Benjamin יְהוּדָ֣ה וּבִנְיָמִ֑ן both personal and place names but it sounds as this because as a prefix here the vav letter in ve meaning and becomes a u vowel called shuruk and the letter beit now ending a syllable sounds as a v.So it sounds like this then “Yehudah uvinyamen”.If you wanted to say “in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem you would not write “be Yerushalayim” but instead “Birushalayim”.

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Here is verse chapter 1 verse 2

יִשָּׁקֵ֨נִי֙ מִנְּשִׁיק֣וֹת פִּ֔יהוּ כִּֽי־טוֹבִ֥ים דֹּדֶ֖יךָ מִיָּֽיִן:

Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth, for your love is better than wine.

The word used for love dodekha דֹּדֶ֖יךָ with the root of dod meaning beloved which is where the name David comes from.We also have the word miyayin מִיָּֽיִן meaning from wine which is again the meim of comparison so better from wine means better than wine.

Verse 3

לְרֵ֨יחַ֙ שְׁמָנֶ֣יךָ טוֹבִ֔ים שֶׁ֖מֶן תּוּרַ֣ק שְׁמֶ֑ךָ עַל־כֵּ֖ן עֲלָמ֥וֹת אֲהֵבֽוּךָ:

Your anointing oils have a wonderful fragrance;
your name is like anointing oil poured out.
This is why young women love you.

The word here alamot עלמות the plural of almah has been controversial as of late and in this context clearly means young woman or maiden.It can also mean virgin and is the word used for virgin in many English translations for Isaiah 7:14 .It is now heavily argued on this matter.So many argue that this can’t mean virgin however this word albeit rarely can mean virgin.The origin of the word almah (singular ,alamot plural)came from Ugaritic and meant royal Bride, so this is why it can mean mean both things. Isaiah often uses atypical language and the use of this word for virgin is not unusual for Isaiah.The typical Hebrew word for virgin is betulah.

Now let us skip to verse 5

שְׁחוֹרָ֤ה אֲנִי֙ וְֽנָאוָ֔ה בְּנ֖וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלָ֑יִם כְּאָֽהֳלֵ֣י קֵדָ֔ר כִּֽירִיע֖וֹת שְׁלֹמֹֽה:

I am a black but beautiful ,O daughters of Jerusalem.Like the tents of Keidar like the curtains of Shlomo (Solomon).

I used the word black because that is the word sh’chorah שחורה means black not dark so I’m being literal despite most translations say dark.Sh’chor means black and sh’chorah is phrased feminine because it is talking about a woman.

Another tricky word is navah נָאוָ֔ה this word means pleasant, pretty, beautiful or comely (archaic word likely beautiful).The root here is ivah אִוָּה meaning to want or desire.The tents of Keidar refer to Keidar a son of Yishmael and is associated with Arabs or desert dwellers.

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Verse 6

אַל־תִּרְאֻ֨נִי֙ שֶֽׁאֲנִ֣י שְׁחַרְחֹ֔רֶת שֶׁשְּׁזָפַ֖תְנִי הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ בְּנֵ֧י אִמִּ֣י נִֽחֲרוּ־בִ֗י שָׂמֻ֨נִי֙ נֹֽטֵרָ֣ה אֶת־הַכְּרָמִ֔ים כַּרְמִ֥י שֶׁלִּ֖י לֹ֥א נָטָֽרְתִּי:

Do not look upon me (disdainfully) because I am dark ,for the sun has tanned me; the sons of my mother were angry with me; They placed me as guardian to their vinyards but my vinyards I did not care for.

First is the word sh’charhoret שְׁחַרְחֹ֔רֶת this is an effeminized adjective on sh’chor so sh’charoret literally means brunette in modern Hebrew.So this adjective mitigates the blackness of sh’chor.So here I translated as dark not black.

This word here sh’zafatni שְּׁזָפַ֖תְנִי means I have been scorched from the word shazaf which means sort of a very intense look but often means to burn or scorch.In modern Hebrew it means sunburn.It is unclear if in this case she is expressing metaphor about negecting herself for helping her brothers to much or if her brothers literally forced servitude on her.The tents of Keidar were considered bad places in general.This word nachar נחר means hot or scorched is rare for expressing anger but could mean emotionally heated here.

So now to chapter 2 verse 1 and 2

אֲנִי֙ חֲבַצֶּ֣לֶת הַשָּׁר֔וֹן שֽׁוֹשַׁנַּ֖ת הָֽעֲמָקִֽים

כְּשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּה֙ בֵּ֣ין הַֽחוֹחִ֔ים כֵּ֥ן רַעְיָתִ֖י בֵּ֥ין הַבָּנֽוֹת:

I am the rose of Sharon,a rose of the valleys

As a rose among the thorns ,so is my beloved companion among the daughters.

Verse one is a poetic Hebrew parallelism using two words that are the same or close in meaning to express a poetic meaning.I am the rose (chavatzelet חֲבַצֶּ֣לֶת) of Sharon a rose (shoshanah שֽׁוֹשַׁנָּה֙ ) of the valleys.I want to point out that both the words chavatzel and shoshanah are not totally understood in ancient middle eastern biology.They mean a great flower of some type and English translations usually go with rose,lilly,lotus or crocus.

The word here rayati רַעְיָתִ֖י can mean my companion or my lover or my wife and this comes from the root of rei’a רֵעַ which means many types of friend or relation values with a broad abstract meaning.

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Verse 7

הִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֜ם בְּנ֤וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ בִּצְבָא֔וֹת א֖וֹ בְּאַיְל֣וֹת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה אִם־תָּעִ֧ירוּ | וְֽאִם־תְּעֽוֹרְר֛וּ אֶת־הָאַֽהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ:

I swear to you O daughters of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) by the antelopes or by the does (or ewes also maybe) of the field ,you shall not awaken or arouse love while it is desirous.

This word here tzeva’ot צְבָא֔וֹת typically means armies (plural) this is actually a plural of tz’vi which can mean deer, antelope or even gazelle and a female one at that because of the “ot” feminine plural suffix. This word here ay’lot אַיְל֣וֹת this is a ewe a female wild sheep or goat like a mountain sheep or it could be a female deer also.The word איל with the vowels sounding ayil is a ram or mountain sheep or goat but sounding as ayal is a deer and this above is a female version.Deer could be very likely because the location is a field not a mountain but that is just a guess.This last word shetechpatz שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ means to take delight or pleasure in.The root is chefetz which means to delight ,desire ,take pleasure in or it can mean object also.There is also a Hebrew parallelism here with two wild grazing animals for poetry.

Chapter 3 verse 1

עַל־מִשְׁכָּבִי֙ בַּלֵּיל֔וֹת בִּקַּ֕שְׁתִּי אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָֽהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א מְצָאתִֽיו:

Upon my bed at night I sought whom my soul loves,I sought him but I did not find him.

Some interesting grammar here with the word choice baleiylot בַּלֵּיל֔וֹת the ba (or usually be) prefix means in,with,on,at or by.Leilot is a plural of laylah that means night.This is where the name Lillith comes from, “meaning of the night” (colloquially night demon).The question here is why is it pluralized and this particular phrasing is an an idiom that can mean “at night”.

Verse 2

אָק֨וּמָה נָּ֜א וַֽאֲסֽוֹבְבָ֣ה בָעִ֗יר בַּשְּׁוָקִים֙ וּבָ֣רְחֹב֔וֹת אֲבַקְשָׁ֕ה אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָֽהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א מְצָאתִֽיו

I arise yes and I go around and about in the city in its markets city squares.I seek whom my soul loves,but in seeking him I did not find him.

The word sovevah סֽוֹבְבָ֣ה means to surround but in this context means to go about the city.In both cases two words use the יו usually iav suffix it means his plural like his cars.When the vowels are iv not aiv it means I and him,so in this case metzativ מְצָאתִֽיו I found him (did not find him as is phrased here.

Here on verse 5 of chapter 3 you have a literal quote of chapter 2 verse 7

I swear to you O daughters of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) by the antelopes or by the does of the field ,you shall not awaken or arouse love while it is desirous.

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Now to verse 6

מִ֣י זֹ֗את עֹלָה֙ מִן־הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר כְּתִֽימְר֖וֹת עָשָׁ֑ן מְקֻטֶּ֤רֶת מֹר֙ וּלְבוֹנָ֔ה מִכֹּ֖ל אַבְקַ֥ת רוֹכֵֽל:

Who is this coming out of the desert like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, of all the powder of the peddler?

So this one is loaded with fun words. First is a rare word that means here pillars timarot תִֽימֲר֖וֹת the feminine plural tamar which also means palm or date or palm or date tree. The root is erect ,tall or upright (date trees are very tall so) so this is best translated with the word ashan עָשָׁ֑ן as pillars of smoke ,a very rare and poetic expression .This word here m’kuteret מְקֻטֶּ֤רֶת from the root kiteir קטר which means to smoke or to burn or make smoky. So m’kuteret is a incense burner or smoker or a perfumer.

The word for frankincense is לְבוֹנָ֔ה is l’vonah from the root lavan meaning white because frankincense looks white in substance. The country Lebanon comes from this root also because of the tall mountains are snow capped peaks and so Lebanon looks very white. Hebrew and Arabic are very similar especially in more ancient words. This word רוֹכֵֽל is a peddler or merchant and in modern Hebrew means a street vendor peddler. The word avkat אַבְקַ֥ת is from the root avak meaning dust so in this context is taking about powdered perfume.

Now chapter 4 verse 1

הִנָּ֨ךְ יָפָ֤ה רַעְיָתִי֙ הִנָּ֣ךְ יָפָ֔ה עֵינַ֣יִךְ יוֹנִ֔ים מִבַּ֖עַד לְצַמָּתֵ֑ךְ שַֽׂעְרֵךְ֙ כְּעֵ֣דֶר הָֽעִזִּ֔ים שֶׁגָּֽלְשׁ֖וּ מֵהַ֥ר גִּלְעָֽד:

Behold, you are beautiful my beloved companion,behold, you are beautiful your eyes are like doves.From through your veil your hair is like a flock of goats that slid down from Mt Gilad (Often worded Gilead).

I don’t think I need to put in quotes that we have a Hebrew parallelism and two of them and I think you know by now what are the two.If you do not ,beautiful used twice poetically and animals of different types used twice.A Hebrew parallelism can double one word or two synonyms or even abstractly similar words.The word for dove in yonah or in this case in the masculine plural yonim יוֹנִ֔ים ,if you are thinking this is where the name Yonah/Jonah comes from,well, you guessed right.

This word here is a tough translation shelgashu שֶׁגָּֽלְשׁ֖וּ this means “that they slid” or just slid down because the they is already obvious.Slid is just a practical translation for but this word is very abstract from the root galash גלש.This word can mean overflow,boil over,glide slide,surf,ski,skate and in very modern language to surf the internet as a slang term.

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Verse 2

שִׁנַּ֨יִךְ֙ כְּעֵ֣דֶר הַקְּצוּב֔וֹת שֶֽׁעָל֖וּ מִן־הָֽרַחְצָ֑ה שֶׁכֻּלָּם֙ מַתְאִימ֔וֹת וְשַׁכֻּלָ֖ה אֵ֥ין בָּהֶֽם:

Your teeth are like a flock (of sheep) that have been sheared that came up from the washing, all of them bore twins and there is no bereavement among them.

So this word here matimot מַתְאִימ֔וֹת this is from the root taam תָּאַם, which means to be complete, matched ,to correlate or double .This is where the name Thomas comes from meaning twin. So some translations phrase this as the sheep all bore twins others say the sheep all were perfect. I do not have an answer in who is absolutely right.

This word here is also vague shakulah שַׁכֻּלָ֖ה ,this means bereavement and some translations say non of the mother sheep were barren. Other translations go with non of the baby sheep went missing. So it is important to understand that some discrepancy in interpretation of scripture does happen but mainly on small points, there is always enough context to make big theological issues fairly understood.

Verse 4

כְּמִגְּדַ֤ל דָּוִיד֙ צַוָּארֵ֔ךְ בָּנ֖וּי לְתַלְפִּיּ֑וֹת אֶ֤לֶף הַמָּגֵן֙ תָּל֣וּי עָלָ֔יו כֹּ֖ל שִׁלְטֵ֥י הַגִּבֹּרִֽים:

Like the tower of David is your neck, built as a military fort and a thousand shields hang upon it, all the shields of mighty men.

This word here meaning tower migdal מִגְּדַ֤ל is where the name Mary Magdalene comes from, meaning Mary of the tower or possibly she was from town a called Magdala in northern Israel.

We have a later spelling of the name David דָּוִיד֙ ,if you notice the letter yod is added as opposed to the traditional spelling of דוד.This later spelling appears also in the Book of Chronicles ,it is unclear as to why the spelling changed or when. Does this mean that Shir hashirim dates later than King Solomon? Perhaps or maybe the spellings were dialectal and altered with different scribes but the pronunciation is the same. Remember the ancient pronunciation of of David was most likely not “Dah-veed” but “Dah-weeth” because in that era the Dalet without a dagesh mark sounded like “th” as in the and the vav was a waw. There are also two Hebrew parallelisms of which I think you can get.

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This word here is unusual talpiot תַלְפִּיּ֑וֹת and it generally understood to mean a row of stones or could if you look at the word totally literally it could mean hill mouth. Tal meaning hill and pi meaning mouth, so “tal pi” and in the plural talpiot.

Verse 5

שְׁנֵ֥י שָׁדַ֛יִךְ כִּשְׁנֵ֥י עֳפָרִ֖ים תְּאוֹמֵ֣י צְבִיָּ֑ה הָֽרֹעִ֖ים בַּשּֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים:

Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle that pasture in the roses.

The word for breast is shad or in this case shadayikh שָׁדַ֛יִךְn meaning your breasts. This is where the name of God “El Shadai” comes from meaning literally “God who breast feeds” or more appropriately put “God who provides”.

The word used that is often translated as grazes or grazing here is “ro’im” רֹעִ֖ים, this literally mean shepherds ,so I translated it as “to pasture”.

Chapter 5 verse 2

אֲנִ֥י יְשֵׁנָ֖ה וְלִבִּ֣י עֵ֑ר ק֣וֹל | דּוֹדִ֣י דוֹפֵ֗ק פִּתְחִי־לִ֞י אֲחֹתִ֤י רַעְיָתִי֙ יֽוֹנָתִ֣י תַמָּתִ֔י שֶׁרֹאשִׁי֙ נִמְלָא־טָ֔ל קְוֻצּוֹתַ֖י רְסִ֥יסֵי לָֽיְלָה:

I sleep but my heart (“mind” also in Biblical Hebrew) is awake; the voice of my beloved is knocking. Open for me, my sister, my beloved, my dove, my perfect one. For my head is full of dew, my locks with the drops of the night.

Here are two more Hebrew parallelisms and also the word leiv לב meaning heart also can mean mind ,but here I think heart makes the most sense.

Verse 10

דּוֹדִ֥י צַח֙ וְאָד֔וֹם דָּג֖וּל מֵֽרְבָבָֽה

My beloved is fair and red , unrivaled by ten thousand.

short but loaded with interesting stuff. The word dodi דּוֹדִ֥י meaning my beloved is both where the name David and the Hebrew word for uncle “dod” comes from. The word tzach צַח֙ does not mean white or fair but pure or clear.

The word adom אָד֔וֹם means red and many translations use the word ruddy here. This is where the name Adam comes from because Adam was formed of “adamah” meaning soil and the soil was adom (meaning red) as fresh clay is red.

This word here dagul דָּג֖וּל comes from the word degel meaning flag ,so this means to raise a flag or to be outstanding or exceptional.This last word here with its root in the word ravah meaning great or many.Meirvavah מֵֽרְבָבָֽה which means multitude,abundance,myriad or ten thousand and I used ten thousand in this case.

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Chapter 6 verse 1

אָנָה הָלַ֣ךְ דּוֹדֵ֔ךְ הַיָּפָ֖ה בַּנָּשִׁ֑ים אָ֚נָה פָּנָ֣ה דוֹדֵ֔ךְ וּנְבַקְשֶׁ֖נּוּ עִמָּֽךְ:

Where has your beloved gone out to? The most beautiful of women, where has your beloved turned that we may seek him with you?

Here is a ancient word for where. Ana אָנָה it is not used much outside of early Bible.

Verse 2

דּוֹדִי֙ יָרַ֣ד לְגַנּ֔וֹ לַֽעֲרֻג֖וֹת הַבֹּ֑שֶׂם לִרְעוֹת֙ בַּגַּנִּ֔ים וְלִלְקֹ֖ט שֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים:

My beloved has gone down to his garden,to his spice beds,to graze in the gardens and gather roses.

I translated the beginning as “gone down to” because the word yarad יָרַ֣ד means to descend more than just to go to.This is where the name Jerad comes from meaning like a person small in stature or he who descends.This is also the root of the Yardein or Jordan river because the river sits in a lowland.

This word here arugot עֲרֻג֖וֹת a plural of arugah it means bed or beds and often a garden bed or crop terrace but can also mean a human sleeping bed, but in general a rare word.

This word here lilkot לִלְקֹ֖ט means to pick up or to take and is associated with lakat לָקַט sort of meaning “takings or gleanings”. Which were the fallen crops on the ground that the poor were allowed to take and eat after harvest.

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Chapter 7 verse 1

שׁ֤וּבִי שׁ֨וּבִי֙ הַשּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית שׁ֥וּבִי שׁ֖וּבִי וְנֶֽחֱזֶה־בָּ֑ךְ מַֽה־תֶּֽחֱזוּ֙ בַּשּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית כִּמְחֹלַ֖ת הַֽמַּֽחֲנָֽיִם:

Return, return O the Shulamit (usually written in English Shulamite) ,return, return and let them gaze upon you. What will you see in the Shulamit? As the dance of two camps (or maybe “as she dances for two camps”).

Now first things first ,if this is not chapter 7 verse 1 inn your bible you should find it in chapter 6 verse 13. There was no chapter and verse in ancient Bibles ;Hebrew or Greek ,the Catholic church put those in much later. Different Bibles arrange chapter and verse in a different way and that does not mean anything was left out.

The opening “return, return” also can mean in a theological way “repent ,repent. So who were the Shulamites? Most likely from Shunem, a town in the Jezreel Valley, in the territory of Issachar, identified with the modern village of Sulam. It’s famous as the home of the hospitable Shunammite woman who hosted Elisha, and the birthplace of Abishag, David’s companion in old age, and was the site where Philistines camped before fighting Saul.

The word used for gaze or to see is nechezeh נֶֽחֱזֶה which means “we look” from Hazah which means vision but can also mean to look or gaze. The last part is often translated differently here. Some say “as the dance of two camps”. Others say: “As in the dance of two camps” and others say: (as she the Shulamite) danced in two camps”

In my mind “she danced in two camps” makes the most sense but that is not the most literal wording. However intuitively that is the most logical from my standpoint.

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Chapter 7 verse 7

מַה־יָּפִית֙ וּמַה־נָּעַ֔מְתְּ אַֽהֲבָ֖ה בַּתַּֽעֲנוּגִֽים:

How beautiful you are, how pleasant you are, and your love a delight.

This is serious poetry and the parallel synonyms. We have verbal roots in all these words as: yafeh יָפֶה meaning beautiful and naamah נעמה meaning pleasant and taanug תענוג meaning pleasure or delight.

I think I have made my linguistic points so here is chapter 8 from the Complete Jewish Bible.

8 I wish you were my brother,
who nursed at my mother’s breast;
then, if I met you outdoors, I could kiss you,
and no one would look down on me.
² I would lead you and bring you to my mother’s house,
and she would instruct me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
fresh juice from my pomegranates.

³ His left arm would be under my head
and his right arm around me.

⁴ I warn you, daughters of Yerushalayim,
not to awaken or stir up love
until it wants to arise!

[Chorus]

⁵ Who is this, coming up from the desert,
leaning on her darling?

[He]

I awakened you under the apple tree.
It was there that your mother conceived you;
there she who bore you conceived you.

[She]

⁶ Set me like a seal on your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
passion as cruel as Sh’ol;
its flashes are flashes of fire,
[as fierce as the] flame of Yah.
⁷ No amount of water can quench love,
torrents cannot drown it.
If someone gave all the wealth in his house for love,
he would gain only utter contempt.

[Chorus]

47.

⁸ We have a little sister;
her breasts are still unformed.
What are we to do with our sister
when she is asked for in marriage?
⁹ If she is a wall,
we will build on her a palace of silver;
and if she is a door,
we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

[She]

¹⁰ I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers;
so in his view I am like one who brings peace.

¹¹ Shlomo had a vineyard at Ba‘al-Hamon,
and he gave the vineyard to caretakers;
each of them would pay for its fruit
a thousand pieces of silver.
¹² My vineyard is mine; I tend it, myself.
You can have the thousand, Shlomo,
and the fruit-caretakers, two hundred!

[He]

¹³ You who live in the garden,
friends are listening for your voice.
Let me hear it! —

[She]

¹⁴     — Flee, my darling!
Be like a gazelle or young stag
on the mountains of spices.