Song of Songs 7

 

שׁוּבִי שׁוּבִי הַשּׁוּלַמִּית שׁוּבִי שׁוּבִי וְנֶחֱזֶה־בָּךְ מַה־תֶּחֱזוּ בַּשּׁוּלַמִּית כִּמְחֹלַת הַמַּחֲנָיִם׃   7:1

Song 7:1   Turn back, turn back, this Shulammite!

                             Turn back, turn back, so we may look at you.

                     What can you see in the Shulammite?

                              ... as if a dance of companies!

This mention of a Shulammite, presumed by many scholars to be the the heroine of this myth, is their support for the story I referred to in the second paragraph of my remarks pertaining to Song 1:1.  In my interpretation the voice in this verse is of the nations speaking of Israel.  The meaning of the reference to the Shulammite is unknown.  It may have had an ancient significance that is lost to us today.  However, the name Shulammite means perfect or peaceful.  Maybe a clue?  The pronoun you in the third line is plural, so it doesn’t refer to God, but to the nations, as they speak to each other.

מַה־יָּפוּ פְעָמַיִךְ בַּנְּעָלִים בַּת־נָדִיב חַמּוּקֵי יְרֵכַיִךְ כְּמוֹ חֲלָאִים מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָמָּן׃   7:2

Song 7:2   How fair are your footsteps in sandals,

                              daughter of a noble one!

                    The curves of your thighs are as jeweled ornaments,

                              a work of the hands of an artist.

And this would be the voice of the Lord again.

שָׁרְרֵךְ אַגַּן הַסַּהַר אַל־יֶחְסַר הַמָּזֶג בִּטְנֵךְ עֲרֵמַת חִטִּים סוּגָה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים׃   7:3

Song 7:3   Your navel is a full bowl,

                              it would not lack any mixed wine.

                     Your belly is a mound of wheat hedged with lilies.

שְׁנֵי שָׁדַיִךְ כִּשְׁנֵי עֳפָרִים תָּאֳמֵי צְבִיָּה׃   7:4

Song 7:4   Your two breasts are like two fawns,

                              twins of a gazelle.

צַוָּארֵךְ כְּמִגְדַּל הַשֵּׁן עֵינַיִךְ בְּרֵכוֹת בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן עַל־שַׁעַר בַּת־רַבִּים אַפֵּךְ כְּמִגְדַּל הַלְּבָנוֹן צוֹפֶה פְּנֵי   7:5

דַמָּשֶׂק׃

Song 7:5   Your neck is like an ivory tower;

                              your eyes are the pools in Heshbon near the gate of Bath-rabbim.

                     Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus.

רֹאשֵׁךְ עָלַיִךְ כַּכַּרְמֶל וְדַלַּת רֹאשֵׁךְ כָּאַרְגָּמָן מֶלֶךְ אָסוּר בָּרְהָטִים׃   7:6

Song 7:6   Your head upon you is like Carmel,

                              and the hair of your head is like purple,

                     the King captive in the locks.

מַה־יָּפִית וּמַה־נָּעַמְתְּ אַהֲבָה בַּתַּעֲנוּגִים׃   7:7

Song 7:7   How beautiful you are, and how sweet, love,

                              with exquisite delights!

זֹאת קוֹמָתֵךְ דָּמְתָה לְתָמָר וְשָׁדַיִךְ לְאַשְׁכֹּלוֹת׃   7:8

Song 7:8   Such is your stature:

                              It compares to a date palm.

                     And your breasts to clusters of grapes.

אָמַרְתִּי אֶעֱלֶה בְתָמָר אֹחֲזָה בְּסַנְסִנָּיו וְיִהְיוּ־נָא שָׁדַיִךְ כְּאֶשְׁכְּלוֹת הַגֶּפֶן וְרֵיחַ אַפֵּךְ כַּתַּפּוּחִים׃   7:9

Song 7:9   I say, “Let Me climb up into the palm tree,

                              and grab onto its fruit stalks,

                    and then your breasts will be as the clusters of a vine,

                              and the fragrance of your face as apples,

וְחִכֵּךְ כְּיֵין הַטּוֹב הוֹלֵךְ לְדוֹדִי לְמֵישָׁרִים דּוֹבֵב שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִים׃   7:10

Song 7:10   and your mouth like the finest wine

                              traversing My beloved's smoothness,

                       gliding over the lips of sleepers.”

אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ׃   7:11

Song 7:11   I am my Beloved's,

                              and His desire is for me.

And this one verse, the only one in this chapter, would be the voice of Israel.

לְכָה דוֹדִי נֵצֵא הַשָּׂדֶה נָלִינָה בַּכְּפָרִים׃   7:12

Song 7:12   Come, My beloved! We will come out of the field;

                              we will lodge in villages.

נַשְׁכִּימָה לַכְּרָמִים נִרְאֶה אִם פָּרְחָה הַגֶּפֶן פִּתַּח הַסְּמָדַר הֵנֵצוּ הָרִמּוֹנִים שָׁם אֶתֵּן אֶת־דֹּדַי לָךְ׃   7:13

Song 7:13   We will start early to the vineyards;

                              We will observe if any vine buds,

                        the grape blossom has opened,

                              the pomegranates have flowered.

                       There I will give My love to you.

הַדּוּדָאִים נָתְנוּ־רֵיחַ וְעַל־פְּתָחֵינוּ כָּל־מְגָדִים חֲדָשִׁים גַּם־יְשָׁנִים דּוֹדִי צָפַנְתִּי לָךְ׃   7:14

Song 7:14   The mandrakes lend fragrance,

                              and by Our doors all choicest fruits,

                        both new and old,

                              I have stored up for you, My beloved.

 

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