The Song of Songs which is of Solomon - Part IV

In the analogy I have stumbled into, this part must correspond to the testimony of the Church. I don't mean this as if there were a sequence in time, but as a recognition of the work of the Spirit in all ages before and after the inclusion of the Gentiles in the anointing following the life of Jesus, that unique manifestation of the outpouring of God's love which is from before the beginning. 

Verse	Hebrew text	A translation	What shall we say?
ט	מַה דּוֹדֵךְ מִדּוֹד הַיָּפָה בַּנָּשִׁים מַה דּוֹדֵךְ מִדּוֹד שֶׁכָּכָה הִשְׁבַּעְתָּנוּ	why is your beloved so beloved O most beautiful among women? What makes is your beloved so beloved that you have charged us so?	This is a common question - why your faith? Why your tradition? Why your language? Why your religion? But the question is open with the condition: that you have charged us so. There can be no presumption, exploitation, or power taken for self in love. God does not usurp such power nor must any image of God usurp it.
י	דּוֹדִי צַח וְאָדוֹם דָּגוּל מֵרְבָבָה	My beloved is clear and ruddy, intent among ten thousand.	Clear צַח - definitely not white. A rare word and a rarer root. Intent - no intensity is greater than the love of God whether it manifests itself in what is perceived as good or as wrath which is another disguise of the fire of love. I am guessing at this word דָּגַל. It rhymes with the traditional translation of Song 2:4 and it links then to the use of banner in Numbers. In English we have a similar duality in the word 'standard' which may mean flag or example.
יא	רֹאשׁוֹ כֶּתֶם פָּז קְוֻצּוֹתָיו תַּלְתַּלִּים שְׁחֹרוֹת כָּעוֹרֵב	His head is purged fine gold, his locks bushy black as a raven	This 'refined' fine gold - כֶּתֶם is rarely used but in each case it is in texts where we might just pass over it though it might be pivotal. Why is there an adjective applied to a word that is already glossed as fine gold? It occurs twice in Job 28, the hymn to wisdom, where I missed its potential significance. The word that qualifies it is derived from an identical word with a sense of deep stain. That is a gold that includes the knowledge of good and evil רע and its relationship to us לָנוּ, to me לִי and to you לָךְ my sister bride.
יב	עֵינָיו כְּיוֹנִים עַל אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם רֹחֲצוֹת בֶּחָלָב יֹשְׁבוֹת עַל מִלֵּאת	his eyes as doves by the rivers of waters washed with milk sitting in fullness,
יג	לְחָיָו כַּעֲרוּגַת הַבֹּשֶׂם מִגְדְּלוֹת מֶרְקָחִים שִׂפְתוֹתָיו שׁוֹשַׁנִּים נֹטְפוֹת מוֹר עֹבֵר	his cheeks as the terraced spices as the sweetest of flowers. his lips are lilies dropping myrrh passing through.	there's that definite article again - It is as if each speaker is pointing to a specific, not simply stating a generic or abstract truth about love.
יד	יָדָיו גְּלִילֵי זָהָב מְמֻלָּאִים בַּתַּרְשִׁישׁ מֵעָיו עֶשֶׁת שֵׁן מְעֻלֶּפֶת סַפִּירִים	His hands are cylinders of gold inlaid with jasper his belly a block of ivory encrusted with sapphires	belly, same word as in Song 5:4. There are lots of things that could be pointed out in these songs of praise for the body parts. There is no part of us that is to be despised but every part is to be consecrated in that one death for all. This unity in holiness is well shown to us in the high priestly prayer of John 17 where Jesus consecrates himself for our sakes that we might be consecrated in him. This consecration is prefigured also in the sign of male circumcision, signifying the death of all will to power for self. (Colossians 2:11)
טו	שׁוֹקָיו עַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ מְיֻסָּדִים עַל אַדְנֵי פָז מַרְאֵהוּ כַּלְּבָנוֹן בָּחוּר כָּאֲרָזִים	his legs are pillars of marble fixed in sockets of fine gold. his form is as Lebanon excellent as the cedars.	'form' closes the bracket opened in Song 2:14. The prayer is answered.
טז	חִכּוֹ מַמְתַקִּים וְכֻלּוֹ מַחֲמַדִּים זֶה דוֹדִי וְזֶה רֵעִי בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם	His palate is sweetness and all of him is desirable. This is my beloved and this is my companion O daughters of Jerusalem.	curious singular with plural adjectives
6 א	אָנָה הָלַךְ דּוֹדֵךְ   הַיָּפָה בַּנָּשִׁים אָנָה פָּנָה דוֹדֵךְ וּנְבַקְשֶׁנּוּ עִמָּךְ	Where has your beloved gone O most beautiful among women? where has he faced? Your beloved, that we may seek him with you?	In response to this question, the bride is filled with the presence of the Beloved. She is all we should be - beautiful. That is what attracts. (I have repaired a few touches in the prior parts removing 'fair' altogether and getting the adjectives consistently translated for beauty and lovely - or so I hope.) I avoid again the word 'turn' - I prefer face. Seeking and not finding is the theme in John 20:13 (Compare Song 3:1-3). Immediately following in John is the Noli me tangere- The Titian image from the National Gallery is at the link.
ב	דּוֹדִי יָרַד לְגַנּוֹ לַעֲרֻגוֹת הַבֹּשֶׂם לִרְעוֹת בַּגַּנִּים וְלִלְקֹט שׁוֹשַׁנִּים	My beloved is gone down into his garden to the terraced spices to feed in the gardens and to gather lilies.	God with us
ג	אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי הָרֹעֶה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים ס	I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine, the feeder among the lilies	us in him and he in us (John 17:23) See also of course the psalms with the headings among the lilies Psalms 45, 60, 69, 80
ד	יָפָה אַתְּ רַעְיָתִי כְּתִרְצָה   נָאוָה כִּירוּשָׁלִָם אֲיֻמָּה כַּנִּדְגָּלוֹת	How beautiful is my companion as the favourable lovely as Jerusalem terrible as those of great intensity	Zeal for thy house may not appear lovely and can lead to destruction. The one who was favoured was eaten up by such zeal. (Of course it is in the Gospel of John 2:17 too - see also Psalm 69:9)
ה	הָסֵבִּי עֵינַיִךְ מִנֶּגְדִּי שֶׁהֵם הִרְהִיבֻנִי שַׂעְרֵךְ כְּעֵדֶר הָעִזִּים שֶׁגָּלְשׁוּ מִן־הַגִּלְעָד	Circle your eyes away from me for they create a storm in me. Your hair like the flock of goats that are lying down from the Gilead.	No No you can't do this! Beloved is rolling her eyes! Staring down the God who loves her. Persisting in questioning every assumption. And loved for it. I will speak of Rahab whose name comes from this proud and defiant stance. Rahab is both defiant and faithful in her defiance - and part of that scarlet thread (Song 4:3).
ו	שִׁנַּיִךְ כְּעֵדֶר הָרְחֵלִים שֶׁעָלוּ מִן הָרַחְצָה שֶׁכֻּלָּם מַתְאִימוֹת   וְשַׁכֻּלָה אֵין בָּהֶם	Your teeth are like the flock of ewe that come up from the wash where all of them are twinned and not one of them is bereaved.	almost a double of Song 4:2
ז	כְּפֶלַח הָרִמּוֹן רַקָּתֵךְ מִבַּעַד לְצַמָּתֵךְ	As the slice of pomegranate your temples within your locks.
ח	שִׁשִּׁים הֵמָּה מְלָכוֹת וּשְׁמֹנִים פִּילַגְשִׁים וַעֲלָמוֹת אֵין מִסְפָּר	There may be sixty queens and and eighty concubines and maidens without number	Solomon's riches and power ridiculed by the poet? But all his wives and concubines and every other person will be drawn to her and to her beloved. But there is a positive reading of Solomon here - of some interest in the context of reading this book under Solomon's name. Maidens only elsewhere in the poem in Song 1:2.
ט	אַחַת הִיא יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי  אַחַת הִיא לְאִמָּהּ בָּרָה הִיא לְיוֹלַדְתָּהּ רָאוּהָ בָנוֹת וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ מְלָכוֹת וּפִילַגְשִׁים וַיְהַלְלוּהָ ס	Unique is she, my dove, my pure one Unique is she of her mother, Pure is she of the one bearing her. The daughters saw her. Queens and concubines considered her happy and they praised her.	Whoever knows the grace of this beloved will praise her and will be like her, reflecting the same glory as is known from the face of her unique beloved If this is the Church, and in a figure, Mary, then this prefigures the phrase from Luke that all 'generations will call me blessed'.
י	מִי זֹאת הַנִּשְׁקָפָה כְּמוֹ שָׁחַר יָפָה כַלְּבָנָה בָּרָה כַּחַמָּה אֲיֻמָּה כַּנִּדְגָּלוֹת ס	Who is this, looking forth as dawn, beautiful as the moon, pure as the sun, terrible as those of great intensity?	Here is John again from the wedding in Cana, "Do whatever he tells you."
יא	אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי לִרְאוֹת בְּאִבֵּי הַנָּחַל לִרְאוֹת הֲפָרְחָה הַגֶּפֶן הֵנֵצוּ הָרִמֹּנִים	To a garden of nuts I went down to see in the green shoots of the wadi, to see if the vine has flourished the pomegranates budded	Who is speaking here? What a place this garden is! There is a qal perfect הֲפָרְחָה with an interrogative in the middle of the sentence! And look at the hiphil perfect of a weak verb with only one of its root letters remaining הֵנֵצוּ.
יב	לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי מַרְכְּבוֹת עַמִּי נָדִיב	I did not know I was set  to be from the chariots of my people, a prince.	Who again is the speaker - does the princess become prince?
7 א	שׁוּבִי שׁוּבִי הַשּׁוּלַמִּית שׁוּבִי שׁוּבִי וְנֶחֱזֶה בָּךְ מַה תֶּחֱזוּ בַּשּׁוּלַמִּית כִּמְחֹלַת הַמַּחֲנָיִם	Turn, turn O Shulamite Turn, turn so we may gaze on you What will you gaze on in the Shulamite? a dance of two armies?	Who is this Shulamite? Abishag? The story of Abishag needs a separate post. Only here do we get the word for return or repent. It is the desire of the chorus to see the beautiful woman again.
ב	מַה יָּפוּ פְעָמַיִךְ בַּנְּעָלִים בַּת נָדִיב חַמּוּקֵי יְרֵכַיִךְ כְּמוֹ חֲלָאִים מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָמָּן	how beautiful are your feet with shoes daughter of a prince the curves of your thighs are as jewels the work of the hands of an artist	You see the repeated word that must stop the translation of Song 6:12 as a proper name (Amminidab) The 'artist' is אָמָּן Amen, the same root as faithful. No art is possible without such discipline. Equally, here is the faithfulness of the artist. Would we trust him with our bodies?
ג	שָׁרְרֵךְ אַגַּן הַסַּהַר אַל יֶחְסַר הַמָּזֶג בִּטְנֵךְ עֲרֵמַת חִטִּים סוּגָה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים	your navel is the round bowl not lacking mixed wine your lap a heap of wheat and fenced with lilies
ד	שְׁנֵי שָׁדַיִךְ כִּשְׁנֵי עֳפָרִים תָּאֳמֵי צְבִיָּה	your paired breasts are like a pair of young twin roe.	A double of Song 4:5. Doubles are often frames - so does the description of the sister bride frame with these two doubles an important event? In this reading in five parts, it does. These doubles frame the cost of love, the striking by the watchmen, the questioning by the chorus. Note that there is no repetition of the sister bride motif on this side of the frame, nor is there a continuing of the hidden names in the charge.
ה	צַוָּארֵךְ כְּמִגְדַּל הַשֵּׁן עֵינַיִךְ בְּרֵכוֹת בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן עַל שַׁעַר בַּת רַבִּים אַפֵּךְ כְּמִגְדַּל הַלְּבָנוֹן צוֹפֶה פְּנֵי דַמָּשֶׂק	your neck like the tower of ivory your eyes the ponds in Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim your nose like a tower of Lebanon spying on Damascus.	Notice how the descriptions move again to country names, replaying the game of pretend travel?
ו	רֹאשֵׁךְ עָלַיִךְ כַּכַּרְמֶל וְדַלַּת רֹאשֵׁךְ כָּאַרְגָּמָן מֶלֶךְ אָסוּר בָּרְהָטִים	Your head upon you is like Carmel and the hair of your head like purple a king held by the locks.
ז	מַה יָּפִית וּמַה נָּעַמְתְּ אַהֲבָה בַּתַּעֲנוּגִים	How beautiful and how pleasant love in these its delights.
ח	זֹאת קוֹמָתֵךְ דָּמְתָה לְתָמָר וְשָׁדַיִךְ לְאַשְׁכֹּלוֹת	This, your stature resembles a palm tree and your breasts are like its clusters
ט	אָמַרְתִּי אֶעֱלֶה בְתָמָר אֹחֲזָה בְּסַנְסִנָּיו וְיִהְיוּ נָא שָׁדַיִךְ כְּאֶשְׁכְּלוֹת הַגֶּפֶן וְרֵיחַ אַפֵּךְ כַּתַּפּוּחִים	I said, I will go up to the palm tree. I will take possession of its branches and let them be, ah, your breasts as clusters of the vine and the fragrance of your nose as apricots.
י	וְחִכֵּךְ כְּיֵין הַטּוֹב הוֹלֵךְ לְדוֹדִי לְמֵישָׁרִים דּוֹבֵב שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִים	And your palate as the best of  wine flowing for my beloved ever so smoothly and gliding lips asleep.
יא	אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְעָלַי תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ ס	For I am my beloved's and towards me is his desire
יב	לְכָה דוֹדִי נֵצֵא הַשָּׂדֶה נָלִינָה בַּכְּפָרִים	So come, my beloved let us go forth into the field. Let us spend the night under a covering.
יג	נַשְׁכִּימָה לַכְּרָמִים נִרְאֶה אִם פָּרְחָה הַגֶּפֶן פִּתַּח הַסְּמָדַר הֵנֵצוּ הָרִמּוֹנִים שָׁם אֶתֵּן אֶת דֹּדַי לָךְ	We will be early to the vineyards. We will see if the vine has budded the blossom opened the pomegranates flowered. There I will give my love to you.	I think we should be prepared to be surprised by this text.
יד	הַדּוּדָאִים נָתְנוּ רֵיחַ וְעַל פְּתָחֵינוּ כָּל מְגָדִים חֲדָשִׁים גַּם יְשָׁנִים דּוֹדִי צָפַנְתִּי לָךְ	The mandrakes give fragrance and at our gates is all excellence both new and old, my beloved, I have hidden for you.	I will give, I have hidden and it is yours. Note how mandrake sounds like beloved (duda same letters as dodi) - perhaps use its synonym 'love apple'
8 א	מִי יִתֶּנְךָ כְּאָח לִי יוֹנֵק שְׁדֵי אִמִּי אֶמְצָאֲךָ בַחוּץ אֶשָּׁקְךָ גַּם לֹא יָבֻזוּ לִי	Who will give you as brother to me as one who sucked the breasts of my mother? I would find you outside I would kiss you and not one would despise me.
ב	אֶנְהָגְךָ אֲבִיאֲךָ אֶל בֵּית אִמִּי תְּלַמְּדֵנִי אַשְׁקְךָ מִיַּיִן הָרֶקַח מֵעֲסִיס רִמֹּנִי	I would lead you I would bring you into the house of my mother, who will instruct me I will make you drink of the wine that is spiced with the juice of my pomegranate.	instruct here contrasts with instruction based on fear in Song 3:8
ג	שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי	His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.	closes the frame opened in Song 2:6
ד	הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם מַה תָּעִירוּ וּמַה תְּעֹרְרוּ אֶת הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ ס	I have charged you daughters of Jerusalem what do you arouse or what do you rouse of this love till it please.	There is no play on words here and there is a significant change in the conjunction - we must ask why. In the music, I have assigned this to the direct voice of the groom.

This series on the Song I | 2:4 II 3:5 | III | 5:10 IV 8:4 V - See also the music here.