The Beloved's Encomium: A Garden of Delight
Song 5:10-16
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Son.5.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- דודי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,sg
- צח: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ואדום: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg,abs
- דגול: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- מרבבה: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Song of Solomon 5:11 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same description of the beloved's physical beauty (head, hair, eyes), forming a unit with 5:10 in the portrait of the lover.
- 1 Samuel 16:12 (verbal): David is described as 'ruddy' (Hebrew אדום/adom) and handsome—uses the same term for ruddy appearance and connects the idea of striking physical attractiveness.
- 2 Samuel 14:25 (thematic): Absalom is praised as unsurpassed in beauty ('none to be so much praised')—a parallel hyperbolic praise of exceptional physical excellence like 'chief among ten thousand.'
- Psalm 45:2 (thematic): A royal love-song description of the king's surpassing beauty and grace ('Thou art fairer than the children of men'), thematically echoing the exalted and idealized praise of the beloved in Song 5:10.
Alternative generated candidates
- My beloved is fair and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.
- My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand.
Son.5.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ראשו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- כתם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פז: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קוצותיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- תלתלים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שחרות: ADJ,f,pl
- כעורב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Song of Solomon 7:5 (verbal): A nearly identical physical portrait: the beloved's head described as fine gold and his hair/locks as wavy/black—close verbal parallel within the Song's repeated love-poems.
- Song of Solomon 5:10–16 (structural): This verse is part of the larger descriptive unit (vv.10–16) that catalogs the beloved's beauty; the same motifs (gold, curls, dark hair) recur across the passage.
- Song of Solomon 1:15 (thematic): Another poetic declaration of the lover's beauty using simple, striking images—echoes the Song's theme of praising the beloved's appearance.
- Ezekiel 16:13 (thematic): God's adornment of Jerusalem with gold and jewelry uses precious-metal imagery to signify beauty and splendor, paralleling the metaphor 'head like fine gold' for attractiveness.
- 1 Samuel 16:12 (thematic): The description of David as ruddy and handsome illustrates the biblical trope of praising a man's physical charm—comparable to the Song's concentrated praise of the beloved's features.
Alternative generated candidates
- His head is pure gold; his locks are curled, black as a raven.
- His head is of fine gold; his locks are curled, black as a raven.
Son.5.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עיניו: NOUN,f,pl,suff
- כיונים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- על: PREP
- אפיקי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- מים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- רחצות: VERB,qal,ptcp,0,f,pl
- בחלב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישבות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- על: PREP
- מלאת: ADJ,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Song of Songs 1:15 (verbal): Direct verbal parallel—this verse likewise describes the beloved's eyes as 'like doves' (same simile repeated within the Song).
- Song of Songs 4:1 (verbal): Another close verbal parallel in the Song where the beloved's eyes are compared to doves and set amid a catalogue of physical beauties (same dove-imagery and eye-focus).
- Song of Songs 4:9 (thematic): The effect of the beloved's eyes on the lover is emphasized—'one look from your eyes has ravished me'—connecting to the intense, captivating power attributed to the dove-like eyes in 5:12.
- Psalm 45:10–11 (thematic): Royal-bride imagery and celebration of the bride's beauty parallel the Song's erotic/nuptial language; both texts praise the bride's captivating appearance as fitting for a royal/bridal context.
- Ezekiel 16:13 (thematic): Ezekiel's description of Jerusalem lavishly adorned by God (ornaments, fine clothing, beauty) parallels the Song's language of beautifying (e.g., 'washed with milk')—both use imagery of adornment and whiteness/purity to mark attractiveness and favor.
Alternative generated candidates
- His eyes are like doves beside streams of water—washed with milk, resting by pools.
- His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, washed in milk, resting by full bowls.
Son.5.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לחיו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,ms
- כערוגת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cons
- הבשם: ART+NOUN,m,sg,def
- מגדלות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- מרקחים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שפתותיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,3,ms
- שושנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- נטפות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- מור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Song of Solomon 4:11 (verbal): Lips and scent imagery — 4:11 speaks of lips dripping (honey) and the fragrance of garments, paralleling 'his lips are lilies, dripping myrrh' and the motif of fragrant bodily imagery.
- Song of Solomon 4:13-14 (verbal): Garden-of-spices catalogue — these verses list nard, saffron, calamus, cinnamon and frankincense, echoing the 'bed of spices' and perfume imagery of 5:13.
- Song of Solomon 1:13 (verbal): Myrrh motif — 1:13 calls the beloved a 'bundle of myrrh' (or myrrh about the breasts), directly paralleling the myrrh imagery in 5:13.
- Psalm 45:8 (thematic): Royal/perfumed imagery — Psalm 45 describes garments scented with myrrh, aloes and cassia; thematically parallels the use of costly perfumes and aromatic metaphors to praise a beloved/royal figure.
Alternative generated candidates
- His cheeks are like a bed of spices, a garden of perfume; his lips are lilies distilling myrrh.
- His cheeks are a bed of spices, a bank of sweet herbs; his lips are lilies, dripping myrrh.
Son.5.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ידיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs,suff:3,m,sg
- גלילי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- זהב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ממלאים: VERB,piel,ptc,0,m,pl
- בתרשיש: PREP
- מעיו: NOUN,m,sg,suff:3ms
- עשת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- שן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מעלפת: VERB,piel,ptc,0,m,pl
- ספירים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Song of Solomon 7:1-2 (verbal): Similar erotic body-imagery using jewels and precious materials (e.g., ‘the curves of your thighs are like jewels… your navel is a rounded bowl’), paralleling 5:14’s rings of gold, carved ivory, and sapphires.
- Song of Solomon 1:10-11 (verbal): Uses ornamentation language ('your cheeks are comely with ornaments; your neck with strings of jewels')—same motif of jewelry as a metaphor for beauty and attraction.
- Song of Solomon 5:15-16 (structural): Immediate stanzaal parallel: the following verses continue the catalogue of the beloved’s body in precious materials ('legs pillars of marble… sockets of fine gold') and conclude the identification of the beloved, showing this verse is part of a unified descriptive unit.
- Ezekiel 16:13-14 (thematic): Describes Jerusalem/Israel decked with gold, bracelets and precious stones as an image of beauty and favor—same symbolic use of jewels and gold to signify worth, adornment, and possession.
- Isaiah 3:18-23 (thematic): Lists ornaments and finery (bracelets, head-ornaments, chains, anklets) associated with the daughters of Zion; thematically parallels the use of jewelry to signify beauty, status, and identity in 5:14.
Alternative generated candidates
- His hands are rings of gold, set with beryl; his belly is polished ivory inlaid with sapphires.
- His hands are rods of gold set with beryl; his body is carved ivory inlaid with sapphires.
Son.5.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שוקיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,3ms
- עמודי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- שש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מיסדים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- על: PREP
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- פז: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מראהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3ms-suff
- כלבנון: PREP+PROPN,m,sg
- בחור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כארזים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Song of Solomon 7:4 (verbal): Uses the same Lebanon/cedar imagery in describing the beloved's appearance (tower/cedar language in a parallel corpus of erotic praise).
- Song of Solomon 4:1 (thematic): Another portrait of the beloved's body using architectural and arboreal metaphors (joints, neck, breasts) — same poetic genre of physical-praise as 5:15.
- Psalm 92:12 (thematic): ’The righteous shall flourish like the cedar in Lebanon’ — parallels the cedar-of-Lebanon motif to signify majesty, stature, and durability found in 5:15.
- 1 Kings 7:15-22 (structural): Describes Solomon’s temple pillars and their bases/sockets — parallels the language of ‘pillars… set upon sockets’ (material and architectural metaphor echoed in 5:15).
Alternative generated candidates
- His legs are pillars of marble, fixed on bases of pure gold; his appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars.
- His legs are pillars of marble, founded on bases of refined gold; his appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars.
Son.5.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- חכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ממתקים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וכלו: CONJ+PRON,poss,3,ms,sg
- מחמדים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- זה: PRON,dem,m,sg
- דודי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,sg
- וזה: CONJ+PRON,dem,m,sg,abs
- רעי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- בנות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Song of Solomon 2:16 (thematic): Both verses express mutual possession and affection (’my beloved is mine, and I am his’), paralleling ‘this is my beloved, and this is my friend.’
- Song of Solomon 1:2 (verbal): Emphasis on the beloved’s mouth and kisses (‘let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth’) echoes the depiction of the beloved’s mouth as sweet.
- Song of Solomon 4:9 (thematic): Similar language of intimate address and captivation (‘thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse’), reflecting the lover’s tender appraisal found in 5:16.
- Proverbs 16:24 (verbal): ’Pleasant words are as an honeycomb’ — the image of speech/mouth as sweet parallels the metaphor of the beloved’s mouth as sweetness.
- Proverbs 24:13 (allusion): ’Eat honey, my son...’ — honey as pleasurable nourishment and delight resonates with the Song’s use of sweetness to describe the beloved’s mouth and qualities.
Alternative generated candidates
- His mouth is sweetness, and he is altogether desirable—this is my beloved, this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
- His mouth is sweetness itself, and all he is desirable. This is my beloved, this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.
His head is like finest gold; his locks are curly, black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves beside streams of water—washed with milk, resting by full pools.
His cheeks are like a bed of spices, a bank of fragrant herbs; his lips are lilies dripping myrrh.
His hands are rods of gold, studded with beryl; his belly is polished ivory overlaid with sapphires.
His legs are pillars of polished marble, set upon bases of fine gold; his form is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars.
His mouth is sweetness itself, and he is wholly desirable—this is my beloved, this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.