Bible History
Bible History

Song of Solomon 8 - Lexham English Bible (LEB)

You are here: Home Lexham English Bible (LEB) Song of Solomon 8

Maiden’s Fanciful Wish

8 How I wish that you were my little brother,[a][b]
who nursed upon my mother’s breasts![c]
If I met you outside,[d] I would kiss you,
and no one would despise me![e]
2 I would surely bring you[f][g] to the house of my mother,
who would surely teach me;[h]
I would give you spiced wine to drink,[i]
the sweet wine[j] of my pomegranates.[k]

Double Refrain: Embrace and Adjuration

3 His left hand is under my head,
and his right hand embraces[l] me.
4 I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem,[m]
do not[n] arouse or awaken love until it pleases![o]

Up from the Wilderness and under the Apple Tree

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

The Nature of Genuine Romantic Love

6 Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death;
passion is fierce as Sheol;
its flashes are flashes of fire;
it is a blazing flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.[q]
If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love,[r]
he would be utterly scorned.[s]

Maiden’s Virtuous Chastity and Voluptuous Beauty

8 We have a little sister,[t]
and she does not yet have any breasts.[u]
What should we do for our sister
on the day when she is betrothed?[v][w]
9 If she is a wall,
we will adorn her with a turret of silver;[x][y]
but if she is a door,
we will barricade her with boards of cedar.[z]
10 I was a wall, and my breasts were like the towers,
so my betrothed viewed me with great delight.[aa]

Solomon’s Vineyard and the Maiden’s Gift

11 Solomon had a vineyard[ab] at Baal-hamon;
he entrusted his vineyard to the keepers;[ac]
people paid a thousand silver pieces for its fruit.[ad]
12 My own “vineyard” belongs to me;[ae]
the “thousand” are for you, O Solomon,
and “two hundred” for those who tend its fruit.[af]

Closing Words of Mutual Love

13 O you who dwell in the garden,
my companions are listening to your voice.
Let me hear it!
14 Flee, my beloved!
Be like a gazelle[ag] or a young stag[ah]
upon the perfumed mountains![ai]

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 8:1 Literally “O that he would give you like a brother to me”
  2. Song of Solomon 8:1 The Hebrew construction (which is somewhat misleading if rendered in a woodenly literal sense) is an idiom expressing one’s fanciful wish
  3. Song of Solomon 8:1 Literally “at the breast of my mother”
  4. Song of Solomon 8:1 Literally “I will find you in the street”
  5. Song of Solomon 8:1 Literally “also they would not despise me”
  6. Song of Solomon 8:2 Literally “I would lead you and I would bring you”
  7. Song of Solomon 8:2 The combination of the two verbs creates a hendiadys which may be rendered more cogently as “I would surely bring you …”
  8. Song of Solomon 8:2 Literally “she will teach me”
  9. Song of Solomon 8:2 Literally “I would give you to drink from the wine of the spice”
  10. Song of Solomon 8:2 Or “juice”
  11. Song of Solomon 8:2 The traditional Hebrew reads the singular “my pomegranate.” However, the plural reading “my pomegranates” is attested in numerous medieval Hebrew manuscripts and is reflected in the ancient versions (Greek Septuagint, Aramaic Targum, Syriac Peshitta). The latter makes the most sense in this context as a euphemistic description of the maiden’s delights
  12. Song of Solomon 8:3 Or “embraced”
  13. Song of Solomon 8:4 Literally “O daughters of Jerusalem”
  14. Song of Solomon 8:4 Or “Why must you … before it pleases?”
  15. Song of Solomon 8:4 Or “Do not stir up or awaken the love until it is willing,” or “Do not disturb or interrupt our lovemaking until it is satisfied”
  16. Song of Solomon 8:5 Literally “was in labor with you”
  17. Song of Solomon 8:7 Or “and rivers cannot engulf it”
  18. Song of Solomon 8:7 Literally “in the love”
  19. Song of Solomon 8:7 Literally “they will utterly scorn him”
  20. Song of Solomon 8:8 Literally “a little sister for us”
  21. Song of Solomon 8:8 Literally “and there is no breast for her”
  22. Song of Solomon 8:8 Literally “on the day when it is spoken of her”
  23. Song of Solomon 8:8 Or “on the day when she is spoken for”
  24. Song of Solomon 8:9 Literally “we will build upon her a camp of silver”
  25. Song of Solomon 8:9 The term translated “turret” refers to the decorative parapet adorning the top of a building. This image is likely figurative for a silver tiara set upon the head
  26. Song of Solomon 8:9 Or “we will enclose her”
  27. Song of Solomon 8:10 Literally “then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace”
  28. Song of Solomon 8:11 Literally “A vineyard was for Solomon”
  29. Song of Solomon 8:11 Literally “he gave the vineyard to the keepers”
  30. Song of Solomon 8:11 Literally “each one brought a thousand silver pieces for his fruit”
  31. Song of Solomon 8:12 Literally “My vineyard that for me before my face”
  32. Song of Solomon 8:12 Literally “and two hundred for the keepers of his fruit”
  33. Song of Solomon 8:14 Literally “and be like for you to a gazelle”
  34. Song of Solomon 8:14 Literally “to the fawn of the stag”
  35. Song of Solomon 8:14 Literally “the mountains of spices”

You Might Also Like:

Song of Solomon 8 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

8 Who doth make thee as a brother to me, Sucking the breasts of my mother? I find thee without, I kiss thee, Yea, they do not despise me, 2 I lead thee, I bring thee in unto my mother's house, She doth teach me, I cause thee to drink of the perfumed wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate, 3 His left h...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

8 Who may grant to me thee, my brother, sucking the teats of my mother, that I find thee alone withoutforth, and that I kiss thee, and no man despise me then? (Who shall grant me, that thou be my brother, yea, he who hath sucked at my mother’s breasts, so that if I find thee alone outside, and I kis...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - World English Bible (WEB)

8 Oh that you were like my brother, who nursed from the breasts of my mother!If I found you outside, I would kiss you; yes, and no one would despise me.2 I would lead you, bringing you into the house of my mother, who would instruct me.I would have you drink spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegrana...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - The Voice (VOICE)

Why would she break the parallel language and say that he “has desire” for her instead of saying he “belongs” to her as she does to him? Certainly he does belong to her, now that they are intimately bound in covenant. Her words may be said in light of Genesis 3:16, the passage where God outlines hum...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

8 O that you were like a brother to me, that nursed at my mother’s breast!If I met you outside, I would kiss you, and none would despise me.2 I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.[a]I would give you spiced wine to drink, the juice ...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Young Woman8 Oh, I wish you were my brother, who nursed at my mother’s breasts.Then I could kiss you no matter who was watching, and no one would criticize me.2 I would bring you to my childhood home, and there you would teach me.[a]I would give you spiced wine to drink, my sweet pomegranate wine.3 ...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - New Life Version (NLV)

8 “O that you were like a brother to me, who nursed from my mother’s breasts! If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would hate me. 2 I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother, who used to teach me. I would give you wine with spices to drink, made from my pomegranates...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Lovers Reunited at Their Country Home8 Oh, that you were like my brother,Who nursed at my mother’s breasts!If I should find you outside,I would kiss you;I would not be despised.2 I would lead you and bring youInto the (A)house of my mother,She who used to instruct me.I would cause you to drink of (B...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

8 If only you were to me like a brother, who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!Then, if I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me.2 I would lead you and bring you to my mother’s house – she who has taught me.I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranate...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - New English Translation (NET)

The Beloved’s Wish SongThe Beloved to Her Lover:8 Oh, how I wish you were[a] my little brother,[b]nursing at my mother’s breasts;if I saw[c] you outside, I could kiss you—surely[d] no one would despise me![e]2 I would lead you and bring you to my mother’s house,the one who taught me.[f]I would give ...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - New Century Version (NCV)

8 I wish you were like my brother who fed at my mother’s breasts.If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would look down on me.2 I would lead you and bring you to my mother’s house; she is the one who taught me.I would give you a drink of spiced wine from my pomegranates. The Woman Spea...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

The Lovers Speak8 “Oh that you were like a brother to meWho nursed at my mother’s breasts.If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;No one would despise me, either.2 “I would lead you and (A)bring youInto the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;I would give you spiced wine to drink from the ...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Lovers Speak8 “Oh that you were like a brother to meWho nursed at my mother’s breasts.If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;No one would despise me, either.2 I would lead you and (A)bring youInto the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;I would give you spiced wine to drink from the j...
Read More

Song of Solomon 8 - Names of God Bible (NOG)

8 If only you were my brother, one who nursed at my mother’s breasts. If I saw you on the street, I would kiss you, and no one would look down on me.2 I would lead you. I would bring you into my mother’s house. (She is the one who was my teacher.) I would give you some spiced wine to drink, some jui...
Read More

61 Bible Translations

Popular Articles

Explore the Bible Like Never Before!

Bible History Online

Bible Study Tools

Top Tags