BRIDEGROOM'S PRAISE OF THE BRIDE

The daughters of Jerusalemb saw her and called her blessed;
Yea, the queens and the concubines, they likewise praised her.

10 Who is she that looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, formidable as an army with banners?

"I went down into the garden of nuts to see the green plants of the valley,
To see if the vines were budding and the pomegranates were in flower.
12 Before I was aware, my desire put me beside the chariots of the prince."

d

13Turn, turn, O Shulammite, that we may look upon thee.

Why will ye look upon the Shulammite, as upon a martial dance ?

71How beautiful are thy feet in sandals, O prince's daughter! Thy rounded thighs are like jewels, the creation of a master hand. "Thy bosom is a round goblet, in which no mingled wine is wanting. Thy body a heap of wheat fenced about with lilies. "Thy breasts are both like two fawns, the twins of a gazelle. "Thy neck is like a tower of ivory; thy head like Carmel;" Thine eyes as the pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim; Thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus. "Thy hair is like purple; the king is held captive in its tresses.

"How fair and how pleasing art thou, O beloved, O delightful one !i
"This thy stature is like a palm tree, and thy breasts like its clusters.
"I said, I will climb up into the palm tree, I will take hold of its branches;
Let thy breasts be as clusters, and the smell of thy breath like apples,
'And thy mouth like the best wine, that glides over my lips and teeth.1

10I belong to my beloved, and his desire is toward me.
"Come, my beloved, let us go forth, let us lodge in the villages.

m

b6 Supplying of Jerusalem, implied by the context and demanded by the metre. 612 This line is almost hopelessly corrupt. Many emendations have been suggested but none is convincing. The above reading is obtained simply by deleting the Heb. word commonly translated my people.

4613 Heb. repeats turn, turn; but this is probably due to dittography, for it destroys the metre.

61 Heb., as upon the dance of Mahanaim. A slightly different punctuation of the Heb. gives the reading two camps or camps. The allusion is apparently to the military dances that might be seen at the warriors' camp.

17 Cf. 44 for the same figure. The last end of the line has apparently been lost, as the parallel passage in 44 indicates.

74 Completing this broken line by transferring a which is inconsistent with its context. Heb. adds upon thee.

sense.

b75 Lit., hair of thy head.

176 So Syr. Lit., daughter of delights. Through a slight error the Heb. reads for delights. 177 Possibly this is secondary.

78 Heb. adds of the vine; but this was probably appended by a scribe who lacked metrical

17 This vs. is practically untranslatable as it stands. It has evidently suffered in transmission. The current translation, that goeth down smoothly for my beloved, gliding through the lips of those that are asleep, puts these words in the mouth of the bride; but the translation and interpretation are both doubtful. The first part is probably a scribal addition. A slight revision of the latter part gives the above reading, which is in harmony with the meaning and metre. m711 Heb. adds the field; but it is loosely connected with the context and probably a scribal expansion.

Farewell

to her attendants

Question

of the

villa

gers

Bride's address

to her hus

band

Her marriage oath

12Let us get up early to the vineyards, that we may see whether the vine hath

budded,

Whether its blossom is open, and the pomegranates are in flower;

There I will give to thee my love," 13while the mandrakes° give forth fra

grance,

And at our doors are all kinds of good fruits, new and old,

Which I have laid up for thee, my beloved.

8 1O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! Should I find thee without, I would kiss thee, and none would despise me. 2I would lead thee into my mother's house, and she would instruct me; I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate.a

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

That ye stir not up nor awaken love until it please.

§ 33. Arrival of the Bride and Bridegroom at Their Home, Sg. of Sgs. 85-14

Sg. of Sgs. 8 Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning upon her beloved?r

Under the apple tree I awakened thee;
There thy mother was in travail with thee,
There was she in travail who bore thee.

"Place me as a seal upon thy heart,
Set me as a seal-rings upon thine arm;
For love is as strong as death;
Jealousy is as irresistible as Sheol;
Its flames are flames of fire,

A very flame of Jehovah.t

"Many waters cannot extinguish love,

Neither can floods ever drown it.

If a man should give all his wealth for love,

He would be utterly despised.

712 This half line is regarded as secondary by many, but it furnishes the natural complement to 10 which otherwise is isolated.

0713 Mandrakes appear to have been regarded by the ancients as the symbols of love. P82 Heb. adds bring thee. The absence of the connective indicates that it is a later insertion. 482 A scribe has added in the Heb., from 26, let his hand be under my head, and his right hand embrace me. His object was possibly to interpret the obscure vs. which precedes. The simple, natural interpretation is, on the whole, the most satisfactory.

$33 This song marks the consummation of the wedding ceremony: the conducting of the bride to the home of her future husband. The poet, with consummate dramatic art, has objectified and interpreted this concluding act by means of a dialogue between the bride and the bridegroom. As in 36 and 60, it is introduced by a question raised by the people. The powerful description of true marital love in 6, 7 was apparently the marriage oath uttered by the bride as she entered the home of her husband. In protesting that she possesses that purity which is essential to a faithful marriage, she quotes an earlier conversation between her brothers. In conclusion she declares that she is well content with humble life, though it is in striking contrast to the splendor of Solomon which had furnished the imagery for the marriage ceremonies.

185 These lines indicate the approach to the home of the bridegroom.
86 The original may have read bracelet.

been expressed.

186 I. e., a divine, irresistible flame.

In the translation the implied verbal idea has

THE BRIDE AND BRIDEGROOM AT THEIR HOME

8' We have a little sister, and she has no breasts;

What shall we do for our sister

In the day when she shall be spoken for?

"If she prove to be a wall,

We will build upon her a turret of silver;
And if she prove to be a door,

We will enclose her with boards of cedar.' 1oI am a wall, and my breasts towers;

Now I am as one who has found peace."

11Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon;
He let out the vineyard to keepers,
Everyone for its fruit was to bring silver;
12But my vineyard, which is mine, is before me.
O Solomon, thou mayest have the thousand,
And those who keep its fruit two hundred!

13Thou that dwellest in the gardens,

The companions hearken for thy voice;
Cause me to hear it.

14Make haste, my beloved,

And be thou like a gazelle or a young hart,

Upon the mountains of spices.

u810 So Gk.B. Heb., in his eyes.

81 Heb. adds a thousand; but this suggests the prosaic detail of a later scribe.

Asser-
tion
that
she has
proved
to her
family
her
chastity

Con

tent

ment

with her humble lot

The bride

groom's

request

The reminiscent refrain

THE KINGLY AND MESSIANIC PSALMS

I. PETITIONS FOR THE KING'S WELFARE AND SUCCESS Pss. 20, 21, 61, 72

II. THE DIVINE PROMISES TO DAVID AND TO HIS

SUCCESSORS

Pss. 8917-21, 3, 4, 22-52, 2, 110, 132

III. A RULER'S OATH OF OFFICE

Ps. 101

IV. THE RULE OF JEHOVAH THE DIVINE KING

Pss. 24, 47, 93, 95, 96, 98, 97, 99, 2227-31