Song of Solomon 3:6-11
Lexham English Bible
Royal Wedding Procession
6 What is this coming up from the desert
like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense
from all the fragrant powders of the merchant?
7 Look! It is Solomon’s portable couch![a]
Sixty mighty men surround it,[b]
the mighty men of Israel.
8 All of them wield swords;[c]
they are trained in warfare,[d]
each with his sword at his thigh
to guard against terror[e] in the night.
9 King Solomon[f] made for himself a sedan chair
from the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made its column of silver, its back[g] of gold, its seat of purple;
its interior is inlaid with leather[h] by the maidens of Jerusalem.[i]
11 Come out and look, O maidens of Zion,[j] at King Solomon,[k]
at the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
on the day of the joy of his heart!
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 3:7 Literally “couch” or “portable sedan chair”
- Song of Solomon 3:7 Literally “her”
- Song of Solomon 3:8 Literally “holders of sword”
- Song of Solomon 3:8 Literally “learnt of war”
- Song of Solomon 3:8 Literally “because of the fear”
- Song of Solomon 3:9 Literally “The king, Solomon”
- Song of Solomon 3:10 Or “its support,” “its base,” “its headrest,” “its litter,” “its cover”
- Song of Solomon 3:10 Or “love.” The Hebrew term here translated “leather” is spelled the same as the term for “love.” Most likely this is an example of a word play that puns on the intentional ambiguity: “Its interior was inlaid with leather//love by the maidens of Jerusalem”
- Song of Solomon 3:10 Literally “by the daughters of Jerusalem”
- Song of Solomon 3:11 Literally “O daughters of Zion”
- Song of Solomon 3:11 Literally “the king, Solomon”
Song of Solomon 3:6-11
New American Standard Bible
Solomon’s Wedding Day
The Bride
6 “[a](A)What is this coming up from the wilderness
Like (B)columns of smoke,
Perfumed with (C)myrrh and (D)frankincense,
With all the scented powders of the merchant?
The Chorus
7 Behold, it is [b]the traveling couch of Solomon;
Sixty warriors around it,
Of the warriors of Israel.
8 All of them are wielders of the sword,
(E)Expert in war;
Each man has his (F)sword at his side,
Guarding against the [c](G)terrors of the night.
9 King Solomon has made for himself a [d]sedan chair
From the timber of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
Its [e]back of gold
And its seat of purple fabric,
With its interior lovingly inlaid
By the (H)daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, you (I)daughters of Zion,
And look at King Solomon with the [f]crown
With which his mother has crowned him
On the (J)day of his wedding,
And on the day of the joy of his heart.”
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 3:6 Lit Who
- Song of Solomon 3:7 I.e., an elegant couch designed to be carried with poles by servants
- Song of Solomon 3:8 Lit terror in the nights
- Song of Solomon 3:9 I.e., an elegant throne with poles, carried by servants
- Song of Solomon 3:10 Or support
- Song of Solomon 3:11 Or wreath
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