5:10–16 The woman responded to the women of Jerusalem
In 5:10–16 the woman gave the women a poetic description of her beloved. It is similar to 4:1–7 where the man praised her beauty. In both descriptions the first verse is a general statement, and the following verses give more specific descriptions. Since the woman also used the descriptions to imply her feelings for the man, she often used hyperboles.
Praise songs like this usually begin by describing the person’s head and conclude by describing his legs and feet. However, after the women described the man’s legs, she concluded by again describing his mouth in 5:16a.
5:10a
My beloved is dazzling and ruddy: The clause My beloved is dazzling and ruddy probably refers to the man’s whole body, not to one particular part. The statement indicates that the man’s skin showed that he was healthy. Languages have different ways to describe a person’s skin and his good health. It is important to use a natural way in your language to praise a person’s skin or his healthy appearance.
Some other ways to translate 5:10a are:
My beloved is radiant and healthy
-or-
My lover glows with good health
-or-
He is handsome and healthy (Contemporary English Version)
My beloved: The words My beloved here in 5:10a and in 5:16c form an inclusio.
dazzling and ruddy: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as dazzling means “bright” or “shining.” It is used in 5:11–15 to describe the metals, liquids, and jewels that the woman mentioned. When the word describes skin, as it does here, it indicates that the skin glows. (The word dazzling does not mean “white” here.)
The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as ruddy probably indicates that the man’s complexion was healthy and well-tanned from being in the sun. Such ruddy skin indicates excellent health.
The words dazzling and ruddy both imply that the man was in excellent health; he was handsome and young. Use natural ways in your language for a woman to describe these qualities in her beloved. Some other ways to translate them are:
My beloved is clear-skinned and ruddy (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
My beloved is dazzling, and his skin is beautiful.
-or-
My lover is handsome and strong (Good News Translation)
5:10b
outstanding among ten thousand: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as outstanding indicates here that the man is “superior” to all other young men. The number ten thousand is the highest number that is used for comparisons in Hebrew poetry. It is not used in a literal way here, but simply indicates a very large number. The woman meant that no other man could compare to him—he was superior to all of them! Many languages have a figurative expression like this (such as “one in a million” in English).
Some other ways to translate this figure of speech are:
he is the best among ten thousand others.
-or-
he is more desirable than all other young men.
-or-
no other man is ⌊excellent⌋ like him.
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