This is the first direct address in this unit. As reflected in the Revised Standard Version translation, this verse presents two strictly parallel clauses consisting of imperatives followed by prepositional phrases, and one reason clause. The last line in Hebrew ends with the emphatic form of the pronoun “I,” forming a bracket or inclusio with verse 1.

This verse presents us with several problems. The first is to discover who the young woman is talking to. The opening verb is a second person masculine plural form, which has been explained in several ways. She may be addressing the “daughters of Jerusalem,” since masculine endings can be used in the imperative when addressing women. In favor of this interpretation is the fact that in verse 7 she calls out to this group by name. Another possibility is that the young woman is so moved that she is simply crying out to her lover.

There may be ways for us to retain the ambiguity of who it is that is being addressed. In English imperative forms, for example, singular and plural are not distinguished, so the ambiguity remains. In many languages, however, singular and plural must be distinguished, so a decision must be made. Given the context it seems more likely that the young woman is addressing her lover, so this is the approach we recommend.

There are other difficult problems as well. The meaning of the two verbs sustain and refresh, as well as the identity of the two fruits raisins and apples, are uncertain. The opening verb may mean “strengthen” (similar to Revised Standard Version sustain); but Fox argues that the Hebrew verb form here means “to put to bed.” This is supported by the noun meaning “blanket,” “rug” in Judges 4.18, which has a root with sounds similar to this verb. He also suggests that the second verb, which Revised Standard Version renders as refresh, really means “spread one’s bed,” so the two lines would be parallel in meaning. He interprets the preposition with as “among.” This leaves us with a translation something like:
Put me to bed among fruit clusters,
Spread my bed among the apricot trees.

This rendering is quite appropriate to the context. Few translations follow this interpretation, however, and because of the uncertainty of the meanings of the verb sustain, it is perhaps wiser to retain the traditional reading in the text and make a footnote in which the alternative meaning is recorded. We recommend then “give strength” as the translation of the first verb.

Raisins: the dried fruit of the grape vine. The Hebrew word here appears to refer to some kind of food, possibly raisin cakes, or blocks of dried raisins pressed together (Hos 3.1). Raisins are figurative for love, as are apples in the following phrase. They both are figures associated with the garden imagery. If raisins are known they can be used in the translation. Otherwise we may say “sweet fruit” or “cakes made from fruit.” Again the translator should avoid long explanations, since this is poetry.

The second imperative, refresh me [with apples], is parallel to the first “sustain me.” The term apples was discussed above in verse 3. In this case also, translators may find that a general term “fruit” is in order. Since these parallel lines are similar in meaning, and the identity of the two fruits is not certain, we may want to simply combine clauses: “Revive me, strengthen me with sweet fruit.”

The young woman may be talking about real fruit or about lovemaking in general (verse 3). It is very likely, in fact, that the author meant there to be double meanings. However, this phrase will still require something more, at least in the form of a footnote, to make it clear that the metaphor has a second meaning—it refers to making love. In view of these double meanings, it seems likely that the young woman is talking directly to the young man rather than to the “daughters.”

Translation suggestions are:

• Revive me with raisins [fruit], refresh me with apples [or, apricots].

• Revive me with the sweet fruit of your love.

Verse 5 closes with a motive clause introduced by for. It is this closing portion that makes more obvious the connection between the metaphors and lovemaking. For I am sick with love is the Revised Standard Version rendering, though this sentence may be easily misunderstood. Love has not made her feel sick; rather, she longs for more of the young man’s love. She says she feels sick because this is the effect of her deep longing for him. Good News Translation “I am weary from passion” implies that she is weary as a result of so much passion, which is not the case. We need a translation that makes clear how desperately she longs for more of his love. We may say “For I long for more love,” or “I will be sick if I cannot have more of your love,” or even “I’m dying for more of your love!”

For the whole verse we can suggest the following model:

• Sustain me with raisins!*
Revive me with fruits!
I am dying for more of your love!

An example of a footnote may be:
* raisins, fruits: the meaning of the Hebrew words is uncertain. Many versions translate the second term as “apples.”

If we are preparing a Study Bible, then we can also point out that apples as we know them did not exist in that part of the world at that time.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Song of Songs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1998. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .