This verse appears in almost exactly the same form again in 6.6. It may create problems for translators, first, because the exact points of the comparison are not clear, and second, because comparing sheep and teeth may not be culturally acceptable. Also in some languages there is no distinction made between sheep and goats.

Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes: in describing the young woman’s teeth, the simile draws attention first to their whiteness, then to their completeness. To express the first feature we can do as Good News Translation does, and say “your teeth are as white as sheep.” In that part of the world, the sheep are generally white, so the contrast between the white sheep and the black goats is easily understood. However, in many countries sheep are not white! They may be brown, spotted, or black. And if they are white, they are usually a rather dirty white! In this case something like “your teeth are like little white sheep” may prove acceptable. Again, if the image is not understood in the translator’s culture, it is better to omit it or to substitute a well-known natural equivalent that will not draw too much attention to itself: “Your teeth, shining white, stand in rows….”

Like a flock is exactly the same expression used of the goats in the previous verse.

Shorn ewes renders a Hebrew feminine passive participle. This rare term (found only elsewhere in 2 Kgs 6.6) requires some explanation. The root means “to cut off” or “sever,” hence “shear.” In its passive form the participle suggests “about to be shorn,” and this is found in New American Bible, though most other translations refer to the sheep as already having been shorn. We can say “[already] shorn,” or “just shorn.” That they are ewes, female sheep, is clear from the feminine form of the participle and is appropriate to describe the young woman. Many translations do not make any distinction here and simply say “sheep.” The masculine-feminine distinction is not important to the comparison, as whiteness applies to any sheep freshly shorn, whether male or female.

That have come up from the washing is a literal rendering of the original. It means simply that the sheep have just been washed. New English Bible suggests “dipping” (to get rid of parasites), but this is a modern practice and may not have been followed in the ancient world.

We may translate as:

• Your teeth are as white as [a flock of] sheep freshly shorn and washed.

If this image is not acceptable, we suggest:

• Your teeth are sparkling white.

All of which bear twins describes the sheep. The significance of this phrase and how it applies to the young woman’s teeth is less obvious, but the following line may help to clarify its meaning.

And not one among them is bereaved: this phrase balances the previous phrase. This fact helps us to determine the meaning and function of the comparison. Being bereaved means that someone has lost something. In this context the sense must be that the young woman has all her teeth, not one has been lost. Moving back to the previous clause, bear twins almost certainly means that each tooth is matched by another. So although the poet appears to be speaking about characteristics of the sheep, the intention is to say that her white teeth are perfectly aligned, with none missing.

If the image of the twins is difficult, a footnote may be added to explain. Otherwise we can find some natural equivalent, or a different image that carries the same meaning as the Hebrew. We can recommend then a translation like Good News Translation, which brings out the meaning rather than retaining a literal description: “Not one of them is missing. They are all perfectly matched.” Why Good News Translation reverses the two phrases is unknown. The original order should be followed, unless there are reasons within the language requiring the change: “They are all perfectly matched, with none missing.”

The verse contains a repetitive sh sound in Hebrew, and there is an interesting play on words here as shekullam, “[which] all of them,” sounds like shakkulah “[which] is bereaved.” This feature will certainly be difficult to render in the translation. By word choice and rhythm, however, the translator should at least try to create a poetic effect:

• Your teeth are white like a flock of sheep,
washed and ready to be shorn.
Every one is matched;
not one is missing.

If the images are too difficult to understand, a more dynamic translation can be used, with a more literal rendering in a footnote:

• Your teeth, white and shining
Are perfect in every way*
Suggested footnote:
* The Hebrew compares the young woman’s teeth to sheep that have just been washed and are about to be shorn. Each one has its twin; not one of them is missing.

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 .