swear / vow

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The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “swear (an oath)” or “vow” in English is otherwise translated as:

  • “God sees me, I tell the truth to you” (Tzeltal)
  • “loading yourself down” (Huichol)
  • “speak-stay” (implying permanence of the utterance) (Sayula Popoluca)
  • “say what could not be taken away” (San Blas Kuna)
  • “because of the tight (i.e. ‘binding’) word said to a face” (Guerrero Amuzgo)
  • “strong promise” (North Alaskan Inupiatun) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • “eat an oath” (Nyamwezi) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • “drink an oath” (Jju) (source: McKinney 2018, p. 31).
  • “cut taboos” (Mairasi (source: Enggavoter 2004)

In Bauzi “swear” can be translated in various ways. In Hebrews 6:13, for instance, it is translated with “bones break apart and decisively speak.” (“No bones are literally broken but by saying ‘break bones’ it is like people swear by someone else in this case it is in relation to a rotting corpse’ bones falling apart. If you ‘break bones’ so to speak when you make an utterance, it is a true utterance.”) In other passages, such as in Matthew 26:72, it’s translated with an expression that implies taking ashes (“if a person wants everyone to know that he is telling the truth about a matter, he reaches down into the fireplace, scoops up some ashes and throws them while saying ‘I was not the one who did that.'”). So in Matthew 26:72 the Bauzi text is: “. . . Peter took ashes and defended himself saying, ‘I don’t know that Nazareth person.'” (Source: David Briley)

See also swear (promise) and Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’, or ‘No, No’.

complete verse (Song of Solomon 5:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Song of Solomon 5:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “But hey, fair maiden,
    how does this man surpass all the other men?
    In what way is he better than other people
    so that you tell us to go and do like that?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “How is your beloved better than others,
    O most charming woman among the women?
    How is your beloved better than others?
    Why did you give us this order?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “O most-beautiful woman, what (is) so good about your (sing.) beloved that you (sing.) have- us (excl.) – swear? (Is) he really better than others?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You who are the fairest/most beautiful among women,
    why do you think that the one who loves you is better than other men?
    In what way is the man who loves you better than other men
    with the result that you ask us to tell him that?” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Song of Songs 5:9

We come in verse 9 to the first of the two questions spoken by the daughters of Jerusalem (the other is in 6.1). These questions have a particular literary function found elsewhere in Hebrew poetry. In Psa 24.3-4 or Psa 121.1-2, for example, a question is asked that leads into the rest of the poem. We saw a similar example of this use of the question form in 3.6. In this case the questions are asked by the daughters of Jerusalem, setting the scene for the response of the young woman (5.10-16 and 6.2-3).

The rather literal translation provided by Revised Standard Version shows us an important feature of Hebrew style, namely its use of repetition. The question in line 1, “What is your beloved more than any other beloved?” is repeated in line 3.

What is your beloved more than another beloved…?: the adjective “better” is lacking in the Hebrew text but is clearly understood. In view of the response in verses 10-16, the question most probably refers to physical qualities, so we can also say “In what way is your lover more handsome?” or, more generally, “How is your lover more wonderful?” The Hebrew interrogative translated as “What?” can also be rendered “How?” We can even say “What makes your beloved better?” New American Bible and Good News Translation ask “Is your lover different?” This is acceptable if “different” means “better” in this context. Forms like “What is so unique about…?” “What does he have more than any other…?” or “How does he surpass…?” may be clearer.

Revised Standard Version reflects the Hebrew in translating both instances of beloved in the singular. The translator can make adjustments as needed in rendering the phrase another beloved. It may be more natural to say “better than all the other young men” or “better than all the others.”

For translation we suggest:

• How is your lover better than any other man?

• What is so unique about your lover?

• What makes your beloved better [or, different] than all the others?

Note that this clause is repeated for emphasis. See below.

O fairest among women: see comments on 1.8. Note again that this vocative can be placed at the beginning of the verse if necessary. It may even be appropriate to start the verse with an introductory phrase like “Tell us, you who are the fairest among women….”

Some commentators believe this statement makes fun of the young woman. If the daughters are from a higher social class, they may well be looking down on this sunburned village girl and asking her in a teasing way how her lover is so special. However, if, as we believe, the daughters are merely a literary feature, then their question can be seen as neutral, simply drawing out the young woman’s response.

What is your beloved more than another beloved…?: this is the second time the question is asked. In some languages the use of repetition is not appreciated, and so translators can vary the expression as Good News Translation does. In other languages it may even be necessary to combine or merge the two expressions into one.

That you thus adjure us: introducing this result clause is the Hebrew conjunction sh- with a poetic form of the preposition k- attached. It is literally “that in this manner you make us take an oath.” The expression refers back to the oath of verse 8. In some languages it is more natural to say “… that you ask us [to do] this.”

Possible translations are:

• … that you make us take this kind of an oath.

• … that we should promise you that.

Or we may even follow Good News Translation:

• … that we should give you our promise.

For the entire verse we can follow the structure of the Hebrew rather closely by imitating Revised Standard Version, or restructure as follows:

• Tell us, most beautiful of women,
What makes your lover better than all others?
What is there about him,
That you ask us to promise you that?

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 5:9

5:9–16 The woman described her beloved

In 5:9 the Jerusalem women asked the woman in what ways the man was so much better than other men. In 5:10–16 the woman answered with a poetic description of her beloved that uses many metaphors and hyperbole. Some verses describe the man as though he were a statue.

These verses are similar to 4:1–7 in which the man described the woman’s body. Here in 5:9–16 she described his body. It was rare in ancient Israel for a woman to describe a man’s body in detail like this. In 4:1–7 where the man described the woman, he spoke directly to her. However, in this section where the woman described him, she did not speak directly to him. She spoke to the women of Jerusalem about him.

The description in 5:9–16 has the similar phrases My beloved (5:10) and This is my beloved (5:16) near its beginning and end, forming an inclusio. It also mentions his golden head (5:11) near the beginning and his legs on bases of gold (5:15) near the end. The woman began by describing his head, then the rest of his body, and ended by mentioning his head again. In the description (5:11–16), four of the six verses describe parts of the man’s head (5:11–13, 16), which shows that the woman focused especially on his head. Her description of him may seem strange to modern readers, but she intended her description to show that he was completely desirable.

5:9 The women of Jerusalem questioned the woman

5:9a–b

In this verse the Jerusalem women asked two similar questions. The second question repeats the first one and adds a reason clause. The Hebrew text is more literally:

9a How ⌊is⌋ your lover more than a lover, most beautiful of women? 9b How ⌊is⌋ your lover more than a lover that thus you make us swear?

In some languages it is more natural to translate the phrase “How is your lover more than a lover” only once. For example:

What makes your loved one so special that you make us swear this, most beautiful woman?

How is your beloved better than others, O most beautiful among women?: Here the Jerusalem women asked the woman a real question. They used the phrase O most beautiful among women as a praise name for her. In some languages it is more natural to begin the sentence with this praise name. For example:

Most beautiful of women, what makes your beloved better than any other beloved? (God’s Word)

5:9a

How is your beloved better than others: Scholars differ about the meaning of than here:

(1) It means “better than.” For example:

How is your beloved better than others (New International Version)

(2) It means “different from.” For example:

is your lover different from everyone else? (Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Interpretations (1) and (2) are similar, but the women wanted to know what caused the woman to consider her beloved so much better than any other man.

Some other ways to translate this question are:

What makes your lover better than other lovers
-or-
What is it about your loved one that ⌊makes you think that⌋ he is better than any other lover?
-or-
why is the one you love more special than others? (Contemporary English Version)

5:9b

O most beautiful among women?: The phrase most beautiful among women also occurred in 1:8, and you should translate it the same way in both verses. It is more literally “the beautiful one among women.” The man used this phrase to show his admiration for the woman. He compared her to other women, and indicated that she was more beautiful than any of them.

Translate this comparison in a natural way in your language. In some languages it may not be natural to use a phrase like this as direct address. Some other ways to translate it are:

• As a statement. For example:

You are the most beautiful of women. (New Century Version)
-or-
You are very beautiful. Other women are not beautiful beside you.

• As an exclamation. For example:

Oh very beautiful woman among all other women!

Translate the phrase in a natural way in your language.

5:9c–d

How is your beloved better than another, that you charge us so?: In 5:9c the author repeated the question in 5:9a and added the clause in 5:9d. With this added clause, the question implies that 5:9c is the reason for 5:9d. Because her beloved was better than other lovers, she made the women swear to tell him that she longed for him.

Some other ways to translate this question are:

How is your beloved better than others that you want us to swear such an oath?
-or-
What is so wonderful about your lover that you make us swear ⌊to tell him⌋ that?
-or-
Why do you want us to swear that? What makes your lover so special?

that you charge us so?: The phrase that you charge us so means “that you want to make us swear that ⌊oath⌋.” It implies that the woman wants them to swear to give him her message because he is especially wonderful and important to her. Most English versions use the connector word that. Another way to translate 5:9c–d is:

How is your lover better than other lovers? Why do you want us to promise this? (New Century Version)

charge: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as charge means “to place/put under oath.” It indicates that someone requires another person to take an oath. Often, the oath requires the person to do something (or not to do something). Here the oath requires the women to give the woman’s message to her beloved if they see him.

In some languages oaths are connected with evil spirits that torment people who fail to perform the oath. That is not the meaning here. So if that is true in your language, use a different word that does not imply that.

Some other ways to translate this verb are:

adjure (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
make us promise

General Comment on 5:9

Some scholars suggest that in 5:9 the Jerusalem women teased the woman. They seemed to doubt that the man was so special. Their question gave the woman an opportunity to describe her beloved for them in 5:10–16. Other scholars suggest that the women wanted her to describe him to help them in their search. However, the women probably knew what he looked like. (In 1:3 the woman mentioned that they loved him.)

When the woman described the man in 5:10–18, she used figures of speech. For example, she said that “His lips are like lilies” (5:13c) and “His eyes are like doves” (5:12a). She used these figures of speech to imply her feelings about him. She did not use realistic descriptions.

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