Internet Verse Search Commentaries Word Analysis ITL - draft

The Song of Songs 5:11

NETBible	His head is like the most pure gold.¹ His hair is curly² – black like a raven.
NIV © biblegateway Sos 5:11	His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.
NASB © biblegateway Sos 5:11	"His head is like gold, pure gold; His locks are like clusters of dates And black as a raven.
NLT © biblegateway Sos 5:11	His head is the finest gold, and his hair is wavy and black.
MSG © biblegateway Sos 5:11	My golden one, pure and untarnished, with raven black curls tumbling across his shoulders.
BBE © SABDAweb Sos 5:11	His head is as the most delicate gold; his hair is thick, and black as a raven.
NRSV © bibleoremus Sos 5:11	His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.
NKJV © biblegateway Sos 5:11	His head is like the finest gold; His locks are wavy, And black as a raven.
[+] More English


KJV	His head <07218> [is as] the most <03800> fine gold <06337>_, his locks <06977> [are] bushy <08534>_, [and] black <07838> as a raven <06158>_. {bushy: or, curled}
NASB © biblegateway Sos 5:11	"His head <07218> is like gold <03800> , pure <06337> gold <06337> ; His locks <06977> are like clusters <08534> of dates <08534> And black <07838> as a raven <06158> .
LXXM	kefalh <2776> N-NSF autou <846> D-GSM crusion <5553> N-NSN kai <2532> CONJ faz {N-PRI} bostrucoi {N-NPM} autou <846> D-GSM elatai {N-NPF} melanev <3189> A-NPM wv <3739> CONJ korax <2876> N-NSM
NET [draft] ITL	His head <07218> is like the most pure gold <06337> <03800> . His hair <06977> is curly <08534> – black <07838> like a raven <06158> .
HEBREW	brwek <06158> twrxs <07838> Myltlt <08534> wytwuwq <06977> zp <06337> Mtk <03800> wsar (5:11) <07218>

NETBible

His head is like the most pure gold.¹ His hair is curly² – black like a raven.

NET Notes

¹tn Heb “his head is gold of pure gold.” In the genitive construct phrase כֶּתֶם פָּז (ketem paz, literally, “gold of pure gold”) the genitive noun פָּז (paz, “pure gold”) functions as an adjectival genitive modifying כֶּתֶם (“gold”), that is, “pure gold.” The repetition of two different words for “gold” suggests that the phrase should be nuanced “the most pure gold.” This phrase is a predicate nominate in a metaphorical statement: “his head is (like) the most pure gold.” In the OT gold is frequently used in comparisons to emphasize the idea of beauty, value, or rarity (Job 28:12-19; Pss 19:11; 119:127; Prov 8:19; Isa 13:12; Lam 4:2). Palestine had no known sources of gold, but had to import it, making it a rare and precious commodity (Ruth V. Wright and R. L. Chadbourne, The Gems and Minerals of the Bible, 65).

²tn Literally “his locks [of hair] are curls.” The Hebrew adjective תַּלְתָּל (taltal) is a hapax legomenon whose meaning is somewhat unclear. BDB suggests that תַּלְתָּל is from the root תּלל (“mound, heap”; BDB 1068 s.v. I תּלל) which is related to Arabic tl “mound, hill, top” (E. W. Lane, Arabic-English Dictionary, 311) and Akkadian tilu “hill, mound” (AHw 3:1358). On the other hand, HALOT suggests that תַּלְתָּל means “date-panicle” and that it is related to the Akkadian noun taltallu “pollen of date-palm” (HALOT 1741 s.v. תַּלְתַּלִּים). The term occurs in Mishnaic Hebrew as תַּלְתָּל “curls, locks” (Jastrow 1674 s.v. תַּלְתָּל). It is used in the same way in the Song. The form tltl is a reduplicated pattern used for adjectives denoting an intense characteristic (S. Moscati, Comparative Grammar, 78-79, §12.9-13). It functions as a predicate adjective to the subjective nominative קוּצוֹתָיו (qutsotav, “his locks of hair”).