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May your mouth[a] be like the best wine,
flowing smoothly for my beloved,
gliding gently over our lips as we sleep together.[b]

Poetic Refrain: Mutual Possession

The Beloved about Her Lover:

10 I am my beloved’s,
and he desires me![c]

The Journey to the Countryside

The Beloved to Her Lover:

11 Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside;
let us spend the night in the villages.

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 7:9 tn The term חֵךְ (khek, “palate, mouth”) is often used as a metonymy for what the mouth produces, e.g., the mouth is the organ of taste (Ps 119:103; Job 12:11; 20:13; 34:3; Prov 24:13; Song 2:3), speech (Job 6:30; 31:30; 33:2; Prov 5:3; 8:7), sound (Hos 8:1), and kisses (Song 5:16; 7:10) (HALOT 313 s.v. חֵךְ; BDB 335 s.v. חֵךְ). The metonymical association of her palate/mouth and her kisses is made explicit by RSV which translated the term as “kisses.”
  2. Song of Solomon 7:9 tc The MT reads שִׁפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִים (shifte yeshenim, “lips of those who sleep”). However, an alternate Hebrew reading of שְׂפָתַי וְשִׁנָּי (sefatay veshinnay, “my lips and my teeth”) is suggested by the Greek tradition (LXX, Aquila, Symmachus): χείλεσίν μου καὶ ὀδοῦσιν (cheilesin mou kai odousin, “my lips and teeth”). This alternate reading, with minor variations, is followed by NAB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, NLT.tn Or “his lips as he falls asleep.” Heb “the lips of sleepers.” Alternately, “over lips and teeth” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT).
  3. Song of Solomon 7:10 tn Heb “his desire is for me” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

    and your mouth like the best wine.

She

May the wine go straight to my beloved,(A)
    flowing gently over lips and teeth.[a]
10 I belong to my beloved,
    and his desire(B) is for me.(C)
11 Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside,
    let us spend the night in the villages.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 7:9 Septuagint, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew lips of sleepers
  2. Song of Songs 7:11 Or the henna bushes

And the roof of your mouth like the best wine.

The Shulamite

The wine goes down smoothly for my beloved,
[a]Moving gently the [b]lips of sleepers.
10 (A)I am my beloved’s,
And (B)his desire is toward me.

11 Come, my beloved,
Let us go forth to the field;
Let us lodge in the villages.

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 7:9 Gliding over
  2. Song of Solomon 7:9 LXX, Syr., Vg. lips and teeth.

and your (A)mouth[a] like the best wine.

She

It goes down smoothly for my beloved,
    gliding over lips and teeth.[b]

10 (B)I am my beloved's,
    (C)and his desire is for me.

The Bride Gives Her Love

11 (D)Come, my beloved,
    let us go out into the fields
    and lodge in the villages;[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 7:9 Hebrew palate
  2. Song of Solomon 7:9 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew causing the lips of sleepers to speak, or gliding over the lips of those who sleep
  3. Song of Solomon 7:11 Or among the henna plants