Unrivaled Among Women
Song of Songs 6
The daughters of Jerusalem ask where the bride's beloved has gone, and she answers that he is in his garden feeding among the lilies. Her beloved in turn praises her as without equal among queens, concubines, and maidens without number.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Thomson 1808Septuagint
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
KJV 1769Masoretic
JPS 1917Masoretic
1
Thomson—
BrentonWhither is thy kinsman gone, thou beautiful among women? whither has thy kinsman turned aside? tell us, and we will seek him with thee.
GreekΠοῦ ἀπῆλθεν ὁ ἀδελφιδός σου ἡ καλὴ ἐν γυναιξὶ; ποῦ ἀπέβλεψεν ὁ ἀδελφιδός σου; καὶ ζητήσομεν αὐτὸν μετὰ σοῦ.
KJVWhither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.
JPS’Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither hath thy beloved turned him, That we may seek him with thee?’
2
ThomsonMy dear brother went down to his garden to the beds of spices; to feed in the garden and to gather lillies.
BrentonMy kinsman is gone down to his garden, to the beds of spice, to feed his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
GreekἈδελφιδός μου κατέβη εἰς κῆπον αὐτοῦ εἰς φιάλας τοῦ ἀρώματος, ποιμαίνειν ἐν κήποις, καὶ συλλέγειν κρίνα.
KJVMy beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
JPS’My beloved is gone down into his garden, To the beds of spices, To feed in the gardens, And to gather lilies.
3
ThomsonI am my dear brother’s and he is mine; he is feeding among the lillies!
BrentonI am my kinsman's, and my kinsman is mine, who feeds among the lilies.
GreekἘγὼ τῷ ἀδελφιδῷ μου, καὶ ἀδελφιδός μου ἐμοί, ὁ ποιμαίνων ἐν τοῖς κρίνοις.
KJVI am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
JPSI am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine, That feedeth among the lilies.’
4
ThomsonThou, my consort, art beautiful as Terzah; comely as Jerusalem; dazzling as embattled hosts!
BrentonThou art fair, my companion, as Pleasure, beautiful as Jerusalem, terrible as armies set in array.
GreekΚαλὴ εἶ ἡ πλησίον μου, ὡς εὐδοκία, ὡραῖα ὡς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, θάμβος ὡς τεταγμέναι.
KJVThou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
JPSThou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, Comely as Jerusalem, Terrible as an army with banners.
5
ThomsonTurn thine eyes aside from me for they have transported me. Thy hair is like a flock of goats which are seen on mount Galaad:
BrentonTurn away thine eyes from before me, for they have ravished me: thy hair is as flocks of goats which have appeared from Galaad.
GreekἈπόστρεψον ὀφθαλμούς σου ἀπεναντίον μου, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἀνεπτέρωσάν με· τρίχωμά σου ὡς ἀγέλαι τῶν αἰγῶν, αἳ ἀνεφάνησαν ἀπὸ τοῦ Γαλαάδ.
KJVTurn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.
JPSTurn away thine eyes from me, For they have overcome me. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That trail down from Gilead.
6
Thomsonthy teeth like flocks of shorn sheep, just come up from washing: all twins and there is not one defective among them: thy lips are like a braid of scarlet, and thy speech is graceful.
BrentonThy teeth are as flocks of shorn sheep, that have gone up from the washing, all of them bearing twins, and there is none barren among them: thy lips are as a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely.
GreekὈδόντες σου ὡς ἀγέλαι τῶν κεκαρμένων, αἳ ἀνέβησαν ἀπὸ τοῦ λουτροῦ, αἱ πᾶσαι διδυμεύουσαι, καὶ ἀτεκνοῦσα οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐταῖς· ὡς σπαρτίον τὸ κόκκινον χείλη σου, καὶ ἡ λαλιά σου ὡραιᾶ.
KJVThy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.
JPSThy teeth are like a flock of ewes, Which are come up from the washing; Whereof all are paired, And none faileth among them.
7
ThomsonThy cheek is like the downy skin of a pomegranate now thy veil is removed.
BrentonThy cheek is like the rind of a pomegranate, being seen without thy veil.
GreekὩς λέπυρον ῥοᾶς μῆλόν σου ἐκτὸς τῆς σιωπήσεώς σου.
KJV—
JPSThy temples are like a pomegranate split open Behind thy veil.
8
ThomsonThere are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and virgins without number:
BrentonThere are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and maidens without number.
GreekἙξήκοντά εἰσι βασίλισσαι καὶ ὀγδοήκοντα παλλακαὶ, καὶ νεάνιδες ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός.
KJVThere are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
JPSThere are threescore queens, And fourscore concubines, And maidens without number.
9
Thomsonone is my dove, my consecrated one. One is her mother’s only child—the darling of her who bore her. Daughters viewed her—nay, queens and even concubines will hail her happy and thus extoll her:
BrentonMy dove, my perfect one is one; she is the only one of her mother; she is the choice of her that bore her. The daughters saw her, and the queens will pronounce her blessed, yea, and the concubines, and they will praise her.
GreekΜία ἐστὶ περιστερά μου, τελεία μου, μία ἐστὶ τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῆς, ἐκλεκτή ἐστι τῇ τεκούσῃ αὐτήν· Εἴδοσαν αὐτὴν θυγατέρες καὶ μακαριοῦσιν αὐτὴν, βασίλισσαι καί γε παλλακαὶ, καὶ αἰνέσουσιν αὐτήν.
KJVMy dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
JPSMy dove, my undefiled, is but one; She is the only one of her mother; She is the choice one of her that bore her. The daughters saw her, and called her happy; Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
10
ThomsonWho is she that is looking forth like the morning, fair as the moon, unique as the sun, and dazzling as embattled hosts?
BrentonWho is this that looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, choice as the sun, terrible as armies set in array?
GreekΤίς αὕτη ἡ ἐκκύπτουσα ὡσεὶ ὄρθρος, καλὴ ὡς σελήνη, ἐκλεκτὴ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, θάμβος ὡς τεταγμέναι;
KJVWho is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
JPSWho is she that looketh forth as the dawn, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Terrible as an army with banners?
11
ThomsonI went down to the garden of nuts to look at the productions of the valley: to seek whether the vine had budded or the pomegranate blossomed:
BrentonI went down to the garden of nuts, to look at the fruits of the valley, to see if the vine flowered, if the pomegranates blossomed.
GreekΕἰς κῆπον καρύας κατέβην ἰδεῖν ἐν γεννήμασι τοῦ χειμάῤῥου, ἰδεῖν εἰ ἤνθησεν ἡ ἄμπελος, ἐξήνθησαν αἱ ῥοαί·
KJVI went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.
JPSI went down into the garden of nuts, To look at the green plants of the valley, To see whether the vine budded, And the pomegranates were in flower.
12
ThomsonI am there to grant thee my breasts. My soul did not recollect this. It made me like the chariots of Aminadab.
BrentonThere I will give thee my breasts: my soul knew it not: it made me as the chariots of Aminadab.
GreekἘκεῖ δώσω τοὺς μαστούς μου σοί· οὐκ ἔγνω ἡ ψυχή μου· ἔθετο με ἅρματα Ἀμιναδάβ.
KJVOr ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.
JPS—