Song of Songs 7:10
וְחִכֵּ֕ךְ כְּיֵ֥ין הַטֹּ֛וב הֹולֵ֥ךְ לְדֹודִ֖י לְמֵישָׁרִ֑ים דֹּובֵ֖ב שִׂפְתֵ֥י יְשֵׁנִֽים׃
Simile Construction: וְחִכֵּךְ כְּיֵין הַטֹּוב
וְחִכֵּךְ (“and your palate”) is the noun חֵךְ (“palate, roof of the mouth, taste”) with the 2fs pronominal suffix ־ךְ (“your”). The simile כְּיֵין הַטֹּוב (“like good wine”) uses the preposition כְּ (“like, as”) to draw a poetic comparison between the beloved’s taste/speech and the finest wine. הַטֹּוב (“the good”) functions adjectivally, enhancing the imagery of richness and delight.
Dynamic Description: הֹולֵךְ לְדֹודִי לְמֵישָׁרִים
הֹולֵךְ is a Qal participle masculine singular of ה־ל־ךְ (“to walk, to go”), functioning verbally: “going.” The phrase הֹולֵךְ לְדֹודִי (“going to my beloved”) continues the sensory movement of the wine toward the lover. לְמֵישָׁרִים (“smoothly,” or “straightforwardly”) uses the noun מֵישָׁרִים (plural from י־שׁ־ר root, “uprightness, smoothness”) to describe the smooth, pleasing movement — suggesting both physical and emotional closeness.
Poetic Sound: דֹּובֵב שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִים
דֹּובֵב is a Piel participle masculine singular from ד־ב־ב (“to move gently, to murmur, to cause to speak”), here meaning “causing to speak” or “stirring.” It modifies שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִים (“the lips of sleepers”), with שָׂפָה (“lip”) in construct plural form שִׂפְתֵי plus יְשֵׁנִים (“sleepers”). The wine, like the beloved’s sweetness, awakens even dormant lips, a metaphor for arousing love and vitality.
Parsing Table: Key Forms in Song of Songs 7:10
| Hebrew Word | Root | Form | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| וְחִכֵּךְ | ח־כ־ךְ | Noun + 2fs suffix | “Your palate” — sensory subject |
| הֹולֵךְ | ה־ל־ךְ | Qal participle (ms) | “Going” — describing motion toward beloved |
| דֹּובֵב | ד־ב־ב | Piel participle (ms) | “Stirring / causing to speak” — activating the lips |
| שִׂפְתֵי | ש־פ־ה | Noun construct plural | “Lips of” — modifying “sleepers” |
The Grammar of Awakening
In this poetic verse, grammar serves desire: participles pulse with movement, similes sweeten perception, and construct chains bind lovers together linguistically. Every grammatical form contributes to the emotional dynamism, where the beloved’s presence is not static but flowing, arousing, enlivening — stirring even lips silenced by sleep into song once again.
