The Seal of Syntax: Imperatives, Similes, and Poetic Fire in Song of Songs 8:6

שִׂימֵ֨נִי כַֽחֹותָ֜ם עַל־לִבֶּ֗ךָ כַּֽחֹותָם֙ עַל־זְרֹועֶ֔ךָ כִּֽי־עַזָּ֤ה כַמָּ֨וֶת֙ אַהֲבָ֔ה קָשָׁ֥ה כִשְׁאֹ֖ול קִנְאָ֑ה רְשָׁפֶ֕יהָ רִשְׁפֵּ֕י אֵ֖שׁ שַׁלְהֶ֥בֶתְ יָֽה׃
(Song of Songs 8:6)

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is harsh as Sheʾol; its flashes are flashes of fire, a flame of YAH.

Love Etched in Grammar

This iconic verse from Shir haShirim is rich with emotion—and grammar. It combines imperatives, similes, noun clauses, and a rare construct with the divine name. The structure builds in intensity, mimicking the movement from affection to passion, from longing to jealousy. The very syntax participates in the poetic crescendo.

Imperative with Suffix: שִׂימֵ֨נִי

This verb opens the verse and anchors the speaker’s plea:

• שִׂימֵ֨נִי – Imperative masculine singular of שׂ־י־ם with a 1cs suffix (“Place me”)
• This form is unusual in Biblical Hebrew love poetry, but deeply personal.

It establishes intimacy and urgency.

Construct Chains with כַחֹותָם

Twice the expression appears:

• כַחֹותָ֜ם עַל־לִבֶּ֗ךָ – “like a seal upon your heart”
• כַחֹותָם עַל־זְרֹועֶ֔ךָ – “like a seal upon your arm”

Both phrases are built around:

• חֹותָם – “seal” (noun in construct), emphasizing ownership and permanence
• Note the prefixed preposition כ (“like”) joined with the definite article—a poetic frozen construct

Simile and Emotion: כִּֽי־עַזָּ֤ה כַמָּ֨וֶת֙ אַהֲבָ֔ה

Here we have a striking comparison:

• כִּֽי – causal conjunction: “for”
• עַזָּ֤ה – adjective “strong” (fs), modifying אַהֲבָ֔ה
• כַמָּ֨וֶת – “like death” (preposition כ + definite noun)

The syntax inverts expectation: noun follows the adjective, creating emphasis. This stative clause drives the theological intensity—love is as inevitable as death.

Parallelism of Jealousy: קָשָׁ֥ה כִשְׁאֹ֖ול קִנְאָ֑ה

This line mirrors the one before:

• קָשָׁ֥ה – “harsh” or “hard” (adjective fs)
• כִשְׁאֹ֖ול – “like Sheʾol” (prepositional phrase)
• קִנְאָ֑ה – “jealousy” (subject noun)

Like the previous line, this also uses predicate-first structure: the adjective precedes the noun, intensifying the emotion.

Fiery Imagery: רְשָׁפֶ֕יהָ רִשְׁפֵּ֕י אֵ֖שׁ

These two segments build a wordplay:

• רְשָׁפֶ֕יהָ – “its flames” (plural noun with 3fs suffix)
• רִשְׁפֵּ֕י אֵ֖שׁ – “flashes of fire” (construct chain)

The repetition intensifies the image—flames upon flames, culminating in:

Divine Construct Ending: שַׁלְהֶ֥בֶתְ יָֽה

The final phrase is grammatically rare:

• שַׁלְהֶ֥בֶת – “flame” (noun, possibly a poetic hapax)
• יָֽה – the divine name, in construct (“flame of YAH”)

This is the only undisputed instance in the Masoretic Text where the divine name יָה appears in a construct chain, giving sacred force to the emotional power of love.

Grammatical Structure Summary

Burning Forever: Where Grammar Meets Theology

Song of Songs 8:6 is a masterclass in how grammar shapes emotion. Each construction—imperative, simile, construct chain, and noun clause—carries theological weight. Love here is not a feeling. It is:

• Something sealed by command
• Compared to death and Sheʾol
• Flaming with divine attribution

This is Biblical Hebrew at its most poetic—and most precise.