אִתִּ֤י מִלְּבָנֹון֙ כַּלָּ֔ה אִתִּ֖י מִלְּבָנֹ֣ון תָּבֹ֑ואִי תָּשׁ֣וּרִי מֵרֹ֣אשׁ אֲמָנָ֗ה מֵרֹ֤אשׁ שְׂנִיר֙ וְחֶרְמֹ֔ון מִמְּעֹנֹ֣ות אֲרָיֹ֔ות מֵֽהַרְרֵ֖י נְמֵרִֽים׃ (Song of Songs 4:8)
Overview: Romantic Appeal Woven into Syntax
Song of Songs 4:8 is a verse rich in poetic appeal, drawing the beloved from majestic and wild heights into intimacy. The syntax functions as a lyrical summons, with parallel imperatives, geographic imagery, and deep structural repetition. The emotional and geographical movement is mirrored by the verbal motion and syntactic flow.
Clause Structure: Imperatives in Poetic Parallel
This verse comprises three major clause sets, all tied by imperatives and locational prepositional phrases:
1. אִתִּ֤י מִלְּבָנֹון֙ כַּלָּ֔ה
“With me from Lebanon, bride”
2. אִתִּ֖י מִלְּבָנֹ֣ון תָּבֹ֑ואִי
“With me from Lebanon, you shall come”
3. תָּשׁ֣וּרִי…
“You shall look/descend…” followed by a series of prepositional phrases describing locations:
– מֵרֹ֣אשׁ אֲמָנָ֗ה
– מֵרֹ֤אשׁ שְׂנִיר֙ וְחֶרְמֹ֔ון
– מִמְּעֹנֹ֣ות אֲרָיֹ֔ות
– מֵֽהַרְרֵ֖י נְמֵרִֽים
This structure evokes both geographical majesty and emotional distance, heightening the call.
Word Order: Parallelism with Emphatic Fronting
The repetition of אִתִּי (“with me”) and מִלְּבָנֹון (“from Lebanon”) at the start of two clauses is syntactic parallelism and emphatic fronting, placing emotional and geographical closeness at the center of the appeal.
The verb תָּבֹואִי follows the prepositional phrase, typical in Hebrew VSO structure, but framed here poetically for emphasis.
Verbal Syntax: Cohortative and Imperative Nuance
– תָּבֹואִי – Qal imperfect 2fs: “you shall come,” with volitive nuance in poetry—functioning almost like an imperative.
– תָּשׁוּרִי – Qal imperfect 2fs: “you shall look” or “you shall turn aside,” also with imperatival or directive tone.
These verbs portray an invitation to depart dangerous, distant places and to approach the speaker.
Nominal and Prepositional Phrases: Imagery of Danger and Grandeur
Each prepositional phrase follows the structure:
– מִן + construct noun + proper name or descriptive noun:
– מֵרֹ֣אשׁ אֲמָנָ֗ה – “from the top of Amana”
– מֵרֹאשׁ שְׂנִיר וְחֶרְמֹון – “from the top of Senir and Ḥermon”
– מִמְּעֹנֹ֣ות אֲרָיֹ֔ות – “from the dens of lions”
– מֵהַרְרֵי נְמֵרִים – “from the mountains of leopards”
The repetition of מִן and the descending sequence of wild locales creates both an aesthetic rhythm and an escalating sense of danger or distance.
Agreement and Gender Harmony
All verbs are second person feminine singular, matching the addressee: כַּלָּה (“bride”).
– תָּבֹואִי and תָּשׁוּרִי: feminine forms
– אִתִּי: “with me” – 1cs prepositional phrase showing relational closeness
– Agreement across subject, object, and verbal form reinforces intimacy and directness.
Poetic Devices: Syntactic Parallelism and Inclusio
– Repetition of אִתִּי מִלְּבָנֹון frames the beginning.
– List structure with four successive מִן-phrases creates climactic parallelism.
– Use of geographical triads and animal imagery enhances poetic vividness.
Discourse Flow: From Distance to Desire
The speaker’s voice draws the bride from remote and potentially perilous places toward safety and love. The structure begins with location and ends with companionship, syntactically enacting the very journey it envisions.
The Syntax of Courtship and Covenant
In Song of Songs 4:8, syntax becomes seduction. The repetition of “with me” and the poetic climb down from mountains and wilds into intimacy is encoded in grammar: imperatives wrapped in prepositional longing. The verse pleads, not just verbally but structurally, for presence. The lover’s geography is not only physical—it is syntactic.
