Tag Archives: Song of Songs

“Do Not Arouse Love Until It Desires”: Volition, Oath, and the Conditional אִם in Song of Songs 2:7

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew
הִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֜ם בְּנֹ֤ות יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ בִּצְבָאֹ֔ות אֹ֖ו בְּאַיְלֹ֣ות הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה אִם־תָּעִ֧ירוּ וְאִם־תְּעֹֽורְר֛וּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ׃ (Song of Songs 2:7) I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the hosts or by the gazelles of the field: do not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. A Poetic Oath of Restraint This iconic verse from the Song of Songs is the first of three poetic refrains that appear throughout the book (cf. 3:5, 8:4). Here, the female speaker addresses the “daughters of Yerushalayim” and adjures them by the wild creatures of the field not to awaken love before its proper time.… Learn Hebrew
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The Interrogative Particle אָ֚נָה in Song of Songs 6:1

Posted on June 1, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew
Introduction to Song of Songs 6:1 Song of Songs 6:1 presents a question directed to the beloved woman, asking about the whereabouts of her lover. The interrogative particle אָ֚נָה (ʾānāh) plays a crucial role in shaping the inquiry, as it introduces a directional or locative question rather than a simple “where” question. This analysis will explore its morphology, syntactic role, and semantic nuances within Biblical Hebrew. אָ֚נָה הָלַ֣ךְ דֹּודֵ֔ךְ הַיָּפָ֖ה בַּנָּשִׁ֑ים אָ֚נָה פָּנָ֣ה דֹודֵ֔ךְ וּנְבַקְשֶׁ֖נּוּ עִמָּֽךְ׃ Analysis of Key Words/Phrases The interrogative particle אָ֚נָה (ʾānāh) appears twice in the verse: אָ֚נָה הָלַ֣ךְ דֹּודֵ֔ךְ אָ֚נָה פָּנָ֣ה דֹּודֵ֔ךְ Each phrase consists of: אָ֚נָה (ʾānāh) – “Where (to)?”… Learn Hebrew
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