Song of Songs 7 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 7:10, 7:13
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Chapter 7
The Shulammite and the invitation
Hebrew source [BHS7] • Greek source [LXX7]
Verse 7:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:1] Return, return, Shulammite! Return, return, that we may look at you. Why would you look at the Shulammite as at a dance of the two camps?
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:1] Return, return, Shulammite! Return, return, and we shall look at you. What will you see in the Shulammite? She comes like dances of the camps.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Both source editions number this 7:1; many English Bibles have 6:13. Hebrew two camps may also evoke Mahanaim. Greek adds she comes and has plural dances and camps; the difficult final clause remains distinct.
Verse 7:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:2] How beautiful are your steps in sandals, noble daughter! The curves of your thighs are like ornaments, the work of a craftsman's hands.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:2] How beautiful your steps in sandals have become, daughter of Nadab! The rhythms of your thighs are like necklaces, the work of a craftsman's hands.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew noble becomes the Greek name Nadab. Greek rhythmos may denote form or movement; rhythms retains that range. Source 7:2 corresponds to common English 7:1, with this offset continuing through source 7:14.
Verse 7:3 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:3] Your navel is a rounded bowl;
let it not lack mixed wine. Your belly is a heap of wheat enclosed by lilies.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:3] Your navel is a sculpted mixing bowl, not lacking mixed wine;
your belly is a heap of grain fenced about with lilies.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek specifies a crafted mixing vessel where Hebrew describes roundness. The imagery is retained without introducing anatomical euphemisms.
Verse 7:4 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:4] Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:4] Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The comparison agrees.
Verse 7:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:5] Your neck is like an ivory tower;
your eyes are pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is like Lebanon's tower looking toward Damascus.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:5] Your neck is like an ivory tower;
your eyes are like pools in Heshbon at the gates of the daughter of many. Your nose is like Lebanon's tower looking toward Damascus.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek translates the place expression Bath-rabbim as daughter of many and has plural gates. The familiar names Heshbon and Damascus represent genuine correspondences.
Verse 7:6 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:6] Your head upon you is like Carmel, and the flowing hair of your head is like purple;
a king is held captive in the tresses.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:6] Your head upon you is like Carmel, and the braid of your head is like purple;
a king is bound in passageways.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew rehatim is contextually tresses, though the word elsewhere denotes channels or troughs. Greek paradromai gives passageways or galleries. The king is not identified beyond the text.
Verse 7:7 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:7] How beautiful and how delightful you are, love, among delights!
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:7] How beautiful and how delightful you have become, love, in your delights!
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly has your delights. Love is addressed without inserting a divine identification.
Verse 7:8 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:8] This stature of yours is like a palm tree, and your breasts like clusters.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:8] This stature of yours has been compared to a palm tree, and your breasts to clusters.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both leave the fruit of the first clusters unspecified; the next verse explicitly names the vine.
Verse 7:9 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:9] I said: I will climb the palm tree;
I will grasp its branches. Let your breasts be like clusters of the vine, and the fragrance of your breath like apples,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:9] I said: I will climb the palm tree;
I will grasp its heights. Then your breasts will be like clusters of the vine, and the fragrance of your nose like apples,
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek has heights for Hebrew branches. Hebrew nose is rendered breath in the fragrance context; Greek nose is kept visible. No additional action is supplied.
Verse 7:10 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:10] and your palate like good wine, flowing smoothly to my beloved, making the lips of sleepers move.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:10] and your throat like good wine, going straight to my kinsman, suited to my lips and teeth.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew sleepers' lips become Greek my lips and teeth. Hebrew dovev is rare, provisionally making move; Greek hikanoumenos is provisionally suited to. The shift to my beloved or kinsman is retained without forcing a speaker division.
Verse 7:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:11] I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:11] I am my kinsman's, and his turning is toward me.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew teshuqah is desire; Greek epistrophe is turning. The Greek does not simply repeat an English rendering of the Hebrew.
Verse 7:12 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:12] Come, my beloved, let us go out into the field;
let us spend the night in the villages.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:12] Come, my kinsman, let us go out into the field;
let us lodge in the villages.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The invitation and overnight lodging agree.
Verse 7:13 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:13] Let us rise early for the vineyards;
let us see whether the vine has blossomed, whether its flower has opened, whether the pomegranates have flowered. There I will give you my caresses.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:13] Let us rise early for the vineyards;
let us see whether the vine has blossomed, whether the bloom has flowered, whether the pomegranates have flowered. There I will give you my breasts.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek breasts again differs from Hebrew caresses. Greek repeats this promise from its addition at 6:11.
Verse 7:14 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[7:14] The mandrakes have given fragrance, and at our doors are all choice fruits, new as well as old, which I have stored for you, my beloved.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[7:14] The mandrakes have given fragrance, and at our doors are all tree fruits, new together with old, which I have kept for you, my kinsman.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek tree fruits differs slightly from Hebrew choice fruits. No claim about medicinal or fertility effects of mandrakes is added.