Song of Solomon 4:5 — Word Study
WLCשְׁנֵ֥י שָׁדַ֛יִךְ כִּשְׁנֵ֥י עֳפָרִ֖ים תְּאוֹמֵ֣י צְבִיָּ֑ה הָרוֹעִ֖ים בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃
BSAYour breastsshad [two young roes, twin] are like twoshᵉnayim fawnsʻôpher [young deer] twinstâʼôwm [born at the same time] of a gazelletsᵉbîyâh [female deer, tsᵉbîyâh, known for speed and agility] grazingrâʻâh [feeding, caring for] among the liliesshûwshan [shoshannim]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| שְׁנֵ֥י | [the] two | Prep, Adj |
| שָׁדַ֛יִךְ | breasts your | Noun common masculine dual construct, suffix |
| כִּשְׁנֵ֥י | [are] like two | Preposition |
| עֳפָרִ֖ים | fawns | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| תְּאוֹמֵ֣י | twins of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| צְבִיָּ֑ה | a gazelle | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| הָרוֹעִ֖ים | which graze | Particle, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural |
| בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃ | among the lilies | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies. |
| KJV | Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. |
| ASV | Thy two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies. |
| YLT | Thy two breasts [are] as two fawns, Twins of a roe, that are feeding among lilies. |
| WEB | Your two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a roe, which feed among the lilies. |
| BBE | Your two breasts are like two young roes of the same birth, which take their food among the lilies. |
Where they part company is עֳפָרִ֖ים — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause introduces the subject, with several phrases elaborating on the imagery and action, creating a rich visual description.
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Song of Solomon 4:5
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Beauty of the Belovedgenerated
Song of Solomon 4:5 is part of a poetic dialogue where the speaker expresses admiration for the beloved's beauty. The imagery of nature, particularly the comparison to fawns and lilies, enhances the romantic tone of the passage. This verse highlights the intimate and affectionate relationship between the speaker and the beloved, as seen throughout the Song of Solomon.
The Key Word — שְׁנֵ֥י, she.Neigenerated
The word שְׁנַ֫יִם (shnayim) means 'two' and serves as both a cardinal and ordinal number. It denotes pairs and is often used to describe dualities in the Bible, such as two witnesses or two tablets. The parsing indicates it is an adjective used in a construct state, emphasizing the dual nature of the comparison.
In this verse, it highlights the beloved's breasts being compared to two fawns, reinforcing the idea of beauty in pairs. The duality also suggests a sense of harmony and completeness.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause centers around the subject שָׁדַ֛יִךְ, your breasts, with a simile introduced by כִּשְׁנֵ֥י, like two. The structure emphasizes the comparison, with the fawns serving as a vivid image of beauty.
The finite verb רוֹעִ֖ים governs the participial phrase describing the fawns, indicating their action of grazing among the lilies, which adds a layer of tenderness to the imagery.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שְׁנֵ֥י as δύο, maintaining the meaning of 'two'. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew, preserving the duality in the imagery.
The Greek word νεβροὶ for עֳפָרִ֖ים also indicates young deer, suggesting a direct and faithful rendering of the original imagery.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Song of Solomon 4:5 compares the beloved's breasts to two fawns, emphasizing their beauty and tenderness. This imagery evokes a sense of grace and gentleness, set in a natural landscape among lilies.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The comparison highlights beauty, tenderness, and grace, suggesting that the beloved is delicate and lovely.
Describing them as twins emphasizes the idea of duality and harmony, suggesting completeness in beauty.
The lilies symbolize purity and beauty, enhancing the romantic and gentle tone of the description.
This verse contributes to the overarching theme of love and admiration in the Song of Solomon, celebrating the physical and emotional connection between lovers.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What aspects of beauty do I notice in the world around me, similar to the imagery in this verse?
- How can I express admiration for the people I love in a way that highlights their unique qualities?
- In what ways can nature serve as a metaphor for relationships in my life?
- How does the imagery in this verse inspire me to appreciate the beauty in my own relationships?
The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.
Your two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a roe, which feed among the lilies.
Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of the gazelle grazing among the lilies.
Tyndale line
Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
Thy two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies.
Thy two breasts are like two fawns that are twins of a roe, which feed among the lilies.
Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
Thy two breastes are as two young roes that are twinnes, feeding among the lilies.
Strictly literal
Thy two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, Which feed among the lilies.
Thy two breasts [are] as two fawns, Twins of a roe, that are feeding among lilies.
Your two breasts [are] as two fawns, || Twins of a roe, that are feeding among lilies.
Thy two breasts are like two fawns, the twins of the roe, that feed among the lilies.
Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, grazing among the lilies.
From the Latin
Thy two breasts like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
Simplified
Your breasts are like two fawns, two gazelles feeding among the lilies.
Your two breasts are like two young roes of the same birth, which take their food among the lilies.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text describes the breasts as 'like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies,' using the Hebrew words 'שְׁנֵי שָׁדַיִךְ כִּשְׁנֵי עֳפָרִים תְּאוֹמֵי צְבִיָּה הָרוֹעִ֖ים בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים.' The Septuagint agrees with this description, matching all eight words in a word-by-word correspondence, although its word order and articles differ from the Hebrew. The Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q106) provide a fragmentary text that includes two words that are partly restored and five words supplied by an editor, but it aligns with the Masoretic Text in essence, retaining the imagery of fawns and gazelles, though the full context is not completely preserved. Overall, the primary witnesses agree in meaning, with slight variations in textual preservation and presentation.
שְׁנֵ֥י שָׁדַ֛יִךְ כִּשְׁנֵ֥י עֳפָרִ֖ים תְּאוֹמֵ֣י צְבִיָּ֑ה הָרוֹעִ֖ים בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃
8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[שני] [שדי׳ך] [כשני] [עפרים] [תאומי] צביה רעים בשושנים
2 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 5 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Song of Solomon 4:5
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שְׁנַ֫יִם (shnayim) means 'two' and serves as both a cardinal and ordinal number. It can denote 'both,' 'double,' or 'twice,' and is used in various combinations with other numbers. The word is derived as a dual form of שָׁנָה (shanah), which relates to the concept of pairs.
שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם 768 n.m. et f. du. two
base
H8147 שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם two
8147 shnayim shen-ah'-yim
dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also
(as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, +
twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.
see HEBREW for 08145
שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) — two.
1) two
1a) two (the cardinal number)
1a1) two, both, double, twice
1b) second (the ordinal number)
1c) in combination with other numbers
1d) both (a dual number)
Prep | Adj — Prep · AdjHAcbdc
too.
See NUMBER.
שַׁד (shad) refers to the female breast, applicable to both humans and animals. The term can also be associated with the variant שֹׁד (shod), which carries the same meaning. The entries indicate that the word is likely derived from another root, but they do not provide further detail on its usage in specific verses.
[שַׁד] n.m. female breast
base
שֹׁד n.m. id. [v.bh.ab]
base
H7699a שַׁד female breast H7699b שֹׁד id. [7699a]
7699 shad shad
or shod {shode}; probably from 7736 (in its original sense)
contracted; the breast of a woman or animal (as
bulging):--breast, pap, teat.
see HEBREW for 07736
שַׁד (shad) — breast.
1) breast, bosom, (female) breast
1a) breast (of woman)
1b) breast (of animal)
1c) breast (of both human and animal)
Also means: shod (שֹׁד "breast" H7699B)
שֹׁד (shod) — breast.
1) breast, bosom, (female) breast
1a) breast (of woman)
1b) breast (of animal)
1c) breast (of both human and animal)
N-md | Suff — Noun common masculine dual construct · suffixHNcmdc/Sp2fs
שְׁנַ֫יִם (shnayim) means 'two' and serves as both a cardinal and ordinal number. It can denote 'both,' 'double,' or 'twice,' and is used in various combinations with other numbers. The word is derived as a dual form of שָׁנָה (shanah), which relates to the concept of pairs.
שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם 768 n.m. et f. du. two
base
H8147 שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם two
8147 shnayim shen-ah'-yim
dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also
(as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, +
twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.
see HEBREW for 08145
שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) — two.
1) two
1a) two (the cardinal number)
1a1) two, both, double, twice
1b) second (the ordinal number)
1c) in combination with other numbers
1d) both (a dual number)
HR/Acbdc — PrepositionHR/Acbdc
too.
See NUMBER.
עֹ֫פֶר (opher) refers to a young hart or stag, often described as having a dusty color. It is derived from the root word for dust, indicating its appearance. The term is consistently used across various lexicons to denote a fawn or young deer.
עֹ֫פֶר n.m. young hart, stag
base
H6082 עֹ֫פֶר
6082 `opher o'-fer
from 6080; a fawn (from the dusty color):--young roe (hart).
see HEBREW for 06080
עֹ֫פֶר (o.pher) — fawn.
deer, fawn, stag, young hart
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
תּוֹאָם (ta'owm) means 'twin' and is used only in the plural form. It is derived from the root word for 'to be double' and is referenced in various contexts, though specific verses are not provided in the entries.
[תּוֹאָם] n.m. twin
base
H8380 [תּוֹאָם] twin
8380 ta'owm taw-ome'
or taom {taw-ome'}; from 8382; a twin (in plural only),
literally or figuratively:--twins.
see HEBREW for 08382
תּוֹאָם (ta.om) — twin.
twin
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
צְבִיָּה (tsbiyah) refers to a female gazelle or roe. It is derived from the masculine form צְבִי (tzvi), which also means gazelle. The entries consistently identify this word as a feminine noun related to the animal.
צְבִיָּה n.f. id. [r.ah.ab]
base
H6646 צְבִיָּה
6646 tsbiyah tseb-ee-yaw'
feminine of 6643; a female gazelle:--roe.
see HEBREW for 06643
צְבִיָּה (tse.viy.yah) — gazelle.
gazelle, doe
Another spelling of tse.vi (צְבִי "gazelle" H6643B)
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
ga-zel' (tsebhi, and feminine tsebhiyah; compare Tabeitha (Ac 9:36), and Arabic zabi; also Arabic ghazal; Dorkas (Ac 9:36); modern Greek zarkadi):
The word "gazelle" does not occur in the King James Version, where tsebhi and tsebhiyah, in the 16 passages where they occur, are uniformly translated "roe" or "roebuck." In the Revised Version (British and American) the treatment is not uniform. We find "gazelle" without comment in De 12:15,22; 14:5; 15:22; 1Ki 4:23. We find "roe," with marginal note "or gazelle," in Pr 6:5; So 2:7,9,17; 4:5; 8:14;
See ROE.
The Hebrew word רָעָה (*ra'ah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to tend or pasture a flock. It covers a range of meanings including to graze, rule, associate with, and befriend. The term appears in contexts related to shepherding and companionship, with a specific mention of the 'binding-house of shepherds' in 2 Kings 10:12.
בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים perh. n.pr.loc. (binding-house of the shepherds) 2 K 10:12
base
רָעָה 167 vb. pasture, tend, graze
Qal
trans.
intrans.
Niph. poss.
Hiph. v.
base
[רָעָה] vb. prob. associate with
Qal cherish faithfulness
Hithp. do not make companionship with a bad-tempered man
base
[רָעָה] vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend;—Ju 14:20
ref
H7462a בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים binding-house of shepherds H7462b רָעָה pasture, tend, graze H7462c רָעָה prob. associate with H7462d רָעָה vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend
7462 ra`ah raw-aw'
a primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it;
intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively);
generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a
friend):--X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat
up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with,
herdman, keep (sheep)(-er), pastor, + shearing house,
shepherd, wander, waste.
בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים (bet-e.qed ha.ro.im) — House of Shepherds.
Ra'ah = "pasturing"
perh. "binding-house of the shepherds"
רָעָה (ra.ah) — to pasture.
1) to pasture, tend, graze, feed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to tend, pasture
1a1a) to shepherd
1a1b) of ruler, teacher (fig)
1a1c) of people as flock (fig)
1a1d) shepherd, herdsman (subst)
1a2) to feed, graze
1a2a) of cows, sheep etc (literal)
1a2b) of idolater, Israel as flock (fig)
1b) (Hiphil) shepherd, shepherdess
Also means: ro.i (רֹעִי "to shepherd" H7473)
רָעָה (ra.ah) — to accompany.
1) to associate with, be a friend of (meaning probable)
1a) (Qal) to associate with
1b) (Hithpael) to be companions
רָעָה (ra.ah) — to befriend.
(Piel) to be a special friend
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine pluralHTd/Vqrmpa
שׁוּשַׁן (shuwshan) refers primarily to a lily, likely encompassing any lily-like flower. It can also denote a type of trumpet due to its shape. The term appears in various forms, including שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (shoshanah) and is associated with the title of Psalm 45:1 as Shoshannim. The word is derived from a root meaning related to whiteness.
שׁוּשַׁן, שׁוֹשָׁ֑ן n.m. שׁוֹשַׁנָּה n.f. usually lily, prob. any lily-like flower
base
H7799 שׁוּשַׁן, שׁוֹשָׁ֑ן, שׁוֹשַׁנָּה, שׁוּשַׁן עֵדוּת, שֹׁשָׁן
7799 shuwshan shoo-shan'
or showshan {sho-shawn'}; or shoshan {sho- shawn'}; and
(feminine) showshannah {sho-shan-naw'}; from 7797; a lily
(from its whiteness), as a flower of arch. ornament; also a
(straight) trumpet (from the tubular shape): lily, Shoshannim.
see HEBREW for 07797
שׁוּשַׁן (shu.shan) — lily.
1) lily
1a) probably any lily-like flower
1b) Shoshannim, in title of Ps 45:1
Prep | N-cp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHRd/Ncmpa