Comments on: Love and lust: Seerveld and the Song of Songs

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:25:22 +0000

I’ve returned to this post from another thought and wonder if a text-only Bible like the The Books of the Bible (TNIV) would be ideal for comparing the traditional script with Seerveld’s.

Anyone have one that could comment on how much the TBOTB has annotated the speaking roles?

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Sun, 18 May 2008 01:02:35 +0000

Thanks for the continued interaction, Nathan. I’ve found it hard to follow Seerveld’s script with a conventional translation, but mainly because all of the chapter divisions and traditional voice indications are so distracting. I’ll look forward to your comments.

By: Nathan Stitt

Nathan Stitt — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:49:55 +0000

Wow that is a lot of extra info, thanks! I’ve printed off the script and will go through it again using it. This is really worthy of a follow up post I think, or at least that’s what I would do. I’ll get back to you with how easy (or not) the script is to read into my other translations.

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:32:31 +0000

As for Seerveld’s division of the entire song into six rhapsodies, so far only the Jerusalem Bible and NJB break the work into similar sections, though there are some differences. The chapter breaks we have in most translations are seemingly meaningless in this book.

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:27:57 +0000

@Nathan – a note on the passage just after what you excerpted. The idiom in 7:9b, “not touching at all such well worn lips!“, is translated literally as “through the lips of those who fall asleep” in the NASB.

The meaning is supposedly that Solomon is so old that he may as well be dead (asleep) and her kisses will not be wasted on him. But most translations don’t see Solomon as the bad guy, so they go with something like “gliding over my lips and teeth” (REB), spoken by the male lover.

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:20:51 +0000

Shame the book is so expensive, I can’t say that I’ll buy it, though I am interested in reading it. There is also a hardback edition available with used copies between $12-15 from Amazon sellers, though it's a 1967 edition, so I don't know if the supporting material is the same. I was fortunate in that I think my Bible class teacher knew either Seerveld or the publisher and could order multiple copies for us at a reduced discount.

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:15:02 +0000

Okay, here’s the basic script. If I have time, I’ll come back and edit with some of the stage directions and add any more clarification that’s needed to identify who’s talking to who.

Note that the verse number is when the speaker begins their line – assume they continue until the next speaker comes in.

PART 1

1:2a Harem woman 1
1:2b Harem woman 2
1:3a Harem woman 3
1:3b Harem woman 4
1:4a Shulammite (to lover)
1:4b Harem women
1:5 Shulammite (to women)
1:8 Harem women (to Shu)
1:9 Solomon
1:12 Shulammite
1:15 Solomon
1:16 Shulammite
1:17 Solomon
2:1 Shulammite
2:2 Solomon
2:3 Shulammite

PART 2

2:8 Shulammite
2:10b Shepherd Lover (song)
2:15 Shulammite (response song)
2:16 Shulammite (spoken)
3:1 Shulammite (to women)

PART 3

3:6 Harem women
4:1 Solomon
4:6a Shulammite (rejecting Solomon)
4:6b Solomon

PART 4

4:8 Shepherd Lover (song)
4:9 Shepherd Lover (spoken)
4:12 Shepherd Lover (song)
4:13 Shepherd Lover (spoken)
4:15 Shepherd Lover (song)
4:16 Shulammite (song)
5:1 Shepherd Lover (song)
5:2 Shulammite (to women)
5:9 Harem women
5:10 Shulammite
6:1 Harem women
6:2 Shulammite
6:3 Shulammite (song)

PART 5

6:4 Solomon
6:8 Shepherd Lover (to Solomon)
6:10 Harem voices
6:11 Shulammite (to Solomon)
6:13a Harem voices
6:13b Shulammite
7:1 Solomon
7:9b Shulammite (to Solomon)
7:11 Shulammite (to Lover)

PART 6

8:5a Shulammite’s brothers
8:5b Shepherd Lover (to Shu)
8:6a Shepherd Lover (to Shu)
8:6b Shulammite (to Lover)
8:6c Shepherd Lover (to Shu)
8:6d Shulammite (to Lover)
8:6e Shepherd Lover (to Shu)
8:6f Shulammite (to Lover)
8:7a Shepherd Lover (to Shu)
8:7b Shulammite (to Lover)
8:7c Shepherd Lover (to Shu)
8:7d Shulammite (to Lover)
8:8 Shulammite (recalling words of brothers)
8:10 Shulammite (to brothers)
8:11 Shepherd Lover
8:13 Shepherd Lover (to Shu)
8:14 Shulammite

By: TCR

TCR — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:51:08 +0000

I’m one of those guys who loves to sing but can’t carry a tune in a bucket, if my life depended on it…

By: Nathan Stitt

Nathan Stitt — Fri, 16 May 2008 21:37:27 +0000

Your flowing figure reminds me of a palm tree, your breasts are like clusters of dates -
I said to myself, I will go climb the palm tree! I will go grab hold of its date clusters!
Your breasts will roll over me like clusters of grapes;
The breath of your nose will fill me like the smell of [ripe] apples;
Your kisses will flow like sweet wine –

!!!

Shame the book is so expensive, I can’t say that I’ll buy it, though I am interested in reading it.

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Fri, 16 May 2008 21:16:10 +0000

When I get home tonight, I will try to provide a full roadmap to Song of Songs with the alternative voicings. I have it written out in my NASB wide margin so it’s side-by-side with the traditional arrangement.