Song of Songs 6
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Song of Songs chapter 6 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
1 patristic excerpt is attached to this chapter, from Saint Methodius of Olympus.
Song of Songs 6
1My kinsman is gone down to his garden, to the beds of spice, to feed his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies.Ποῦ ἀπῆλθεν ὁ ἀδελφιδός σου ἡ καλὴ ἐν γυναιξὶ; ποῦ ἀπέβλεψεν ὁ ἀδελφιδός σου; καὶ ζητήσομεν αὐτὸν μετὰ σοῦ.
2I am my kinsman's, and my kinsman is mine, who feeds among the lilies.Ἀδελφιδός μου κατέβη εἰς κῆπον αὐτοῦ εἰς φιάλας τοῦ ἀρώματος, ποιμαίνειν ἐν κήποις, καὶ συλλέγειν κρίνα.
3You are fair, my companion, as Pleasure, beautiful as Jerusalem, terrible as armies set in array.Ἐγὼ τῷ ἀδελφιδῷ μου, καὶ ἀδελφιδός μου ἐμοί, ὁ ποιμαίνων ἐν τοῖς κρίνοις.
4Turn away your eyes from before me, for they have ravished me: your hair is as flocks of goats which have appeared from Galaad.Καλὴ εἶ ἡ πλησίον μου, ὡς εὐδοκία, ὡραῖα ὡς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, θάμβος ὡς τεταγμέναι.
5Your teeth are as flocks of shorn sheep, that have gone up from the washing, all of them bearing twins, and there is none barren among them: your lips are as a thread of scarlet, and your speech is comely.Ἀπόστρεψον ὀφθαλμούς σου ἀπεναντίον μου, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἀνεπτέρωσάν με· τρίχωμά σου ὡς ἀγέλαι τῶν αἰγῶν, αἳ ἀνεφάνησαν ἀπὸ τοῦ Γαλαάδ.
6Your cheek is like the rind of a pomegranate, being seen without your veil.Ὀδόντες σου ὡς ἀγέλαι τῶν κεκαρμένων, αἳ ἀνέβησαν ἀπὸ τοῦ λουτροῦ, αἱ πᾶσαι διδυμεύουσαι, καὶ ἀτεκνοῦσα οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐταῖς· ὡς σπαρτίον τὸ κόκκινον χείλη σου, καὶ ἡ λαλιά σου ὡραιᾶ.
7There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and maidens without number.Ὡς λέπυρον ῥοᾶς μῆλόν σου ἐκτὸς τῆς σιωπήσεώς σου.
8My dove, my perfect one is one; she is the only one of her mother; she is the choice of her that bore her. The daughters saw her, and the queens will pronounce her blessed, yes, and the concubines, and they will praise her.Ἑξήκοντά εἰσι βασίλισσαι καὶ ὀγδοήκοντα παλλακαὶ, καὶ νεάνιδες ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός.
9Who is this that looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, choice as the sun, terrible as armies set in array?Μία ἐστὶ περιστερά μου, τελεία μου, μία ἐστὶ τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῆς, ἐκλεκτή ἐστι τῇ τεκούσῃ αὐτήν· Εἴδοσαν αὐτὴν θυγατέρες καὶ μακαριοῦσιν αὐτὴν, βασίλισσαι καί γε παλλακαὶ, καὶ αἰνέσουσιν αὐτήν.
10I went down to the garden of nuts, to look at the fruits of the valley, to see if the vine flowered, if the pomegranates blossomed.Τίς αὕτη ἡ ἐκκύπτουσα ὡσεὶ ὄρθρος, καλὴ ὡς σελήνη, ἐκλεκτὴ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, θάμβος ὡς τεταγμέναι;
11There I will give you my breasts: my soul knew it not: it made me as the chariots of Aminadab.Εἰς κῆπον καρύας κατέβην ἰδεῖν ἐν γεννήμασι τοῦ χειμάῤῥου, ἰδεῖν εἰ ἤνθησεν ἡ ἄμπελος, ἐξήνθησαν αἱ ῥοαί·
12Return, return, O Sunamite; return, return, and we will look at you. What will you see in the Sunamite? She comes as bands of armies.Ἐκεῖ δώσω τοὺς μαστούς μου σοί· οὐκ ἔγνω ἡ ψυχή μου· ἔθετο με ἅρματα Ἀμιναδάβ.
The Fathers on Song of Songs 6
Saint Methodius of Olympus comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Song of Songs 6Open Song of Songs 6 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Methodius of OlympusThe Interpretation of that Passage of the Canticles. Chapter II.—The Interpretation of that Passage of the Canticles. Consider now, O virgins, that, in saying to the bride, “Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse,” He shows the clear eye of the understanding, when the inner man has cleansed it and looks more clearly upon the truth. For it is…
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