Translations
Modern
Come back, come back, O Shulammite! Come back, come back, that we may gaze upon you. Why do you look at the Shulammite, as on the dance of Mahanaim?
Traditional
Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.
Literal
Return, return, O Shulammite! Return, return, that we may gaze on you. Why should you gaze on the Shulammite as on the dance in of Mahanaim?
Latin
Revertere, revertere, Sulamitis! revertere, revertere ut intueamur te.
Original
Hebrew
English
Come back, come back, O Shulammite! Come back, come back, that we may gaze upon you. Why do you look at the Shulammite, as on the dance of Mahanaim?
Notes
come back: Or turn around.
Shulammite: The exact location is unknown, but some think it might be Shunem (1 Kings 1:3; 2 Kings 4:11–12). Maid of Shulam (Hebrew shulammith) could be a wordplay on Solomon's name (Hebrew shelomoh). It might mean “Solomon’s maiden.”
as on the dance of Mahanaim?: The man praises the woman's grace and beauty to everyone.
The young women of Jerusalem talk with the man, leading him to describe the woman's beauty and express his wish to hold her (see study note on Song of Solomon 4:1–5:1).
Theme notes and profiles
People
Shulammites: A group or place mentioned in Song of Solomon