This verse has been taken from the Song of Solomon, or Song of Songs. Reminiscent of love poetry with Near Eastern origins of ancient times, in particular some of the erotic Sumerian passages, as has been noted by many scholars, it is the dialog between a woman, referred to as 'the Shulamite' in one of the verses, and a man. The poem, or song, appears to suggest a move from initial courtship to the ultimate consummation of a relationship between the two of them.
Although there is no actual religious context within this poem, it has often be interpreted or used to allegorically represent the relationship between God and Israel, God and his Church, as well as Jesus Christ and human souls as a relationship between husband and wife. At the end of the day, however, it is, and always has been, a love story, or love song.
- Translations, Error or Deceit
Strangely enough, in some translations, such as the German one, for instance, the 'beloved' has been translated as 'friend'. One can only assume that translators were attempting to take some of the spiciness out of the text, in order to ensure that it would only be viewed in an acceptable, religious context. Whatever the reasons, this is a shame, as it takes away the overall beauty and sentiment of the poem.
This is the translation of this lovely verse into Hebrew. Unfortunately, it is not possible here to show this in the proper Hebrew letters, but the correct translation into the Hebrew script can be found
here. This beautiful verse can only be a declaration of love between two people; just like the rest of the poem will never be anything other than a description of tentative love growing into passion.
