Translation
THE PEACEFUL MAN TO THE PEACEFUL WOMAN
Your navel
Go to footnote numberis a rounded goblet
Go to footnote numberthat never lacks mixed wine.
Go to footnote numberYour belly
Go to footnote numberis a mound of wheat
Go to footnote numberfenced in by lilies.
Paraphrase
THE COMPLETE MAN TO THE COMPLETE WOMAN
The most central part of you is prosperous and blessed
never lacking in a reviving happiness.
Your essential nature is to provide the basics of life,
which you do in a protective and beautiful way.
Footnotes
1
The navel in Song of Solomon is similar to the image of her waist or belly, it symbolized her middle, her most central part, i.e. her essence. The word used here has direct relation to the umbilical cord, which we understand to be of central importance during pregnancy.
2: "Goblet"
It was most often used in conjunction with wine which is a symbol of abundance and happiness. The goblet is only valuable if there is something to put in it, thus there must be at least a basic level of prosperity and harvest.
3: "mixed wine"
This word means simply a “mixture.” It was usually used of wine mixed with spices. The reader could assume it referred to “mixed wine” unless otherwise specified or required by context.
Re: the imagery: Mixed wine draws together the imagery of wine (abundance and happiness) and that of spices (refreshing and reviving).
Impact for marriage: Wives, are your attitudes positive enough to be reviving to your husband, or do you fill your home and your marriage with negative, critical talk? Reviving happiness is a high standard to reach, but if you reach it, the benefits will be tremendous.
4
The word can be translated “belly, womb or even body.”
Re: the imagery: It was seen as the inner being, similar to the soul, or what Paul called the “inner man.” It was the seat of hunger, the seat of passion, or the seat of intellect. Like the navel, the belly is a person’s most central part, or essence. As such it was referring to inner qualities, not outward, visible characteristics.
5
The value of wheat is testified to by the fact that it has been found in tombs in Egypt and elsewhere. It is a symbol of bread, which is in turn a symbol of life-sustaining provision.