Translation
THE PEACEFUL MAN TO THE PEACEFUL WOMAN
How beautiful you are, my Love!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes
behind your veil
Go to footnote numberare doves.
Go to footnote numberYour hair
Go to footnote numberis like a flock of goats
Go to footnote numberdescending
from Mount GILEAD.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
THE COMPLETE MAN TO THE COMPLETE WOMAN
How beautiful you are, my Love!
Oh, how beautiful!
You use the knowledge you have about me, however much that is, gently. Even the least valued part of you is as important to me as my very livelihood, which originates in a BEAUTIFUL and fertile place.
Footnotes
1
A veil was used to cover something and keep it concealed until the desired time. That concept applies here as a way of saying he does not fully grasp how much information she knows about him, but he is confident she will use that knowledge, however much it is, in a gentle way. He can trust her with that knowledge without even knowing for sure how many negative things it includes about him. Trust is vitally important in a marriage relationship.
2
This is the second time he has said that her eyes are doves.
3
Hair was seen as the least valuable part of you; you can cut it off and hardly notice. Jesus was emphasizing the same meaning for hair when he stated “your hairs are all numbered.” It was a powerful thing for Jesus’ audience to hear that every single one of their least valuable parts are valuable enough to God for Him to have complete knowledge of each of them.
4
Goats, like sheep, were the heart of the livelihood of Israel.
5
Mount Gilead was/is a range of mountains about sixty miles long in the center of Israel; it was known for its beauty and fertility. The mountain heights were then crowned with forests. Being that they are mountains, there is also the possibility of a reference to strength along with beauty. The name Gilead means “beautiful.”