Footnotes

1. ascents. Or “steps.” The traditional translation of “ascents” is good; the root here is alah, to ascend. However, this word also refers to the means of ascent, or degrees of ascent (hence KJV, “degrees”). ↩

2. unto Solomon. Some translations render this “by Solomon;” others “for Solomon.” The preposition li is a general indicator of “directionality” indicating a connection between the song and Solomon, but not what kind. Thus I have rendered it neutrally here, as in most other cases, as “unto.” ↩

3. buildeth. This word does literally mean to build, but most Bibles sadly obscure the fact that its head is Genesis 2:2, where Yahweh “builds” Eve from the side of Adam. This certainly must have theological import for our understanding of him building a house here, given that a house itself is primarily a community imaging the creator, rather than a physical structure. ↩

4. in emptiness Trad. “in vain.” While capturing the sense, this does obliterate the concreteness of the Hebrew. The head of this word is Exodus 20:7: “No bearing thou the name of Yahweh thy god for emptiness.” ↩

5. travail. Trad. “labor,” but this translation is perplexing because amal always refers to toil, trouble, mischief, pain or misery. The head is Genesis 41:51 (cf. Num 23:21; Dt 26:7; Job 3:10, 20; Ps 7:14 etc). ↩

6. watcheth. Not “waketh;” this translation is forced only by the incomprehensible reluctance to translate shamar as “guard.” The traditional translations of this verset are a case study in obscuring both the actual meaning of words, and the re-use of them. ↩