Song of Solomon 8:12 — Word Study
WLCכַּרְמִ֥י שֶׁלִּ֖י לְפָנָ֑י הָאֶ֤לֶף לְךָ֙ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה וּמָאתַ֖יִם לְנֹטְרִ֥ים אֶת־ פִּרְיֽוֹ׃
BSA[But] my own vineyardkerem [my body, my garden] is mine to givepânîym the thousand [shekels]ʼeleph [a large number, a company of] O SolomonShᵉlômôh [the king of Israel] and two hundredmêʼâh [a portion, a share] are for those who tendnâṭar [keep, guard] its fruitpᵉrîy [the produce, the result]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כַּרְמִ֥י | vineyard my | Noun common both singular construct, suffix |
| שֶׁלִּ֖י | which [belongs] to me | Particle, preposition, suffix |
| לְפָנָ֑י | [is] before me | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| הָאֶ֤לֶף | the thousand [shekels] | Particle |
| לְךָ֙ | [belong] to you | Preposition, suffix |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה | O Solomon | Noun proper masculine |
| וּמָאתַ֖יִם | and two hundred [shekels] | Conjunction |
| לְנֹטְרִ֥ים | [belong] to [those who] keep | Preposition, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural |
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| פִּרְיֽוֹ׃ | fruit its | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | But my own vineyard is mine to give; the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon, and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit. |
| KJV | My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred. |
| ASV | My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: Thou, O Solomon, shalt have the thousand, And those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred. |
| YLT | My vineyard — my own — is before me, The thousand [is] for thee, O Solomon. And the two hundred for those keeping its fruit. O dweller in gardens! |
| WEB | My own vineyard is before me. The thousand are for you, Solomon, two hundred for those who tend its fruit. |
| BBE | My vine-garden, which is mine, is before me: you, O Solomon, will have the thousand, and those who keep the fruit of them two hundred. |
Where they part company is שְׁלֹמֹה — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause followed by two prepositional phrases that detail the ownership and allocation of the vineyard's value.
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Song of Solomon 8:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Vineyard of Lovegenerated
Song of Solomon 8:12 presents a dialogue where the speaker emphasizes her ownership of her vineyard, representing her body and autonomy. She allocates the value of the vineyard to Solomon, the king, while also recognizing the worth of those who tend to its fruit. This reflects themes of love, possession, and the dynamics of relationships, as seen throughout the Song of Solomon.
The Key Word — כַּרְמִי, kar.Migenerated
The word כַּרְמִי (kar.Mi) is a possessive noun meaning 'my vineyard.' It is derived from כֶּרֶם (kerem), which means 'vineyard' and indicates a cultivated area for growing vines and crops. The parsing shows it as a common noun in singular construct form with a suffix, indicating personal ownership.
In this verse, the vineyard symbolizes not just a physical space but also the speaker's body and personal agency. The use of the possessive form emphasizes her right to give and share what is hers, highlighting themes of intimacy and care.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause centers around the subject כַּרְמִי, my vineyard, with a series of prepositional phrases detailing the ownership and allocation of value. The structure emphasizes the speaker's agency in giving her vineyard, with the finite verb לְךָ֙ indicating the recipient.
The arrangement of phrases highlights the importance of personal possession and the roles of both the speaker and Solomon, creating a layered meaning within the poetic form.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the word for vineyard is rendered as μου (mou), meaning 'my.' This translation retains the personal ownership implied in the Hebrew, emphasizing the intimate connection between the speaker and her vineyard.
The choice of μου also indicates a direct address to Solomon, paralleling the Hebrew's emphasis on the relationship dynamics and the personal nature of the vineyard.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Song of Solomon 8:12 expresses a woman's claim over her vineyard, which symbolizes her body. She states that the thousand shekels are for Solomon, while two hundred are for those who care for the fruit, indicating her recognition of the value of both her own agency and the contributions of others.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The vineyard symbolizes the speaker's body and personal agency, reflecting themes of intimacy and ownership in relationships.
The shekels represent the value of the vineyard and highlight the economic aspects of relationships, as well as the speaker's acknowledgment of those who tend to her vineyard.
Addressing Solomon directly emphasizes the personal relationship and the dynamics of power and affection between the speaker and the king.
This verse encapsulates themes of love, possession, and the interplay of personal agency within romantic relationships, which are central to the Song of Solomon.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I recognize my own agency in my relationships?
- How can I appreciate the contributions of those who support me, like the keepers of the vineyard?
- What does it mean to me to claim ownership over my own 'vineyard'?
- How can I express my love and value for others in my life?
The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
But my own vineyard is mine to give; the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon, and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.
My own vineyard is before me. The thousand are for you, Solomon, two hundred for those who tend its fruit.
But my own vineyard is mine to give; the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon, and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.
My vineyard, which belongs to me, is at my disposal alone. The thousand shekels belong to you, O Solomon, and two hundred shekels belong to those who maintain it for its fruit.
Tyndale line
My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.
My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: Thou, O Solomon, shalt have the thousand, And those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.
My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, shalt have the thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.
My vineyard which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit of it two hundred.
But my vineyarde which is mine, is before me: to thee, O Salomon appertaineth a thousand pieces of siluer, and two hundreth to them that keepe the fruite thereof.
Strictly literal
My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: The thousand [silver-pieces] be to thee, Solomon; And to the keepers of its fruit, two hundred.
My vineyard — my own — is before me, The thousand [is] for thee, O Solomon. And the two hundred for those keeping its fruit. O dweller in gardens!
My vineyard—my own—is before me, || The one thousand [is] for you, O Solomon. And the two hundred for those keeping its fruit. O dweller in gardens!
My vineyard, which was mine, was before me: thine, O Solomon, be the thousand, and let two hundred be for those that keep its fruit.—
My vineyard, my very own, is before me; the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon, and the two hundred shekels are for those who maintain its fruit. The man speaking to the woman
From the Latin
My vineyard is before me. A thousand are for thee, the peaceable, and two hundred for them that keep the fruit thereof.
Simplified
But I own my vineyard, it is mine alone. One thousand silver coins are for you, Solomon, and two hundred for those who look after it.
My vine-garden, which is mine, is before me: you, O Solomon, will have the thousand, and those who keep the fruit of them two hundred.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording for this verse, with eight out of ten words matched. However, the Septuagint's word order and articles differ, reflecting a distinct translation approach while maintaining the core meaning.
כַּרְמִ֥י שֶׁלִּ֖י לְפָנָ֑י הָאֶ֤לֶף לְךָ֙ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה וּמָאתַ֖יִם לְנֹטְרִ֥ים אֶת־ פִּרְיֽוֹ׃
8 of the 10 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Song of Solomon 8:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
כֶּרֶם (kerem) means 'vineyard' and is derived from an unused root of uncertain meaning. It covers the concept of a garden or vineyard, including terms like 'vines' and 'vintage.' The word appears in contexts related to agriculture, specifically in the Old Testament.
כֶּרֶם 92 n.m. (f.) vineyard
base
H3754 כֶּרֶם vineyard
3754 kerem keh'-rem
from an unused root of uncertain meaning; a garden or
vineyard:--vines, (increase of the) vineyard(-s), vintage. See
also 1021.
see HEBREW for 01021
כֶּרֶם (ke.rem) — vineyard.
vineyard
N-cs | Suff — Noun common both singular construct · suffixHNcbsc/Sp1ms
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HTr/R/Sp1bs — Particle · preposition · suffixHTr/R/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.
[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces
face, faces
presence, person
technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
face of seraphim
face of animals
face (= surface) of ground
as adv.loc. before
for other phrases
with prepositions
base
H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces
. . presence, person
. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
. face of seraphim
. face of animals
. face (= surface) of ground
. as adv. loc. before
. for other phrases
. with prepositions
6440 paniym paw-neem'
plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh
{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);
used in a great variety of applications (literally and
figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a
preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),
against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),
+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,
face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er
time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +
honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +
meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,
open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,
presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right
forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,
X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.
: before/to/front
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.
: face
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…
Prep | N-cp | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncmpc/Sp1bs
אֶ֫לֶף (eleph) means 'thousand' in Hebrew. It can refer to the numeral itself or denote a company or clan, particularly a group of men under one leader. The word is built from the concept of a thousand, and it is associated with the ox's head, which is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand
base
H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand
505 'eleph eh'-lef
prop, the same as 504; hence (the ox's head being the first
letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral)
a thousand:--thousand.
see HEBREW for 0504
אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.
: thousand
1) a thousand
1a) as numeral
2) a thousand, company
2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops
אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.
: clan
1) a thousand
1a) as numeral
2) a thousand, company
2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops
Art | Adj — ParticleHTd/Acbsa
ךָּ (ka) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine singular
HR/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp2ms
שְׁלֹמֹה (Shlomoh) refers to Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, known as a king of Judah. The name means 'peaceful' and he is recognized as the third king of Israel, credited with authorship of Proverbs and Song of Songs. He is first mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:14.
שְׁלֹמֹה 293 n.pr.m. Solomon
base
H8010 שְׁלֹמֹה
8010 Shlomoh shel-o-mo'
from 7965; peaceful; Shelomah, David's successor:--Solomon.
see HEBREW for 07965
שְׁלֹמֹה (she.lo.moh) — Solomon.
A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.5.14;
son of: David (H1732) and Bathsheba (H1339);
brother of: Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727) and Nathan (H5416);
half-brother of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N); married to daughter_of_Pharaoh (H6547P) and Naamah (H5279A);
father of: Taphath (H2955), Basemath (H1315) and Rehoboam (H7346); also called Jedidiah at 2Sa.12.25;
§ Solomon = "peace"
son of David by Bathsheba and 3rd king of Israel; author of Proverbs and Song of Songs
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
sol'-o-mun (shelomoh; New Testament Solomon):
I. EARLY LIFE
1. Name and Meaning
2. Sources
3. Birth and Upbringing
4. His Accession
5. Closing Days of David
II. REIGN OF SOLOMON
1. His Vision
2. His Policy
3. Its Results
4. Alliance with Tyre
5. Alliance with Egypt
6. Domestic Troubles
III. HIS BUILDINGS
1. The Temple
2. The Palace
3. Other Buildings
4. The Corvee
IV. HIS CHARACTER
1. Personal Qualities
2. His Wisdom
3. His Learning
4. Trade and Commerce
5. Officers of State
6. Wives
7. Revenues
8. Literary Works
LITERATURE
I. Early Life.
Solomon was the son of David and Bath-sheba, and became the 3rd king of Israel.
1. Name and Meaning:
He was so named by his mother (2Sa 12:24, Qere; see TEXT AND MANUSCRIPTS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT; TEXT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT), but by the prophet Nathan, or by his father (Vulgate), he was called Jedidiah--"loved of Yahweh." The name…
Solomon
Peaceful, (Heb. Shelomoh), David’s second son by Bathsheba, i.e., the first after their legal marriage (2 Sam. 12). He was probably born about B.C. 1035 (1 Chr. 22:5; 29:1). He succeeded his father on the throne in early manhood, probably about sixteen or eighteen years of age. Nathan, to whom his education was intrusted, called him Jedidiah, i.e., “beloved of the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:24, 25). He was the first king of Israel “born in the purple.” His father chose him as his successor, passing over the claims of his elder sons: “Assuredly Solomon my son shall reign after me.” His history is recorded in 1 Kings 1-11 and 2 Chr. 1-9. His elevation to the throne took place before his father’s death, and was hastened on mainly by Nathan and Bathsheba, in consequence of the rebellion…
(peaceful). I. Early life and occasion to the throne . --Solomon was the child of David’s old age, the last born of all his sons. (1 Chronicles 3:5) The yearnings of the "man of war" led him to give to the new-horn infant the name of Solomon (Shelomoth, the peaceful one). Nathan, with a marked reference to the meaning of the king’s own name (David, the darling, the beloved one), calls the infant Jedidiah (Jedid’yah), that is, the darling of the Lord. (2 Samuel 11:24,25) He was placed under the care of Nathan from his earliest infancy. At first, apparently, there was no distinct purpose to make him the heir. Absalom was still the king’s favorite son, (2 Samuel 13:37; 18:33) and was looked on by the people as the destined…
Peaceful, the son and successor of David, born of Bathsheba, B. C. 1033. The prophet Nathan called him Jedidiah, "beloved of the Lord," 2Sa 12:25 and he was a child of promise, 1Ch 22:9,10. At the age of eighteen he received from David the throne which his brother Adonijah had endeavored to usurp. Scripture records his earnest and pious petition for wisdom from above, that he might govern that great people well; and the bestowal of the wisdom, with numerous other blessings in its train, Mt 6:33. His unequalled learning and sagacity soon became renowned throughout the East, and continue so even to this day. In every kind of temporal prosperity he was preeminently favored. His unquestioned dominion extended from the Euphrates to…
מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.
מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred
as simple number
as part of larger number
a hundredth part
base
H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number
. as part of larger number
. a hundredth part
3967 me'ah may-aw'
or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a
hundred; also as a multiplicative and a
fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.
מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.
1) hundred
1a) as simple number
1b) as part of larger number
1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)
Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)
Conj | Adj — ConjunctionHC/Acfda
נָטַר (natar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to keep or guard. It conveys the idea of maintaining or cherishing something, and can also imply bearing a grudge. The word appears in various contexts, emphasizing the act of preservation or protection.
[נָטַר] vb. keep
Qal
keep, maintain
keep, guard
base
H5201 [נָטַר] keep
5201 natar naw-tar'
a primitive root; to guard; figuratively, to cherish
(anger):--bear grudge, keep(-er), reserve.
נָטַר (na.tar) — to keep.
1) to keep, keep guard, reserve, maintain
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to keep, maintain
1a2) to keep, guard
Aramaic equivalent: ne.tar (נְטַר "to keep" H5202)
Prep | V-Qal — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine pluralHR/Vqrmpa
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
פְּרִי (priy) means 'fruit' and encompasses various meanings, including the literal fruit of the ground, offspring or children, and figurative fruit representing the consequences of actions. It is derived from a root that emphasizes the concept of produce or reward.
פְּרִי 119 n.m. fruit
fruit of the ground, of produce in gen.
= offspring, fruit of womb
fig. of fruit of actions, i.e. their consequences
base
H6529 פְּרִי fruit . fruit of the ground, of produce in gen.
. = offspring, fruit of womb
. fig. of fruit of actions, i.e. their consequences
6529 priy per-ee'
from 6509; fruit (literally or figuratively):--bough,
((first-)) fruit((-ful)), reward.
see HEBREW for 06509
פְּרִי (pe.ri) — fruit.
1) fruit
1a) fruit, produce (of the ground)
1b) fruit, offspring, children, progeny (of the womb)
1c) fruit (of actions) (fig.)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms