Song of Solomon 8:13 — Word Study
WLCהַיוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת בַּגַּנִּ֗ים חֲבֵרִ֛ים מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים לְקוֹלֵ֖ךְ הַשְׁמִיעִֽינִי׃
BSAYou who dwellyâshab [reside, or abide] in the gardensgan [enclosed areas, symbolic of a bride or a place for pleasure] ◂[my] companionschâbêr [fellow worshippers, united friends] are listeningqâshab [attentively, with careful heed] for your voiceqôwl [sound, utterance, or speech] Let me hear itshâmaʻ [perceive, obey, or heed]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַיוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת | O [one who] dwells | Particle, verb qal participle (active) feminine singular |
| בַּגַּנִּ֗ים | in the gardens | Preposition, noun common both plural absolute |
| חֲבֵרִ֛ים | companions | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים | [are] listening | Verb, Hiphil, participle (active) masculine plural |
| לְקוֹלֵ֖ךְ | for voice your | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| הַשְׁמִיעִֽינִי׃ | cause to hear [it] me | Verb hiphil imperative second person feminine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it! |
| KJV | Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it. |
| ASV | Thou that dwellest in the gardens, The companions hearken for thy voice: Cause me to hear it. |
| YLT | The companions are attending to thy voice, Cause me to hear. Flee, my beloved, and be like to a roe, |
| WEB | You who dwell in the gardens, with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice! |
| BBE | You who have your resting-place in the gardens, the friends give ear to your voice; make me give ear to it. |
Where they part company is חֲבֵרִ֛ים — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause introduces the subject, followed by descriptions of the companions and their action, culminating in an imperative request.
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 8:13
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 Bride's Callgenerated
Song of Solomon 8:13 captures a moment of intimacy and desire, where the bride calls to her companions in the gardens, expressing a yearning to hear the voice of her beloved. This verse reflects the themes of love, companionship, and the beauty of relationships, set against a backdrop of nature's splendor, as seen in the surrounding verses of the Song of Solomon.
The Key Word — יָשַׁב, hai.yo.She.vetgenerated
The verb יָשַׁב (yashab) is a qal participle meaning 'to dwell' or 'to sit.' It conveys the idea of residing or abiding in a place, emphasizing a sense of permanence and connection. In this context, it suggests a deep relationship with the garden, symbolizing intimacy and belonging.
This form is feminine singular, indicating that the speaker is addressing a female companion, likely the bride, who is metaphorically described as dwelling in the gardens. The use of this word sets the tone of closeness and affection in the verse.
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 verb מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים (are listening) governs the sentence, with several phrases providing context. The structure highlights the action of listening as central to the verse.
The order of the words places emphasis on the companions who are listening, suggesting their attentiveness to the beloved's voice, which is expressed in the following imperative.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יָשַׁב as καθήμενος (kathēmenos), meaning 'sitting' or 'dwelling.' This choice retains the sense of presence and stability.
The Greek word προσέξοντες (prosexontes) for 'listening' emphasizes attentiveness, aligning with the Hebrew meaning of listening carefully.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Song of Solomon 8:13 expresses a longing for connection, where the speaker calls out to those who dwell in the gardens, inviting them to share their voice. This moment captures the essence of companionship and desire for communication, set in a beautiful, symbolic environment.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To dwell in the gardens symbolizes a place of intimacy and beauty, suggesting a close relationship with the beloved and a setting for love.
The companions are likely friends or fellow worshippers who are attentive to the voice of the beloved, highlighting the theme of community in love.
Hearing the voice represents a desire for communication and connection, essential elements in relationships, especially in the context of love.
This verse encapsulates the themes of love, longing, and the beauty of companionship, which are central to the message of the Song of Solomon.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I seek connection with those I love?
- How can I be more attentive to the voices of those around me?
- What does it mean for me to dwell in a place of beauty and intimacy?
- How can I cultivate deeper relationships with my companions?
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
You who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!
You who dwell in the gardens, with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice!
You who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!
O you who stay in the gardens, my companions are listening attentively for your voice; let me be the one to hear it!
Tyndale line
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, The companions hearken for thy voice: Cause me to hear it.
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken for thy voice: cause me to hear it.
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it .
O thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken vnto thy voyce: cause me to heare it.
Strictly literal
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, The companions hearken to thy voice: Let me hear [it].
The companions are attending to thy voice, Cause me to hear. Flee, my beloved, and be like to a roe,
The companions are attending to your voice, || Cause me to hear. Flee, my beloved, and be like to a roe,
“Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions listen for thy voice: oh let me hear it.”
You who live in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice; let me hear it. The woman speaking to the man
From the Latin
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the friends hearken: make me hear thy voice.
Simplified
My darling, sitting there in the gardens with companions listening to you—please talk to me!
You who have your resting-place in the gardens, the friends give ear to your voice; make me give ear to it.
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 of Song of Solomon 8:13 reads, 'הַיוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת בַּגַּנִּ֗ים חֲבֵרִ֛ים מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים לְקוֹלֵ֖ךְ הַשְׁמִיעִֽינִי׃' which translates to 'You who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!' The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text, as all six words correspond directly, though the word order and articles may differ due to translation choices. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls also support the Masoretic Text in this instance, showing a consistent reading across these ancient witnesses.
הַיוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת בַּגַּנִּ֗ים חֲבֵרִ֛ים מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים לְקוֹלֵ֖ךְ הַשְׁמִיעִֽינִי׃
6 of the 6 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 8:13
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.
יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.
יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell
Qal
sit
sit, sit down
sit down
sit = be set (as a jewel)
remain, stay, tarry
with special emphasis of qualifying phr.
dwell, have one’s abode
of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited
Niph. be inhabited, of land
Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee
Hiph.
cause to sit
cause to abide
cause to dwell
cause cities to be inhabited
marry (prop. give a dwelling to)
Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land
base
H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell
3427 yashab yaw-shab'
a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as
judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to
remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)
abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease
self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)
inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),
(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),
(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),
take, tarry.
יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.
1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to sit, sit down
1a2) to be set
1a3) to remain, stay
1a4) to dwell, have one's abode
1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited
1c) (Piel) to set, place
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to sit
1d2) to cause to abide, set
1d3) to cause to dwell
1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited
1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)
1e) (Hophal)
1e1) to be inhabited
1e2) to make to dwell
Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) feminine singularHTd/Vqrfsa
גַּן (gan) means 'garden' or 'enclosure' and can refer to a physical garden or, figuratively, to a bride. It is derived from a root meaning to fence in. The term is used in various contexts, including the Garden of Eden and specific locations like Beth-haggan.
גַּן n.m. & f. enclosure, garden
base
H1588 גַּן enclosure, garden
1588 gan gan
from 1598; a garden (as fenced):--garden.
see HEBREW for 01598
גַּן (gan) — Garden (of Uzza).
This name means garden, enclosure
גַּן (gan) — (Beth)-haggan.
Combined with ba.yit (בַּ֫יִת "Beth" H1004H)
גַּן (gan) — garden.
1) garden, enclosure
1a) enclosed garden
1a1) (fig. of a bride)
1b) garden (of plants)
1c) Garden of Eden
Prep | N-cp — Preposition · noun common both plural absoluteHRd/Ncbpa
Gardens
Mentioned in Scripture, of Eden (Gen. 2:8, 9); Ahab’s garden of herbs (1 Kings 21:2); the royal garden (2 Kings 21:18); the royal garden at Susa (Esther 1:5); the garden of Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:41); of Gethsemane (John 18:1).
The “king’s garden” mentioned 2 Kings 25:4, Neh. 3:15, was near the Pool of Siloam.
Are often mentioned in Scripture, though in a sense somewhat peculiar; for in the language of the Hebrews, every place where plants and trees were cultivated with greater care than in the open field, was called a garden. Fruit and shade trees, with aromatic shrubs, sometimes constituted the garden; though roses, lilies, and various gardens were used only for table vegetables, Ge 2:8-10 15:1-21 1Ki 21:2 Ec 2:5,6. They were located if possible beside a river or fountain, Ge 13:10 Nu 24:6. In other places reservoirs were provided, from which the water was distributed in various ways, as occasion required,
חָבֵר (chaber) refers to a companion or associate, emphasizing the idea of being united or knit together. It can denote a fellow worshipper or someone who shares a bond with others. The term appears in contexts that highlight companionship and unity.
חָבֵר adj. and n.m. united, associate, companion
adj. united
n. associate, fellow
companion at a particular time
base
H2270 חָבֵר united, associate, companion
2270 chaber khaw-bare'
from 2266; an associate:--companion, fellow, knit together.
see HEBREW for 02266
חָבֵר (cha.ver) — companion.
adj
1) united
n m
2) associate, fellow, worshippers
3) companion
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
קָשַׁב (qashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to listen or pay attention, particularly with reference to inclining one's ears. It encompasses actions like hearkening and giving heed. The word appears in contexts such as Isaiah 32:3, where it emphasizes attentiveness. The entries consistently describe its usage in both the Qal and Hiphil forms.
[קָשַׁב] 46 vb. incline, attend, of ears
Qal Is 32:3
Hiph. give attention
base
H7181 קָשַׁב incline, attend, of ears
7181 qashab kaw-shab'
a primitive root; to prick up the ears, i.e.
hearken:--attend, (cause to) hear(-ken), give heed, incline,
mark (well), regard.
קָשַׁב (qa.shav) — to listen.
1) to hear, be attentive, heed, incline (of ears), attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen
1a) (Qal) incline, attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen
1b) (Hiphil) to pay attention, give attention
V-Hiphil — Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine pluralHVhrmpa
קוֹל (qol) primarily means 'voice' or 'sound,' encompassing various contexts such as music, noise, and even thunder. It can also denote lightness or frivolity. The word is built from a root meaning to call aloud and appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, including a reference in Jeremiah 3:9.
ref
H6963a קוֹל sound, voice H6963b קֹל lightness, frivolity
6963 qowl kole
or qol {kole}; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a
voice or sound:--+ aloud, bleating, crackling, cry (+ out),
fame, lightness, lowing, noise, + hold peace, (pro-)claim,
proclamation, + sing, sound, + spark, thunder(-ing), voice, +
yell.
קוֹל (qol) — voice.
: voice/shout/loud
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קֹל (qol) — frivolity.
lightness, frivolity
קוֹל (qol) — voice: sound.
: sound/noise
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: thunder.
: thunder
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: message.
: message/proclaim
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: [sound of].
: [sound_of](THING)
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: listen.
: listen
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp2fs
The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is built from a primitive root and can imply attention and understanding. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of hearing and obeying. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear
Qal 1052
subj. pers. hum.
י׳ (God) subj.
Niph. 42 be heard, of voice, sound
be heard of
be regarded, obeyed
= (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.
Pi. he caused the people to hear
Hiph. 63
of man
י׳ subj.
base
H8085 שָׁמַע hear
8085 shama` shaw-mah'
a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with
implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to
tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X
carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content,
declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make
to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)
obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish,
regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,
understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: hear.
: hear
v
1) to hear, listen to, obey
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)
1a2) to hear of or concerning
1a3) to hear (have power to hear)
1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to
1a5) to understand (language)
1a6) to hear (of judicial cases)
1a7) to listen, give heed
1a7a) to consent, agree
1a7b) to grant request
1a8) to listen to, yield to
1a9) to obey, be obedient
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound)
1b2) to be heard of
1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed
1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound
1d2) to sound aloud (musical term)
1d3) to make proclamation, summon
1d4) to cause to be heard
n m
2) sound
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: obey.
: obey
v
1) to hear, listen to, obey
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)
1a2) to hear of or concerning
1a3) to hear (have power to hear)
V-Hiphil-Impv-2fs | Suff — Verb hiphil imperative second person feminine singular · suffixHVhv2fs/Sp1bs