richmahn_en_tn/sng/04/04.md

# General Information:

The man continues to praise the woman.

# Your neck is like the tower of David

No one knows if this was a real tower. A tower is a tall, slender building, and saying that David built it implies that it was beautiful. The man considered the woman's neck long and slender and so beautiful. AT: "Your neck is long and beautiful like the tower of David" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]])

# of David

"that David built"

# built in rows of stone

Women had necklaces that covered their entire necks with rows of decorations. The man compares these rows of decorations with the rows of stone on the tower. AT: "that has many rows of stone" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])

# with a thousand shields

The man compares the decorations of the woman's necklace with shields hanging on the tower. The necklace probably went around her neck many times. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# a thousand shields

"1,000 shields." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-numbers]])

# all the shields of soldiers

"all of the shields belong to mighty warriors"

# two breasts

If the word "two" seems unnecessary and so out of place, you could omit it.

# like two fawns, twins of a gazelle

The man implies that the woman's breasts are matching, soft, and perhaps small. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]])

# twins

the babies of a mother who gave birth to two babies at one time

# gazelle

an animal that looks like a deer and moves quickly. Translate as the singular of "gazelles" as in [Song of Solomon 2:7](../02/07.md).

# grazing among the lilies

"eating plants among the lilies." While it is clear that the man "grazing among the lilies" is a metaphor for making love ([Song of Solomon 2:16](../02/16.md)), it is not clear what these words refer to. It is best to translate them literally.

# lilies

sweet-smelling flowers that grow in places where there is much water. Translate as the plural of "lily" in [Song of Solomon 2:1](../02/01.md).

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/like]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/watchtower]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/david]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/shield]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/warrior]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/deer]]