Texts in Conversation
Proverbs 7 and Song of Solomon 4 both use the phrase “my sister,” a term drawn from ancient Near Eastern love poetry where lovers called each other siblings to express deep affection and loyalty. Proverbs reworks this language to describe devotion to wisdom, while Song of Solomon preserves its romantic sense.
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Proverbs 7:4
Hebrew Bible
2 Keep my commands so that you may live, and obey my instruction as your most prized possession. 3 Bind them on your forearm; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding a close relative 5 so that they may keep you from the adulterous woman, from the loose woman who has flattered you with her words. 6 For at the window of my house through my window lattice I looked out,
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Song of Solomon 4:9
Song of Songs
Hebrew Bible
7 You are altogether beautiful, my darling! There is no blemish in you! 8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; come with me from Lebanon. Descend from the crest of Amana, from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon, from the lions’ dens and the mountain haunts of the leopards. 9 You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride! You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. 10 How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine; the fragrance of your perfume is better than any spice! 11 Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue. The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
Date: 3rd Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The formulaic address in the lament for the dead should also be understood similarly (1 Kings 13:30, “Alas, my brother!”; Jeremiah 22:18, “Alas my brother, alas my sister!”; 2 Samuel 1:26 is probably influenced by this usage: “I am sorrowful for you, my brother Jonathan”. “My sister (bride)” occurs as a tender metaphor for the beloved (in Song of Solomon otherwise named “friend”) in Song of Solomon 4:9, 12; 5:1, as in love poetry and in Ugaritic (KTU 1.18.I.24, Anat to Aqhat: “You are my brother, I am your sister”). Compare further Proverbs 7:4, “Say to wisdom: you are my sister,” of personified wisdom ..."
Jenni, Ernst, and Claus Westermann
Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament
(p. 144) Hendrickson Publishers, 1997
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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