His eyes are like doves: in the previous description (4.1; see also 1.15) the young man spoke of his beloved’s eyes in a manner similar to here. See comments on 4.1. Note, however, that here we have a simile, with the word like; in 4.1 a metaphor, “your eyes are doves,” was used.

This verse has raised many problems for interpreters, one of which has been to determine what the last words, bathed in milk, fitly set, modify. Are they, as Revised Standard Version suggests, a figurative description of the young man’s eyes? Or are they, as Good News Translation sees it, an extended metaphor describing the doves?

There have been suggestions that the water represents tears, and milk represents the whites of his eyes. This very forced interpretation results from misunderstanding the literary form. Here the words beside … set refer to the doves in what is known as an “extended simile.” In other words, the figure is not merely mentioned once, but the context continues to speak in similar figurative terms.

Beside springs of water: the preposition ʿal can mean “upon” or “over” as well as beside. The latter is quite acceptable. Springs is a term for water channels (Good News Translation suggests “a flowing brook”), or a pool, or a spring bubbling up to form a pool. It is not possible to fix the sense any more closely than that.

Bathed in milk: the participle here is active, not passive, so it is more correctly translated “bathing.” The imagery is clearly metaphorical. To “bathe in milk” in some settings is an expression of lavishness and luxury, but here it may simply be a figure for whiteness. Not all doves are white, of course, but the reference to milk suggests that that is the sense here. We can translate as “white as milk.” It may be advisable to repeat the noun doves in this clause to make clear that the phrase refers to doves and not to the young man’s eyes.

Fitly set, as the Revised Standard Version footnote shows, is an attempt to translate a Hebrew phrase full of challenges. Literally it reads “sitting [or, dwelling] on [or, by] pools [or, bowls; or, fullness].” The major problem in this phrase is the Hebrew term milleʾth, from a root meaning “full,” “to fill.” Pope notes that it also is used to describe how precious jewels are inlaid in stone (See Exo 25.7; 28.7; 35.9, 27). This is the sense behind Revised Standard Version fitly set. New American Bible prefers “set like jewels.” Some translations render it “at rest on a pool” (Jerusalem Bible) or “as they sit where water is drawn” (New English Bible), while Good News Translation has “standing by the stream.” Such a view makes this last line parallel to the earlier phrase, “beside springs of water.” It would then be possible to combine these lines, giving a translation “his eyes are like milk-white doves, sitting by a flowing stream.” There is obviously no consensus among scholars as to what it means. If the Good News Translation model is not followed, it is probably best to retain a traditional rendering such as we find in Revised Standard Version.

Because the Hebrew text itself is difficult, a footnote indicating this problem can be added (for example, “Hebrew unclear”).

Our suggestion for translation is:

• His eyes are like milk-white doves beside springs of water.

Another possibility is:

• His eyes are like doves beside springs of water,
doves as white as milk, sitting beside the pools.*
Footnote: * Hebrew uncertain.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Song of Songs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1998. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .