A Short Note on 'Muhammad' in the Song of Songs
- philhoraia
- Mar 24, 2023
- 2 min read
This is something of a departure from my usual material, which is to do with Islam, but seeing as Muslims make this claim, I shall make a brief comment on it.
Song 5:14-16 His hands are as rods of gold set [memullaim]with beryl; his body is as polished ivory overlaid with sapphires [sappirim]./ His legs are as pillars of marble, set [meyussadim] upon sockets of fine gold; his aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars [arazim]./ His mouth is most sweet [mamtaqqim]; yea, he is altogether lovely [machamaddim]. This is my beloved [dodi], and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.'
Note the -im endings. Did the author simply continue the ending in verse 16? You will notice the mamtaqqim. Should we understand that this is a reference to some unknown Mamtaq? Let's look at machamaddim. It is derived from the word machmad https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4261.htm . There is a number of passages that use it. Let's look at some.
1 Kings 20:6 but I will send my servants unto thee tomorrow about this time, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant [machmad] in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.'
Lamentations 1:10-11 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her treasures; for she hath seen that the heathen are entered into her sanctuary, concerning whom Thou didst command that they should not enter into Thy congregation./All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things [machamaddeyhem]for food to refresh the soul. 'See, O LORD, and behold, how abject I am become.'
Ezekiel 24:16, 21 'Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of [machmad] thine eyes with a stroke; yet neither shalt thou make lamentation nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.
Speak unto the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of [machmad] your eyes, and the longing of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left behind shall fall by the sword.
Hosea 9:6 For, lo, they are gone away from destruction, yet Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them; their precious [machmad] treasures of silver, nettles shall possess them, thorns shall be in their tents.
2 Chronicles 36:19 And they burnt the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly [machamaddeah] vessels thereof.
Isaiah 64:11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised Thee, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant things [machamaddenu] are laid waste.
You will notice that the word dodi 'my beloved' is used in the well-known verse in the Song. If Muslims are going to go by similarity of sound, why not also look for Dodi (Al-Fayed, the man who fornicated with Princess Diana)?
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