Victoria Beckham’s Hebrew Tattoo Patiently Explained

The net overflows with pictures of Victoria’s tattooed neck and back. But no one has explained the Hebrew words, how one pronounces them, what the imagery means. Those who tried got it wrong (see below)! Here is a picture of Victoria’s tattoo.

Hebrew is a gorgeous language, and the Song of Solomon is magnificent love poetry. For a short introduction and sample poetic translation, go here.

If you are thinking about learning Hebrew, find a teacher and go for it! You will not be disappointed. Some tips for those who wish to pursue Hebrew are available here.

This is the Hebrew on Victoria’s back (from top to bottom across her neck and back, read from right to left here; I subdivide the text into three thoughts):

אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי

וְדוֹדִי לִי

הָרֹעֶה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים

 It’s a quote from Song of Solomon 6:3.

 This is how one pronounces it, phrase-by-phrase (capitalized syllables receive stress):

 אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי

Ah-NEE  le-doh-DEE

 וְדוֹדִי לִי

 Ve-doh-DEE  LEE

הָרֹעֶה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים

 Ha-roh-EY ba-shoh-sha-NEEM

Here is a translation (a girl speaks):

 
I am my love’s
and my love is mine,
who browses among the lilies.

(Song of Solomon 6:3 - my translation)

 What does it mean? That’s pretty obvious, except for the last phrase. Ancient Hebrew can be very roundabout in its erotic expressions. The lover who grazes, or browses, among the lilies, is elsewhere described in these terms (once again, a girl speaks):

 A sachet of myrrh
is my love to me;
between my breasts he lodges.

            (Song of Solomon 1:13 - my translation)

 By now the meaning of the imagery should be clear.

Victoria Beckham has excellent taste in love poetry. Did you know the Bible has love poetry in it? It does, some of the best ever written.

In another way, the Bible is an exchange of love letters between God and humanity. The letters are full of desire and wrath and sweetness. A stormy love, in which God’s faithfulness saves the day against all odds more than once.

The Bible will always be worth reading. Here are links to translations that are accurate but not too difficult to follow, with introductions and notes to each book:

Jewish Study Bible

HarperCollins Study Bible with New Testament and Apocrypha

By the way, when it comes to Hebrew Tattoos, Buyers Beware!

For the story behind David and Victoria's Hebrew tattoos, go here. 

As an aid to some of my friends who always have their nose in a book, Victoria Beckham, born Victoria Caroline Adams, is best-known as "Posh Spice" of the famous Spice Girls.

Comments

[ElShaddai Edwards]

John, have you ever read http://www.seerveld.com/tuppence.html" target="_blank">"The Greatest Song" by Calvin Seerveld? Seerveld examines The Song of Songs and retranslates it literally for musical chorus and solo voices. The most interesting critique to me was that he finds two male solo voices instead of the traditional one. As a result, in addition to the erotic love relationship between the maiden and her lover, he also finds a thread of lust by an older, lecherous Solomon toward the maiden. The maiden rebuffs Solomon’s efforts to “know her” and remains faithful to her real lover. It's a fascinating treatment of the text and a real contrast to the translation we normally see.

ElShaddai

[JohnFH]

No, that's news to me, ElShaddai. But if you are looking for one volume to help you understand Song of Songs, I recommend:

Michael V. Fox

The Song of Songs and the Egyptian Love Songs. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1985. 544 pages.

Out of print but still readily available via amazon.com.

[Kevin P. Edgecomb]

The reading Seerveld uses that ElShaddai (you do attract such distinguished commenters, John!) mentions is one I've run across once or twice. I think this was the understanding presented in E.W. Bullinger's The Companion Bible, a remarkable study Bible of the early 20th century. I know I've seen it elsewhere, too, but can't remember the source. The Hermeneia commentary on Song of Songs might help, but I'm too lazy to stand up and get it!

[Peter Kirk]

This tattoo would have been more suitable for Princess Diana, given the name of her beloved! The connection is not by chance, for I think "Dodi" means "my beloved" in Arabic as well as Hebrew. But then if Victoria had left the tattoo unpointed, she could have explained and pronounced this word as davidi "my David".

Does anyone know what Hebrew words David Beckham has tattooed">http://justjared.buzznet.com/2006/08/10/poshs-neck-tattoo/">tattooed on his left arm?

[Em]

Can you please help me get the following in Hebrew Script:
My beloved is mine and I am his.
Song of Songs 2:16
I would like this, including the reference. The KJV is Song of Solomon 2:16, so could you help with both !? I would also like the Hebrew script for the name Timothy !?
Thanks... xo

[JohnFH]

The Hebrew of Song of Songs 2:16 is:

דּוֹדִי לִי וַאֲנִי לוֹ

That's

doh-DEE LEE va-ah-NEE LOH

Timothy is a Greek, not a Hebrew name. There's an equivalent in modern Hebrew of course, but I doubt that is what you're after.

[Tokyo]

I absolutely love the tattoo Victoria Beckham has on the back of her neck. Ive recently started doing some research on tattoos and its simply come to my attention because i am in the midst of getting my first tattoo. Maybe I havent looked hard enough but as of now, I cant seem to find any that even interest me the way those 3sentences do. Tattos are a big deal to me and I want something that will be worth the permanent ink. Would you by any chance have something similar and as intriguing as that poem to be used as a tattoo for a couple?
It would be greatly appreciated, thank you. :]

[JohnFH]

Tokyo,

I invite you to take a closer look at the Song of Songs (sometimes called the Song of Solomon) in the Bible. There are many other beautiful turns of phrase that might interest you.

The most helpful book on the Song I know of is Michael V. Fox, The Song of Songs and the Egyptian Love Songs (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1985). It's out of print but still available via amazon.com.

[a]

i was told that aria is a hebrew name. what would that be in hebrew script?
thank you.

[Laetitia]

Could I find anywhere Jesus´words: Father forgive them, for they not know what they are doing on hebrew? I´m looking for almost 2 years now and couldn´t find it anywhere...
Thank you very much!!

[JohnFH]

Aria is not a Hebrew name, so far as I know. Aryeh is, in Hebrew script:

אריה

The name means "lion."

Laetitia, let's see if I can make you happy. The Hebrew of the passage you cite has to be reconstructed (assuming Jesus used Hebrew as a prayer language, a probability in my book). It might have gone like this:

אבי
תשא להם
כי לא ידעו
מה עשו

Abí,
tissá lahém,
ki ló yadáu
ma ásu

The accents tell you where to put the stress. Keep in mind that other scholars might reconstruct somewhat differently.

[Laetitia]

Thank you so much ;-)

[Rachel]

Hello! I am very interested in Hebrew tattoos. My name is a Hebrew name and I have a tattoo of it's meaning "ewe". I really want to have the Jewish Proverb "Not to have felt pain is not to have been human" tattooed on my back. Similar to Victoria's tattoo. I was wondering what the proper translation of that Proverb would be. I've tried different translation sites and get a bit different translation every time. I don't want to have it tattooed until I know it is correct. Do you think you could translate it for me? :)

[Raquel]

Hi ive been trying to get aramaic or hebrew translations for a tattoo, and i was just wondering if i could get the script for 'forever' in hebrew and i was also wondering if Raquel is a Hebrew name and if so do u think u could translate it?

thank you so much.

[JohnFH]

Hello, Raquel.

You have a beautiful Hebrew name. It goes like this:

רָחֵל

Ra-cheyl (rhymes with 'pail,' with 'ch' as in Bach). The name means 'ewe,' that is, a female sheep, and has tender associations.

Your namesake in the Bible was quite the good-looker, and Jacob slaved many years to obtain her. She also knew how to lead men around by the nose, something that came easily to her. Yet somehow God blessed her and her family through all their adventures.

Read all about it in the book of Genesis, chapter 29. The first innocent kiss is recounted in 29:11; it presages what is to come.

A poetic expression in Hebrew for 'forever' is

עוֹלָם וָעֶד

Olam va-ed

Do you know which is the font? Of her tattoo I mean

[alex]

can someone please tell me how to translate "fortune favours the brave"
thank u alihandra7@hotmail.com

[Michael]

Alex - if you want it in Latin, then it's "Fors juvat audentes."

I find this whole discussion fascinating in light of Leviticus 19:28.

[JohnFH]

Lev 19:28 is relevant here. My wife who pastors a new church start, with families joining out who have been far from the influence of church culture, notes that people come with tattoos but tend to get rid of them, at least the wild ones, as they become more active.

Earrings for men, however, which once was a no-no, are coming back with a pirate's vengeance. That's everywhere.

[alex]

hey i was wondering if anyone can translate "fortune favours the brave" in hebrew???
thanks

could someone possibly translate God is Love in hebrew for me!?
thanks so much :)

[Elshadi]

my mom and a few people ive ran into in my life have gave me a few different definitions of what my name really means... so i figured i might ask someone who might really know.

it's Elshadi

and ive been told it means the fallowing-
*god almighty
*god protect us
* and god protect over isreal.
just curious how those look in hebrew and also if you think it means something different...
thanks a bunch
:]

[ElShaddai Edwards]

Hmmm... you *do* attract people with the oddest names, John.

[JohnFH]

You might have explained, E.-S., that your name's meaning is, shall we say, a work in progress.

"God Almighty" is a traditional understanding of what it means. "El" means the god by that name, or simply "God," but what Shaddai meant in biblical times is a matter of conjecture.

[brandy]

Hi! My name is Brandy and I am thinking about getting a hebrew tattoo down my spine, much like Victoria's but starting below my T-shirt line. I want it to say "My strength comes from the one I love." I have a translation of the text already but I do not know if it is correct. And I am also wondering, which way do I put it on my back. Like what symbol is the first symbol, how is it supposed to look if it is meant to be read vertically. Thanks for your help and here is the translation I have gotten for the phrase above:

החוזק שלי בא מהאני האחד אוהב