Bible Dictionary
PALANQUIN
A palanquin is a carried litter or ceremonial couch. In Song of Solomon 3:9 it is a proposed translation of a rare word otherwise rendered “chariot” or “car of state,” so the exact object is uncertain.
Definition
A palanquin is a litter bed or carried couch. In Song of Solomon 3:9 it is a proposed translation of a rare word whose exact meaning is uncertain; “chariot” and “car of state” are alternative renderings.
Biblical Usage
The term occurs in Song of Solomon 3:9, where it describes the object made by King Solomon. The passage does not establish the object’s exact form.
Historical Background
The underlying word has no known Semitic cognates in the source material. Its form resembles words in Sanskrit and Greek meaning “litter bed,” which led to the rendering “palanquin.”
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>pal-an-ken': In So 3:9 occurs 'appiryon, a word that has no Semitic cognates and is of dubious meaning. In form, however, it resembles the Sanskrit paryanka, and still more closely the Greek phoreion, both of which mean "litter bed." Hence, the Revised Version (British and American) "palanquin" (ultimately derived from paryanka). The margin "car of state" and the King James Version "chariot" are mere guesses.</p>