Palanquin (Hastings' Dictionary)
Ca 3° RV ‘King Solomon made himself a palanquin of the wood of Lebanon’ (RVm ‘car of state,’ AV ‘chariot,’ AVm ‘bed’). The Heb. word, } 5x, occurs only in this place, and is of unknown origin ; for possible affinity ef. Sanscrit paryahka and Gr. φορεῖον (the LXX rendering) : if it is a form of either of those words it becomes an element in determining the date of Canticles, for which see Driver, LOT® 449, 450.
This topic also has an entry in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Both articles offer independent scholarly perspectives.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Palanquin
Palanquin pal-an-ken': In Song 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. ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia