Song of Songs 1:8

Bishops' Bible (1568)

If thou knowe not thy selfe (O thou fayrest among women) then go thy way foorth after the footesteppes of the sheepe, and feede thy goates besyde the shepheardes tentes.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אִם־לֹ֤א תֵדְעִי֙ לָ֔ךְ הַיָּפָ֖ה בַּנָּשִׁ֑ים צְֽאִי־לָ֞ךְ בְּעִקְבֵ֣י הַצֹּ֗אן וּרְעִי֙ אֶת־גְּדִיֹּתַ֔יִךְ עַ֖ל מִשְׁכְּנ֥וֹת הָרֹעִֽים׃

Transliteration

If-not tēdʿî to-you the-yāfāh in-the-nāšîm go-out-for-you in-ʿiqbê the-ṣōʾn and-rĕʿî ʾet-gĕdiyyōtayik upon miškĕnôt the-rōʿîm

Grammar Details

• *ʾim-lōʾ*: conditional particle with negative - if not
• *tēdʿî*: imperfect verb, 2nd feminine singular - you know
• *lāk*: preposition with 2nd feminine singular suffix - for yourself
• *ha-yāfāh*: adjective, feminine, singular with definite article - the beautiful one
• *ba-nāšîm*: preposition with noun, feminine, plural with definite article - among women
• *ṣĕʾî-lāk*: imperative verb, feminine singular with preposition and 2nd feminine singular suffix - go out for yourself
• *bĕ-ʿiqbê*: preposition with noun, masculine, plural construct - in the tracks of
• *ha-ṣōʾn*: noun, masculine, singular collective with definite article - the flock
• *û-rĕʿî*: conjunction with imperative verb, feminine singular - and pasture
• *ʾet-gĕdiyyōtayik*: direct object marker with noun, feminine, plural with 2nd feminine singular possessive suffix - your young goats
• *ʿal miškĕnôt*: preposition with noun, feminine, plural construct - by/near the dwellings of
• *hā-rōʿîm*: participle, masculine, plural with definite article - the shepherds

Word Meanings

• *ʿiqbê*: tracks/footsteps/traces
• *miškĕnôt*: dwellings/tents/habitations
• *rōʿîm*: shepherds/those who pasture

Referenced Verses

• Song 5:9 : 9 What maner of man is thy loue aboue other louers, O thou fairest among women? Or what can thy loue do more then other louers, that thou chargest vs so straytly?
• Song 6:1 : 1 Whyther is thy loue gone then O thou fairest among women? whyther is thy loue departed, and we wyll seke hym with thee?
• Song 6:4-9 : 4 Thou are beautifull O my loue as is the place Thirza, thou art faire as Hierusalem, fearefull as an armie of men with their banners. 5 Turne away thine eyes from me, for they haue set me on fire: Thy heery lockes are lyke a flocke of goates shorne vpon the mount of Gilead. 6 Thy teeth are lyke a flocke of shorne sheepe which go out of the wasshyng place, where euery one beareth twinnes, and not one vnfruitfull among them. 7 Thy cheekes are like a peece of a pomegranate within thy lockes of heere. 8 There are threescore queenes, fourescore wiues, and damselles without number. 9 One is my doue, one is my dearlyng: She is the only beloued of her mother, and deare vnto her that bare her: When the daughters sawe her, they sayde she was blessed, yea the queenes & wiues praysed her. 10 What is she this that loketh foorth as the mornyng, faire as the moone, cleare as the sunne, and fearfull as an armie of men with their banners?
• Song 7:1-9 : 1 O howe pleasaunt are thy treadynges with thy shoes, thou princes daughter? the ioyntes of thy thighes are like a faire iewell, which is wrought by a cunnyng workemaister. 2 Thy nauell is lyke a rounde goblet, which is neuer without drynke. Thy wombe is like a heape of wheate that is set about with lilies. 3 Thy two breastes are lyke two twinnes of young roes. 4 Thy necke is as it were a towre of iuorie: thine eyes also are lyke the water pooles that are in Hesebon, beside the port of Bathrabbim, thy nose is lyke the towre of Libanus, which loketh towarde Damascus. 5 That head that standeth vpon thee is lyke Carmel: and the heere of thy head is like purple, and like a kyng dwellyng among many water conduites. 6 O Howe faire and louely art thou my dearlyng in pleasures? 7 Thy stature is lyke a paulme tree, and thy breastes lyke the grapes. 8 I sayde, I wyll climbe vp into the paulme tree, and take holde of his hye braunches. Thy breastes also shalbe as the wine clusters, the smell of thy nosethrilles like as the smell of apples. 9 And thy rooffe of thy mouth lyke the best wine, which is meete for my best beloued, pleasaunt for his lippes, and for his teeth to chawe. 10 I am my beloueds, and he shall turne hym vnto me. 11 O come on my loue, we wyll go foorth into the fielde, and take our lodgyng in the villages. 12 In the mornyng wyll we go see the vineyarde, we wyll see yf the vine be sprong foorth, yf the grapes be growen, and yf the pomegranates be shot out. There will I geue thee my brestes: 13 the Mandragoras geue their sweete smell, and besyde our doores are all maner of pleasaunt fruites both newe and olde, which I haue kept for thee O my beloued.
• Jer 6:16 : 16 Thus saith the Lorde, Go into the streetes, consider and make inquisition for the olde way, and if it be the good and right way, then go therein, that ye may finde rest for your soules: but they say, we wyll not walke therin.
• John 21:15 : 15 So when they had dyned, Iesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon Ioanna, louest thou me more then these? He sayd vnto hym: Yea Lorde, thou knowest that I loue thee. He sayth vnto hym: feede my lambes.
• 1 Cor 11:1 : 1 Be ye the folowers of me, euen as I am of Christe.
• Eph 5:27 : 27 To make it vnto hym selfe a glorious Churche, not hauyng spot or wrinckle, or any such thyng: but that it should be holy, and without blame.
• Heb 6:12 : 12 That ye faynt not, but be folowers of them which through fayth and pacience inherite the promises.
• Heb 11:4-9 : 4 By fayth Abel offered vnto God a more excellent sacrifice then Cain: by whiche he was witnessed to be ryghteous, God testifiyng of his gyftes: by which also he beyng dead, yet speaketh. 5 By fayth was Enoch translated, that he shoulde not see death, neither was he founde, for God had taken hym away: For afore he was taken away, he was reported of to haue pleased God. 6 But without fayth it is vnpossible to please hym: For he that cometh to God, must beleue that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him. 7 By fayth Noe beyng warned of God of thinges not seene as yet, moued with reuerence, prepared the arke to the sauyng of his house, through the whiche arke he condempned the worlde, and became heire of the righteousnes which is by fayth. 8 By fayth Abraham when he was called, obeyed, to go out into a place whiche he shoulde afterwarde receaue to inheritaunce: and he went out, not knowyng whyther he shoulde go. 9 By fayth he remoued into the lande of promise, as into a straunge countrey, whe he had dwelt in tabernacles, with Isaac and Iacob, heires with hym of the same promise: 10 For he loked for a citie hauyng a foundation, whose buylder and maker is God. 11 Through fayth also Sara her selfe receaued strength to conceaue seede, and was delyuered of a chylde whe she was past age, because she iudged hym faythfull which had promised. 12 And therfore sprang there of one, euen of one whiche was as good as dead so many in multitude, as are the starres in the skye, and as the sande the whiche is by the sea shore innumerable. 13 These all dyed according to fayth, not hauing receaued the promises, but seing them a farre of, and beleuyng, and salutyng, and confessyng that they were straungers and pilgrimes on the earth. 14 For they that saye suche thynges, declare that they seke a countrey. 15 Also yf they had ben myndfull of that countrey from whence they came out, they had leasure to haue returned: 16 But nowe they desire a better, that is, a heauenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a citie. 17 By fayth Abraham offered by Isaac when he was proued: and he that had receaued the promises, offered vp his only begotten sonne: 18 To whom it was saide, that in Isaac shall thy seede be called. 19 For he considered that God was able to rayse the dead vp agayne, fro whence also he receaued hym in a similitude of the resurrection. 20 By fayth did Isaac blesse Iacob and Esau, concernyng thynges to come. 21 By fayth Iacob when he was a dying, blessed both the sonnes of Ioseph, and worshypped towarde the toppe of his scepter. 22 By fayth Ioseph when he dyed, remembred the departyng of the chyldren of Israel, and gaue commaundement of his bones. 23 By fayth Moyses whe he was borne, was hyd three monethes of his father and mother, because they sawe he was a proper chylde, neither feared they the kynges commaundement. 24 By fayth Moyses when he was great, refused to be called the sonne of Pharaos daughter: 25 Chosyng rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God, then to enioye the pleasures of sinne for a season: 26 Esteemyng the rebuke of Christ, greater riches, then the treasures of Egypt: For he had respect vnto the recompence of the rewarde. 27 By fayth he forsoke Egypt, fearyng not the wrath of the kyng: For he endured, euen as though he had seene him which is inuisible. 28 Through fayth, he ordeyned the Passouer and the effusion of blood, lest he that destroyed the first borne, shoulde touche them. 29 By fayth, they passed through the redde sea, as by drye lande: which the Egyptians assaying to do, were drowned. 30 By fayth, the walles of Iericho fell downe, after they were compassed about seuen dayes. 31 By fayth, the harlot Rahab perished not with them that were disobedient, when she had receaued the spyes with peace. 32 And what shall I more say? for the tyme woulde fayle me, to rehearse of Gedeon, of Barac, and of Sampson, and of Iephte, of Dauid also and Samuel, and of the prophetes: 33 Which through faith subdued kingdomes, wrought righteousnesse, obteyned the promises, stopped the mouthes of the Lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fyre, escaped the edge of the sworde, out of weakenesse were made strong, wared valiant in fyght, turned to flyght the armies of the aliantes. 35 The women receaued their dead, raysed to lyfe agayne: Other were racked, not lokyng for deliueraunce, that they might receaue a better resurrectio. 36 And others were tryed with mockynges, and scourgynges: Yea, moreouer with bondes and prisonment: 37 They were stoned, were hewen asunder, were tempted, were slaine with sword, wandred about in sheepskinnes, and goates skinnes, beyng destitute, afflicted and tormented: 38 Of who the worlde was not worthie: They wandred in wildernesse, and in mountaynes, and in dennes, and caues of the earth. 39 And these all through fayth, obteyned good report, and receaued not the promise: 40 God prouidyng a better thyng for vs, that they without vs shoulde not be made perfect.
• Heb 13:7 : 7 Remember them which haue the ouersyght of you, which haue spoken vnto you the worde of God: Whose ende of conuersation ye consideryng, folowe their fayth.
• Jas 2:21 : 21 Was not Abraham our father iustified through workes, when he had offered Isaac his sonne vpon the aulter?
• Jas 2:25 : 25 Lykewyse also, was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes, when she had receaued the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
• Jas 5:10 : 10 Take my brethren, the prophetes for an ensample of suffering aduersitie, and of patience, which spake in the name of the Lorde.
• 1 Pet 3:6 : 6 Euen as Sara obeyed Abraham, and called hym Lorde, whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well, and are not afrayde for any terrour.
• Rev 19:7-8 : 7 Let vs be glad, & reioyce, & geue honor to hym: for the mariage of the lambe is come, & his wyfe made her selfe redy. 8 And to her was graunted that she should be arayed with pure and goodly raynes: For the raynes is the ryghteousnes of saintes.
• Ps 16:3 : 3 But all my delyght is to do good vnto the saintes that are in the earth: and vnto such as excell in vertue.
• Ps 45:11 : 11 So shall the kyng haue pleasure in thy beautie: for he is thy Lorde, and worship thou hym.
• Ps 45:13 : 13 The kynges daughter is all glorious within: her clothyng is of wrought golde.
• Prov 8:34 : 34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching dayly at my gates, and geuing attendaunce at the postes of my doores.
• Song 1:15 : 15 Oh howe fayre art thou my loue, Oh howe fayre art thou? thou hast doues eyes.
• Song 2:10 : 10 My beloued is lyke a roe or a young hart: beholde he standeth behinde our wall, he looketh in at the windowe, and peepeth thorowe the grace.
• Song 4:1 : 1 O howe fayre art thou my loue, howe fayre art thou? thou hast doues eyes, beside that which lyeth hid within: Thy heerie lockes are lyke the wooll of a flocke of goates that be shorne vpon mount Gilead.
• Song 4:7 : 7 Thou art all fayre (O my loue) and no spot is there in thee.
• Song 4:10 : 10 O howe fayre are thy breastes, my sister, my spouse? Thy breastes are more pleasaunt then wine, and the smell of thyne oyntmentes passeth all spices.