Song of Songs 8:1

Webster's Bible (1833)

Oh that you were like my brother, Who sucked the breasts of my mother! If I found you outside, I would kiss you; Yes, and no one would despise me.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

מִ֤י יִתֶּנְךָ֙ כְּאָ֣ח לִ֔י יוֹנֵ֖ק שְׁדֵ֣י אִמִּ֑י אֶֽמְצָאֲךָ֤ בַחוּץ֙ אֶשָׁ֣קְךָ֔ גַּ֖ם לֹא־יָב֥וּזוּ לִֽי׃

Transliteration

mî yittenḵā like-ʾāḥ to-me yônēq šĕdê ʾimmî ʾemṣāʾăḵā in-the-ḥûṣ ʾeššāqḵā also not-yābûzû to-me

Grammar Details

• *mî*: interrogative pronoun - who
• *yittenḵā*: qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular + 2nd masculine singular suffix - would give you
• *ʾāḥ*: masculine singular noun - brother
• *yônēq*: qal participle masculine singular - nursing/sucking
• *šĕdê*: construct masculine plural noun - breasts of
• *ʾimmî*: feminine singular noun + 1st person singular suffix - my mother
• *ʾemṣāʾăḵā*: qal imperfect 1st person singular + 2nd masculine singular suffix - I would find you
• *ḥûṣ*: masculine singular noun with definite article - outside/street
• *ʾeššāqḵā*: qal imperfect 1st person singular + 2nd masculine singular suffix - I would kiss you
• *yābûzû*: qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural - they would despise/scorn

Word Meanings

• *mî yittenḵā*: who would give you/oh that you were
• *ʾāḥ*: brother/kinsman
• *yônēq šĕdê ʾimmî*: nursing at my mother's breasts/who nursed at my mother's breasts
• *ḥûṣ*: outside/street/public place
• *gam*: also/even/indeed
• *yābûzû*: despise/scorn/regard with contempt

Referenced Verses

• Zech 9:9 : 9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; Lowly, and riding on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
• Gal 4:26 : 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
• Mal 3:1 : 1 "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!" says Yahweh of hosts.
• Ps 45:10-11 : 10 Listen, daughter, consider, and turn your ear. Forget your own people, and also your father's house. 11 So the king will desire your beauty, Honor him, for he is your lord.
• Ps 102:16-17 : 16 For Yahweh has built up Zion. He has appeared in his glory. 17 He has responded to the prayer of the destitute, And has not despised their prayer.
• Isa 7:14 : 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.{"Immanuel" means "God with us."}
• Isa 9:6 : 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be on his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
• Isa 60:14 : 14 The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending to you; and all those who despised you shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you The city of Yahweh, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
• Isa 66:11-12 : 11 that you may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that you may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. 12 For thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream: and you shall suck [of it]; you shall be borne on the side, and shall be dandled on the knees.
• Hag 2:7 : 7 and I will shake all nations. The precious things of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says Yahweh of Hosts.
• Luke 2:38 : 38 Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.
• Luke 7:45-48 : 45 You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You didn't anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." 48 He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
• Luke 9:26 : 26 For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.
• Luke 10:16 : 16 Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me."
• Luke 10:23-24 : 23 Turning to the disciples, he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see, 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and didn't see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and didn't hear them."
• Luke 12:8 : 8 "I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God;
• Luke 18:9 : 9 He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others.
• John 1:14 : 14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
• John 3:13 : 13 No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
• John 7:46-52 : 46 The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!" 47 The Pharisees therefore answered them, "You aren't also led astray, are you? 48 Have any of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees? 49 But this multitude that doesn't know the law is accursed." 50 Nicodemus (he who came to him by night, being one of them) said to them, 51 "Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?" 52 They answered him, "Are you also from Galilee? Search, and see that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."
• John 8:42 : 42 Therefore Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven't come of myself, but he sent me.
• John 9:25-38 : 25 He therefore answered, "I don't know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: that though I was blind, now I see." 26 They said to him again, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27 He answered them, "I told you already, and you didn't listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don't also want to become his disciples, do you?" 28 They insulted him and said, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don't know where he comes from." 30 The man answered them, "How amazing! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God, and does his will, he listens to him. 32 Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." 34 They answered him, "You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?" They threw him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" 36 He answered, "Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?" 37 Jesus said to him, "You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you." 38 He said, "Lord, I believe!" and he worshiped him.
• John 13:3 : 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came forth from God, and was going to God,
• John 16:28 : 28 I came out from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father."
• 1 Cor 1:28 : 28 and God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, that he might bring to nothing the things that are:
• Song 1:2 : 2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For your love is better than wine.
• Ps 51:17 : 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
• Matt 13:16-17 : 16 "But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. 17 For most assuredly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn't see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn't hear them.
• Mark 12:42-44 : 42 A poor widow came, and she cast in two small brass coins,{Literally, lepta (or widow's mites). Lepta are very small brass coins worth half a quadrans each, which is a quarter of the copper assarion. Lepta are worth less than 1% of an agricultural worker's daily wages.} which equal a quadrans coin.{A quadrans is a coin worth about 1/64 of a denarius. A denarius is about one day's wages for an agricultural laborer.} 43 He called his disciples to himself, and said to them, "Most assuredly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury, 44 for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on."
• Mark 14:6-9 : 6 But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying. 9 Most assuredly I tell you, wherever this Gospel may be preached throughout the whole world, that which this woman has done will also be spoken of for a memorial of her."
• Luke 2:26-32 : 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.{"Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew) both mean "Anointed One"} 27 He came in the Spirit into the temple. When the parents brought in the child, Jesus, that they might do concerning him according to the custom of the law, 28 then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 "Now you are releasing your servant, Master, According to your word, in peace; 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 Which you have prepared before the face of all peoples; 32 A light for revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of your people Israel."
• Gal 6:14 : 14 But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
• Phil 3:3 : 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;
• Phil 3:7-8 : 7 However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yes most assuredly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ
• 1 Tim 3:16 : 16 Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, And received up in glory.
• Heb 2:9-9 : 9 But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers{The word for "brothers" here and where context allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."}, 12 saying, "I will declare your name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise." 13 Again, "I will put my trust in him." Again, "Behold, here am I and the children whom God has given me." 14 Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
• Heb 9:26-28 : 26 or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.
• Ps 2:12 : 12 Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, For his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.