Keraia
Song of Solomon 1

Song of Solomon 1:8

The Bride Confesses Her Love · Song of Solomon 1:1–17
Read Song of Solomon 1

Translations

Modern
If you do not know, O fairest of women, follow the tracks of the flock, and graze your young goats near the tents of the shepherds.
Traditional
If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.
Literal
If you do not know it for yourself, O fairest among the women, go forth yourself in the tracks of the flock, and pasture your young goats beside the tents of the shepherds.
Latin
Si ignoras te, o pulcherrima inter mulieres, egredere, et abi post vestigia gregum, et pasce hædos tuos juxta tabernacula pastorum.

Original

Hebrew
English
If you do not know, O fairest of women, follow the tracks of the flock, and graze your young goats near the tents of the shepherds.

Notes

Song of Solomon 1:8

  • The man's first words in this poem gently calm the woman's anxiety by telling her where to meet him.

  • The man wants to be with her and asks her to come disguised as a goatherd, following his flock's path.

Song of Solomon 1:7–8

  • pasture your sheep: In this dramatic view, the woman's lover and his friends are actual shepherds. This is not a job or group you would link with King Solomon at any point in his life.

  • like a veiled woman: Prostitutes wore veils to hide their identities (Genesis 38:14–16). Since Solomon has claimed the woman as a concubine, she has a reason to cover herself and stay discreet. She wants to avoid asking everyone around her where her loved one is (Song of Songs 3:3; 5:6–7). She wants to find him privately during the noon rest period so they can enjoy their time together.

Song of Solomon 1:5–11

If the Song is a three-character drama and the shepherd is her lover, the couple was apart while she was in the king’s palace. In this passage, she wants to know where to find him when she leaves. Twice, she is frantic about losing him again (Song of Solomon 3:1–4; 5:2–8). At other times, her concern is more subtle (Song of Solomon 2:14).

Song of Solomon 1:2–14

  • The song starts with the woman expressing her desire to be close to the man she loves. In the song, the woman often begins the relationship. The chorus, called the "Young Women of Jerusalem" in the New Living Translation, supports her choice of this man.

  • According to a three-character dramatic interpretation, the song begins by describing the woman's situation. The king is about to bring her into his palace, but she truly loves her shepherd. She hopes her lover will save her from the king (Song of Solomon 1:4).

Theme notes and profiles

Human Sexuality

Parallels

Ephesians 5:22–33 1 Peter 3:1–7

Glossary

Song of Solomon

Topics

Shepherds: Dwelt in Tents While Tending Their Flocks Tents were Used by Shepherds While Tending Their Flocks The Goat: The Young of Fed Near the Shepherds' Tents Woman of Distinction: Fair and Graceful