Lexical Summary
gediyyah: young goats
Original Word: גְּדִיָּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: gdiyah
Pronunciation: geh-dee-YAH
Phonetic Spelling: (ghed-ee-yaw')
KJV: kid
NASB: young goats
Word Origin: [feminine of H1423 (גְּדִי - young goat)]
1. a young female goat
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
kid
Feminine of gdiy; a young female goat -- kid.
see HEBREW gdiy
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfem. of
gediDefinitiona kid (a young goat)
NASB Translationyoung goats (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[
גְּדִיָּה]
noun feminine only plural
kids suffix
גְּדִיֹּתַיִךְ Songs 1:8 (""
הצאן).
Topical Lexicon
Overview Derived from the root for a “kid” or “young goat,” גְּדִיָּה appears only once in the Hebrew Bible. The single setting highlights the tenderness, liveliness, and pastoral setting typically associated with very young goats in ancient Israelite life. Though the term is rare, the concept fits naturally within Scripture’s broader flock imagery that often frames the relationship between the divine Shepherd and His people.
Biblical Occurrence
Song of Songs 1:8 gives the sole use: “If you do not know, O most beautiful of women, follow the tracks of the flock and pasture your young goats by the tents of the shepherds”. Spoken by the royal lover to the Shulamite, the verse links romantic pursuit with responsible care for vulnerable creatures. The beloved is invited to remain where protection and nourishment are assured—near the shepherds’ tents—so that her kids will thrive.
Pastoral Imagery in Song of Songs
1. Visibility and Guidance: “Follow the tracks of the flock” presents an image of clear, trustworthy paths. The shepherd-led trail ensures safety for the young goats and, by metaphor, for the beloved herself.
2. Proximity to Shepherds: By stationing her kids beside the shepherds’ tents, the woman places them under experienced oversight. The courtship scene thus blends personal intimacy with communal responsibility, illustrating that true love is never detached from covenantal care.
3. Vitality and Playfulness: Kids embody exuberance. Their presence underscores the youthful joy that permeates the entire book, mirroring the fresh love between the couple.
Goats in Ancient Israelite Husbandry
• Provision: Goats supplied milk (Proverbs 27:27), meat (Genesis 27:9), and hide for tents. Raising kids was therefore an economic priority.
• Mobility: Goats thrive in rugged terrain, matching the Judean hills that framed Solomon’s era. Their adaptability symbolizes the resilience of covenant people dwelling in a sometimes hostile landscape.
• Protection: Shepherds commonly sheltered young goats in the warmest parts of camp. In Song of Songs 1:8 the placement “by the tents” evokes a habitual, practiced safeguarding of what is valuable and vulnerable.
Broader Theological Connections
1. Shepherd Motif: From Psalm 23:1 to John 10:11, Scripture revels in the Shepherd metaphor. Though “young goats” differ from sheep, the shared pastoral setting bridges Old and New Testament imagery, spotlighting God’s watchful care.
2. Separation Theme: Matthew 25:32 portrays goats and sheep divided. While that scene stresses judgment, Song of Songs 1:8 shows the prior grace of guidance—an opportunity to remain near the Shepherd before any separating day arrives.
3. Nurture of the Young: The gentle charge to “pasture your young goats” parallels Jesus’ command, “Feed My lambs” (John 21:15). The covenant community bears responsibility to protect and nourish its youngest members in spiritual as well as physical terms.
Christological and Ecclesiological Reflections
• Seeking and Finding: The beloved’s search for her shepherd-king resonates with the believer’s pursuit of Christ, culminating in fellowship found near His appointed overseers (Ephesians 4:11).
• Corporate Care: “Tents of the shepherds” anticipates the New Testament picture of local assemblies where elders shepherd God’s flock (1 Peter 5:2).
• Intimacy alongside Duty: Love for Christ is expressed not only in personal devotion but in tending to those He entrusts to us—mirrored in the Shulamite’s call to pasture her kids.
Practical Ministry Application
• Discipleship Pathways: Clear, biblical “tracks” provide safe guidance for new believers, analogous to leading young goats along worn shepherd’s paths.
• Prioritizing the Vulnerable: Ministries should place special emphasis on children, new converts, and the weak—those spiritually comparable to tender kids—and keep them within reach of mature oversight.
• Balanced Love and Labor: The Song links romance with responsibility, encouraging believers to harmonize heartfelt worship with faithful service.
Key Insights for Study and Preaching
1. Even a hapax legomenon (single-use term) can unlock rich theological vistas when read contextually.
2. גְּדִיָּה calls attention to joyful youth and the duty of protective nurture in covenant relationships.
3. Song of Songs 1:8 models how divine love issues practical directives; security and intimacy flourish together when one dwells near the Shepherd and His appointed tents.
Forms and Transliterations
גְּדִיֹּתַ֔יִךְ גדיתיך gə·ḏî·yō·ṯa·yiḵ gediyoTayich gəḏîyōṯayiḵ
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