Song of Solomon 8:7 New English Translation
7 Surging waters cannot quench love;
floodwaters[a] cannot overflow it.
If someone were to offer all his possessions[b] to buy love,[c]
the offer[d] would be utterly despised.[e]
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 8:7 tn Heb “rivers.”
- Song of Solomon 8:7 tn Heb “all the wealth of his house.”
- Song of Solomon 8:7 tn Heb “for love.” The preposition ב (bet) on בָּאַהֲבָה (baʾahavah, “for love”) indicates the price or exchange in trading (HALOT 105 s.v. בְּ 17), e.g., “Give me your vineyard in exchange for silver [בְּכֶסֶף, bekhesef]” (1 Kgs 21:6).
- Song of Solomon 8:7 tn Heb “he/it.” The referent (the offer of possessions) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Some English versions take the referent to be the man himself (ASV “He would utterly be condemned”; NAB “he would be roundly mocked”). Others take the offer as the referent (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “it”).
- Song of Solomon 8:7 tn The root בּוּז (buz, “to despise”) is repeated for emphasis: בּוֹז יָבוּזּוּ (boz yavuzu). The infinitive absolute frequently is used with the imperfect of the same root for emphasis. The point is simply that love cannot be purchased; it is infinitely more valuable than any and all wealth. Love such as this is priceless; no price tag can be put on love.
New English Translation (NET)
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