Song Of Solomon 8 7

Song Of Solomon 8:7 kjv

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

Song Of Solomon 8:7 nkjv

Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love All the wealth of his house, It would be utterly despised.

Song Of Solomon 8:7 niv

Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one's house for love, it would be utterly scorned.

Song Of Solomon 8:7 esv

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.

Song Of Solomon 8:7 nlt

Many waters cannot quench love,
nor can rivers drown it.
If a man tried to buy love
with all his wealth,
his offer would be utterly scorned.

Song Of Solomon 8 verses

Song Of Solomon 8 7 Meaning

This verse emphatically declares the immense value of love, portraying it as something so precious that it surpasses all worldly possessions and earthly wealth. It highlights that even the most valuable treasures cannot compensate for the loss of love.

Song Of Solomon 8 7 Context

Song of Solomon chapter 8 continues the intense expression of love between the Shulamite woman and her beloved. This particular verse comes towards the end of the book, in a section where the woman speaks about the unparalleled power and enduring nature of their love. It follows her plea for her beloved to be as constant and firm as a seal on his heart, emphasizing their deep and committed bond. The entire book uses sensual and poetic language to describe the beauty and strength of marital love, often interpreted allegorically as the love between God and His people, or Christ and the Church.

Song Of Solomon 8 7 Word Analysis

• many (Hebrew: רַב, rav):

  • Meaning: numerous, great, abundant, much, many.
  • Significance: Emphasizes a large quantity or degree, setting up a contrast with the incomparable value of love.

• waters (Hebrew: מַיִם, mayim):

  • Meaning: water, waters.
  • Significance: In ancient Near Eastern imagery and biblical symbolism, "waters" can represent floods, torrents, or vast seas. They are often associated with overwhelming power, chaos, or immense resources.
  • Contextual nuance: Here, the phrase "many waters" signifies an immense quantity, like a vast ocean or flood, which would typically be considered priceless or powerful, yet love is valued above it all.

• cannot (Hebrew: יִשָּׂרֵף, yisaref):

  • Meaning: quench, extinguish, put out, drown.
  • Significance: The root idea is to quench or extinguish. When applied to "waters," it implies the inability of these vast waters to extinguish or drown love.
  • Biblical usage: Found in passages related to fires that cannot be quenched (Jer. 17:27) or the overwhelming nature of grief or suffering.
  • Interpretation: This Hebrew word highlights that no amount of immense physical resources or even destructive forces (like floods) can overcome or destroy true love.

• quench (Hebrew: יִשָּׂרֵף, yisaref):

  • Meaning: same as cannot here, signifying the impossibility of being extinguished by.
  • Significance: Reinforces the idea that love is a powerful, unyielding force, impervious to being put out.

• love (Hebrew: אַהֲבָה, ahavah):

  • Meaning: love, affection, friendship, desire.
  • Significance: This is the core concept, representing deep, enduring, and committed affection and devotion. It’s a fundamental term for love in the Old Testament, often encompassing devotion, mercy, and covenant faithfulness.
  • Contextual usage: The book of Song of Solomon primarily uses ahavah to describe passionate, personal love, specifically romantic love, but the concept resonates with the higher theological meanings of divine love.

• indeed (Hebrew: כִּי, ki):

  • Meaning: for, indeed, surely, but.
  • Significance: Used here as an emphatic particle, confirming and strengthening the statement that follows. It asserts the absolute truth of the value of love.

• drown (Hebrew: יִטְבָּ, yitba - implied in the force of the water against love):

  • Note: While "yisaref" directly translates to "quench" or "extinguish," in the context of overwhelming waters, the concept of being "drowned" is inherent in their destructive power that love resists.
  • Significance: The waters would typically overwhelm and destroy. The inability of these waters to do so underscores love's superior strength and permanence.

Song Of Solomon 8 7 Bonus Section

The imagery of "many waters" being unable to extinguish love is a hyperbole emphasizing love's supreme value and power. In ancient Near Eastern thought, floods could represent chaos, the power of the underworld, or divine judgment, all of which are forces that earthly wealth could not withstand or overcome. By saying love cannot be quenched by these waters, the verse places love above even these fearsome powers. It resonates with the prophetic and poetic understanding of God's steadfast love as an unquenchable force that sustains His people. This sentiment is mirrored in the New Testament, particularly in Paul's assertion that "neither death nor life... nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God" (Rom. 8:38-39).

Song Of Solomon 8 7 Commentary

This verse powerfully asserts the incomparable value of love. It suggests that even the most abundant, potent, and overwhelming resources of the physical world, symbolized by "many waters" (vast oceans, great floods), are utterly incapable of extinguishing or drowning true love. It's a declaration of love's supreme worth, surpassing any material or worldly possession, and its resilient nature. In its poetic intensity, it speaks to a love so potent that it defies the destructive forces of nature. This has implications beyond the romantic, reflecting the profound, life-sustaining power of divine love that can endure any trial.