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.
Parallel translations
- WEB Many waters can’t quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned.
- 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.
- BSB Mighty waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, his offer would be utterly scorned.
- 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. The Shulamite’s Brothers
- NASB “Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers flood over it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
No flood can quench true love, and no wealth can buy it. Genuine love is priceless and unconquerable.
Overview
Continuing the climax of verse 6, this verse declares that love cannot be extinguished by any force or purchased at any price; to try to buy it deserves only scorn. True love is a gift, freely given and freely received. This points ultimately to the love of God, which 'many waters cannot quench,' shown most fully in Christ, who gave himself rather than any price to win his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Prov 6:35He won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
- Prov 6:31but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.
- Isa 43:2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you.
- Rom 13:8–10Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
- Matt 7:24–25“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.
- Rom 8:28–39We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The poetry of covenant love between bride and bridegroom pictures, at its highest, the love of Christ for his church — the Bridegroom who gave himself for his bride.
How Song of Songs 8:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.