King James Version

Song of Solomon 8:7

In Song of Solomon 8 of Song of Solomon.

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.

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Hebrew

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מַ֣יִםmayimwaterמַיִםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).רַבִּ֗יםrabimaboundרַבadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “abound”, the ordinary formH7227abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)(in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude),…לֹ֤אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יֽוּכְלוּ֙yukhelvbe ableיָכֹלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “be able”, an unfinished actionH3201to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might)be able, any at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure, might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer.לְכַבּ֣וֹתlekhabotto quenchכָּבָהpreposition, verb, piel, infinitive construct — “to quench”, the to-form of the verbH3518to expire or (causatively) to extinguish (fire, light, anger)go (put) out, quench.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הָֽאַהֲבָ֔הhaahavahthe loveאַהֲבָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the love”, the ordinary formH160{affection (in a good or a bad sense)}love.וּנְהָר֖וֹתuneharotand floodנָהָרconjunction, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “and flood”, the ordinary formH5104a stream (including the sea; expectation the Nile, Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperityflood, river.לֹ֣אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יִשְׁטְפ֑וּהָyishtefuhadrownשָׁטַףverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “drown”, an unfinished actionH7857to gush; by implication, to inundate, cleanse; by analogy, to gallop, conquerdrown, (over-) flow(-whelm, rinse, run, rush, (throughly) wash (away).אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…יִתֵּ֨ןyitengiveנָתַןverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “give”, an unfinished actionH5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] wi…אִ֜ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).כָּלkalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).ה֤וֹןhonenoughהוֹןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “enough”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1952wealth; by implication, enoughenough, [phrase] for nought, riches, substance, wealth.בֵּיתוֹ֙beytvofamilyבַּיִתnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “family”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web,…בָּאַהֲבָ֔הbaahavahin loveאַהֲבָהpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in love”, the ordinary formH160{affection (in a good or a bad sense)}love.בּ֖וֹזbozcontemnבּוּזverb, qal, infinitive absolute — “contemn”, the verb used for emphasisH936to disrespectcontemn, despise, [idiom] utterly.יָב֥וּזוּyavuzvcontemnבּוּזverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “contemn”, an unfinished actionH936to disrespectcontemn, despise, [idiom] utterly.לֽוֹlvotoלֽוֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”to

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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

Young’s Literal Translation

Many waters are not able to quench the love, And floods do not wash it away. If one give all the wealth of his house for love, Treading down — they tread upon it.

World English Bible

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. Brothers

Darby Translation

Many waters cannot quench love, Neither do the floods drown it: Even if a man gave all the substance of his house for love, It would utterly be contemned.

Douay-Rheims

Many waters cannot quench charity, neither can the floods drown it: if a man should give all the substance of his house for love, he shall despise it as nothing.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Much water will not be able to quench love, and rivers shall not drown it; if a man would give all his substance for love, men would utterly despise it.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὕδωρ πολὺ οὐ δυνήσεται σβέσαι τὴν ἀγάπην, καὶ ποταμοὶ οὐ συνκλύσουσιν αὐτήν· ἐὰν δῷ ἀνὴρ πάντα τὸν βίον αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ, ἐξουδενώσει ἐξουδενώσουσιν αὐτόν.