8:7a
Mighty waters cannot quench love: The clause Mighty waters cannot quench love is a metaphor. It continues the metaphor in 8:6e–f, which states that love is like fire. The fire of love cannot be quenched even by many waters. Mighty waters represent troubles or difficulties. Just as a huge fire is not overcome even by much water, true lovers do not stop loving each other even if they have many difficulties and troubles.
Some ways to translate this metaphor are:
• Keep the metaphor (of water not putting out the fire of love). For example:
Water cannot put it out (Good News Translation)
-or-
Raging water cannot extinguish love… (God’s Word)
• Use similes. For example:
Love is like a big fire. Even if troubles come like many waters, they cannot extinguish the fire of love.
• Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:
When a man and woman truly love each other, even many troubles cannot overcome their love.
Mighty waters: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Mighty waters refers to much water. Since 8:7b refers to “rivers” the waters here in 8:7a probably also imply waters that are strong and forceful. Some other ways to translate the phrase are:
Even much water (New Century Version)
-or-
Surging waters (NET Bible)
quench: The word quench in this context refers to the way water extinguishes (puts out) a fire. Here is another way to translate this:
Love cannot be drowned by oceans or floods. (Contemporary English Version)
8:7b
rivers cannot sweep it away: The expression rivers cannot sweep it away is parallel to the metaphor in 8:7a and has a similar meaning. Literally, it means that even floodwater cannot overcome love.
In a flood, water rushes in and overcomes people. The author used flood as a figure of speech to refer to the difficulties and dangers that people face when they love each other. The phrase rivers cannot sweep it away indicates that even a flood (or other disaster or difficulty) cannot cause people to stop loving each other. In this context the author referred especially to romantic love.
Some ways to translate the metaphor are:
• Translate the metaphor in a literal way, if it communicates the right meaning in your language. For example:
floods cannot drown love.
-or-
no flood can stop ⌊people from⌋ loving ⌊each other⌋.
• Use a simile. For example:
Even if ⌊troubles come⌋ like a flood, they cannot wash love away.
• Translate the meaning without a figure of speech. For example:
No troubles can cause ⌊a man and a woman to stop loving each other.⌋
-or-
When people love each other, no troubles can destroy that love.
8:7c–d
If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, his offer would be utterly scorned: The statement in 8:7c–d implies that true love is precious. That is why no one can buy it with money or other wealth. There is nothing that a person can offer to get true love in return, because it is worth more than any riches.
Some other ways to translate this statement are:
If a man offered everything in his house for love, people would totally reject it. (New Century Version)
-or-
If someone offered to give everything he owned to buy love, everyone would only laugh at him.
The clause that begins with “If” in the preceding two examples mentions an action that probably would never really happen. It is a condition that is not real. In some languages there is a special way to indicate that an action is unlikely to happen. For example:
Even if someone wanted to buy love with all his wealth, surely he would receive only scorn.
-or-
If someone were to offer all his riches to buy love, people would just ridicule him.
Translate this meaning in a natural and emphatic way in your language.
a man: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a man can be interpreted in two ways.
(1) It means “an adult male.” For example:
Were a man to offer all his family wealth to buy love (New Jerusalem Bible)
(2) It means “a person” (of either gender). For example:
If someone were to offer all his possessions to buy love (NET Bible)
It is recommended that you follow option (1). In this context the woman was thinking about the man. However, either option is a valid translation here.
were to give…for love: The phrase for love means “tried to purchase love.” For example:
But if any tried to buy love with their wealth… (Good News Translation)
all the wealth of his house: In this context the phrase all the wealth of his house emphasizes the fact that there is nothing that a person can give to buy love. It does not refer specifically to the wealth inside his house or to the wealth of his family. The context implies that no amount of wealth could ever buy love. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:
everything he owned (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
all his wealth (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
it cannot be bought, no matter what is offered (Contemporary English Version)
his offer would be utterly scorned: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as his offer may refer either to the man himself or to the offer of his wealth.
(1) It refers to the man’s offer and his wealth. For example:
the offer would be utterly despised. (NET Bible)
(2) It refers to the man himself. For example:
he would be utterly despised. (English Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow option (1). The man’s offer is rejected because he tried to buy love with wealth, showing a wrong attitude. However, both options are acceptable. In some languages option (2) may be more natural. If that is true in your language, it is fine to follow it. Some ways to translate this part of the verse are:
the offer would be utterly despised. (NET Bible)
-or-
people would totally reject the offer.
General Comment on 8:7
In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of 8:7c and 8:7d. For example:
7d Love is so precious that no one can buy it 7c even if he offers great riches.
-or-
7d it cannot be bought, 7c no matter what is offered. (Contemporary English Version)
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