Kidung Agung 8:7

8:7 Surging waters cannot quench love;

floodwaters ¹  cannot overflow it.

If someone were to offer all his possessions ²  to buy love, ³ 

the offer ⁴  would be utterly despised. ⁵ 

Hosea 12:13

12:13 The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt by a prophet,

and due to a prophet ⁶  Israel ⁷  was preserved alive. ⁸ 

[8:7]  ¹ tn Heb “rivers.”

[8:7]  ² tn Heb “all the wealth of his house.”

[8:7]  ³ tn Heb “for love.” The preposition בְּ (bÿ) on בָּאַהֲבָה (ba’ahavah, “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, bÿkhesef]” (1 Kgs 21:6).

[8:7]  ⁴ 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”).

[8:7]  ⁵ 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.

[12:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “by a prophet” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[12:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “was protected”; NASB “was kept.” The verb שָׁמַר (shamar, “to watch, guard, keep, protect”) is repeated in 12:13-14 HT (12:12-13 ET). This repetition creates parallels between Jacob’s sojourn in Aram and Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness. Jacob “tended = kept” (שָׁמַר) sheep in Aram, and Israel was “preserved = kept” (נִשְׁמָר, nishmar) by Moses in the wilderness.