1. Song of Solomon 8:7 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

Why would a man be despised if he offered all his wealth for love?

Song of Solomon 8:7 (ESV)

7 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.

The love described in these verses is so precious to those who experience it that it is regarded as beyond price. No amount of wealth would be exchanged for it if the offer were ever made, and the person offering it would in fact be regarded with contempt by the lovers, he would be utterly despised.1

This last line prepares the reader for a stark contrast that is going to be drawn in the next poem in Song of Solomon 8:8–12.