We employ an exact Bethe ansatz solution to study the repulsive Bose–Hubbard dimer model. Using a continuum approximation we solve for the ground state root density and in turn compute the ground state energy per particle. The formula so obtained is accurate for a finite-sized system in the weak coupling limit. Surprisingly, the formula diverges from the numerically calculated value as the number of particles increases. This indicates that the formula fails to predict the ground state energy per particle in the thermodynamic limit.