Job 6 19

Job 6:19 kjv

The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.

Job 6:19 nkjv

The caravans of Tema look, The travelers of Sheba hope for them.

Job 6:19 niv

The caravans of Tema look for water, the traveling merchants of Sheba look in hope.

Job 6:19 esv

The caravans of Tema look, the travelers of Sheba hope.

Job 6:19 nlt

The caravans from Tema search for this water;
the travelers from Sheba hope to find it.

Job 6 verses

Job 6 19 Meaning

Job 6:19 paints a vivid picture of desperate travelers, accustomed to the perils of the desert, gazing with intense hope and expectation towards what they believe will be life-sustaining water. These caravans from Tema and Sheba represent the epitome of anticipation and vital need, highlighting the critical reliance on reliable resources during treacherous journeys. The verse serves as a metaphor for Job's own deep yearning for relief or understanding from his friends, who he had hoped would be sources of comfort but proved to be as deceptive as the mirage-like wadis.

Job 6 19 Context

Job chapter 6 captures Job's raw anguish and his response to Eliphaz's insensitive counsel. Having been wrongly accused and deeply misunderstood by his friends, Job shifts his focus from despair over his physical suffering to lamenting their failure as comforters. He likens his friends' promised sympathy to deceitful, temporary streams or "wadis" (dry riverbeds that sporadically fill with rain) that ultimately dry up, disappointing desperate travelers. Verse 19 specifically details the arduous journeys of caravans from renowned trade centers like Tema and Sheba, depicting their desperate search for water in the desert. Their looking and waiting with expectancy serve as a poignant metaphor for Job's own disappointment, emphasizing how deeply his friends have failed to provide the support he craved, proving to be unreliable at his greatest hour of need.

Job 6 19 Word analysis

• The caravans (אורחות / ʾorḥoṯ): Plural noun from the root אורח (ʾoraḥ), meaning 'way' or 'path'. Here, it specifically denotes a company of travelers, typically merchants, journeying together along a path, implying purpose and dependence on a route.
• of Tema (תמא / Tēmāʾ): An ancient, historically significant oasis and trade city in northwest Arabia, associated with a descendant of Ishmael (Gen 25:15). Tema was strategically located on crucial incense trade routes. Its inclusion emphasizes the reality and hardship of desert travel and the economic drivers behind such perilous journeys.
• look (יביטו / yabbīṭū): Hebrew verb from נבט (nabaṭ), meaning 'to gaze,' 'to look intently,' 'to observe,' often with a sense of hopeful expectation or anticipation. It is not a casual glance but a searching look, indicative of great need and focus.
• the companies (הליכות / halîkōṯ): Plural noun from the root הלך (halak), 'to go' or 'to walk'. Similar to ʾorḥoṯ, it refers to groups or contingents of travelers on a journey. Reinforces the collective effort and shared hope of the merchants.
• of Sheba (שבא / Šeḇāʾ): A wealthy ancient kingdom, likely located in modern-day Yemen, renowned for its exotic goods (gold, spices, precious stones) and extensive trade routes (1 Ki 10:1-2). Its caravans would have traversed vast, arid landscapes. Its mention further underlines the desperation inherent in seeking water.
• wait expectantly (יחלו / yiḥăllū): Hebrew verb from יחל (yaḥal), meaning 'to wait', 'to hope', 'to tarry', often with an intense and desperate longing. This word strongly conveys a profound state of anticipation and a deferral of immediate action, fixed solely on the hoped-for outcome—finding water.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "The caravans of Tema look, the companies of Sheba wait expectantly": This phrase vividly portrays the unified, collective hope of the traveling merchants. Their common journey and shared experience of thirst lead to a mutual, intense yearning. The parallelism emphasizes the collective anticipation and dependence on the expected water source. It also paints a picture of extreme vulnerability and the harsh realities faced by these powerful mercantile groups, despite their wealth. They are reduced to utter dependence on basic provisions.

Job 6 19 Bonus section

The desert imagery used by Job (and prevalent throughout the Old Testament) serves not merely as a scenic backdrop but as a profound theological and existential landscape. In a desert context, water is not just a commodity; it represents life, blessing, and God's sustaining presence. Conversely, its absence symbolizes judgment, death, and abandonment. Job's use of the drying wadi and the disappointed caravans extends this symbolic power to human relationships and trust. The very means of survival and trade in their known world (water on trade routes) become a source of ultimate failure, demonstrating how Job's expectation of human kindness and spiritual insight from his friends has withered away, just as swiftly and deceitfully as the seasonal rivers in the parched earth. This metaphor also subtly highlights a deep spiritual lesson: true, unfailing sustenance and hope cannot be found in transient human or worldly sources but ultimately only in God, though Job is yet to fully grasp this through his trials.

Job 6 19 Commentary

Job 6:19 is a deeply poignant expression of dashed hope, central to Job's bitter lament. Using the relatable imagery of desert trade and survival, Job analogizes his friends to ephemeral wadis, which promise life-giving water only to betray the hopes of desperate travelers. The mention of Tema and Sheba is crucial; these were established mercantile powers, their caravans comprising seasoned desert traversers who understood the brutal stakes of relying on unreliable water sources. Yet, even they are vulnerable to deception. Their "looking" and "waiting expectantly" underline the intensity of their need and the subsequent crushing disappointment. Just as these merchants are misled and left to perish, Job feels his friends, instead of offering true solace, have failed him precisely when he needed them most, adding a new layer of psychological suffering to his already immense physical pain. The verse highlights the tragic gap between fervent expectation and desolate reality, a universal theme of betrayal and the futility of relying on superficial comforts.