The caravans of Tema looked. The companies of Sheba waited for them.
Parallel translations
- KJV The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.
- BSB The caravans of Tema look for water; the travelers of Sheba hope to find it.
- NKJV The caravans of Tema look, The travelers of Sheba hope for them.
- NASB “The caravans of Tema looked, The travelers of Sheba hoped for them.
- NLT The caravans from Tema search for this water; the travelers from Sheba hope to find it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The caravans of Tema looked and the companies of Sheba hoped for water. It pictures thirsty travelers from distant lands counting on the stream.
Overview
Job names trading caravans from Tema and Sheba scanning the horizon, expecting to find water. Their hopeful searching heightens the coming disappointment. The verse captures the universal human reach for help and refreshment, a longing that only God fully satisfies, for Christ invites all who thirst to come to him and drink the water that truly quenches.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Isa 21:14They brought water to him who was thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Tema met the fugitives with their bread.
- Gen 25:15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
- Jer 25:23Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all who have the corners of their beard cut off;
- 1 Kgs 10:1When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning Yahweh’s name, she came to test him with hard questions.
- Gen 25:3Jokshan became the father of Sheba, and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.
- Ps 72:10The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
- Gen 10:7The sons of Cush were: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were: Sheba and Dedan.
- Ezek 27:22–23The traffickers of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traffickers; they traded for your wares with the chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 6:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.