Job 6:20
Job 6:20 in Multiple Translations
They are confounded because they had hoped; their arrival brings disappointment.
They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.
They were put to shame because they had hoped; They came thither, and were confounded.
They were put to shame because of their hope; they came and their hope was gone.
but their hopes were dashed—they came and found nothing.
But they were confounded: when they hoped, they came thither and were ashamed.
They were ashamed that one hath trusted, They have come unto it and are confounded.
They were distressed because they were confident. They came there, and were confounded.
They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.
They are confounded, because I have hoped: they are come also even unto me, and are covered with shame.
But they do not find any, so they are very disappointed.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 6:20
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 6:20 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
בֹּ֥שׁוּ
כִּֽי
בָטָ֑ח
בָּ֥אוּ
עָ֝דֶ֗י/הָ
וַ/יֶּחְפָּֽרוּ
בֹּ֥שׁוּ
bûwsh
H954
be ashamed
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
כִּֽי
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
בָטָ֑ח
bâṭach
H982
to trust
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
בָּ֥אוּ
bôwʼ
H935
Lebo
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
עָ֝דֶ֗י/הָ
ʻad
H5704
till
Prep | Suff
וַ/יֶּחְפָּֽרוּ
châphêr
H2659
be ashamed
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 6:20
בֹּ֥שׁוּ
bûwsh
H954
"be ashamed"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
To be ashamed is what this Hebrew word means, implying a feeling of guilt or disappointment. It is used to describe someone who is disconcerted or delayed, like in the story of Adam and Eve. Shame is a strong emotion.
Definition: 1) to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to feel shame 1a2) to be ashamed, disconcerted, disappointed (by reason of) 1b) (Piel) to delay (in shame) 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to put to shame 1c2) to act shamefully 1c3) to be ashamed 1d) (Hithpolel) to be ashamed before one another
Usage: Occurs in 105 OT verses. KJV: (be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with, a-) shamed(-d), be (put to) confounded(-fusion), become dry, delay, be long. See also: Genesis 2:25; Isaiah 24:23; Psalms 6:11.
כִּֽי
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
בָטָ֑ח
bâṭach
H982
"to trust"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
To trust means to have confidence or faith in something or someone, like the Israelites trusting in God to lead them through the desert, as seen in Psalm 23.
Definition: 1) to trust 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to trust, trust in 1a2) to have confidence, be confident 1a3) to be bold 1a4) to be secure 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to trust, make secure 2) (TWOT) to feel safe, be careless
Usage: Occurs in 117 OT verses. KJV: be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one, woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust. See also: Deuteronomy 28:52; Psalms 118:8; Psalms 4:6.
בָּ֥אוּ
bôwʼ
H935
"Lebo"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Definition: A shortened name of Lebo Hamath complined withcha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574) This name means to go in, enter
Usage: Occurs in 2307 OT verses. KJV: abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way. See also: Genesis 2:19; Genesis 32:7; Exodus 1:19.
עָ֝דֶ֗י/הָ
ʻad
H5704
"till"
Prep | Suff
This Hebrew word means until or as far as, describing a point in time or space. It's used in the Bible to set boundaries or limits, like in Exodus when describing the Israelites' journey.
Definition: prep 1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as 1a) of space 1a1) as far as, up to, even to 1b) in combination 1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from) 1c) of time 1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end 1d) of degree 1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like conj 2) until, while, to the point that, so that even Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)
Usage: Occurs in 1128 OT verses. KJV: against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, [phrase] how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ([phrase] as) yet. See also: Genesis 3:19; Exodus 32:20; Numbers 23:24.
וַ/יֶּחְפָּֽרוּ
châphêr
H2659
"be ashamed"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp
Châphêr means to be ashamed or blush, often used to describe feeling embarrassed or guilty. In Ezra 9:6, the people are ashamed of their sins, recognizing their wrongdoing. It involves a sense of regret.
Definition: 1) to be ashamed, be confounded, be abashed, feel abashed 1a) (Qal) to be ashamed, be abashed 1b) (Hiphil) to display shame, demonstrate shame, cause embarrassment
Usage: Occurs in 17 OT verses. KJV: be ashamed, be confounded, be brought to confusion (unto shame), come (be put to) shame, bring reproach. See also: Job 6:20; Proverbs 13:5; Psalms 34:6.
Study Notes — Job 6:20
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 6:20 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 6:20
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 6:20
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 6:20
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 6:20
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 6:20
- Cambridge Bible on Job 6:20
- Barnes' Notes on Job 6:20
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 6:20
- Sermons on Job 6:20
Context — Job Replies: My Complaint Is Just
18Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish.
19The caravans of Tema look for water; the travelers of Sheba hope to find it.
20They are confounded because they had hoped; their arrival brings disappointment.
21For now you are of no help; you see terror, and you are afraid. 22Have I ever said, ‘Give me something; offer me a bribe from your wealth;Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah 14:3–4 | The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads. The ground is cracked because no rain has fallen on the land. The farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads. |
| 2 | Romans 5:5 | And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. |
| 3 | Romans 9:33 | as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” |
| 4 | Jeremiah 17:13 | O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away will be written in the dust, for they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of living water. |
Job 6:20 Summary
This verse, Job 6:20, talks about people who are very disappointed because they did not find what they were hoping for, similar to how we feel when our expectations are not met. It reminds us that our hopes and expectations should be in God, not in people or things, as seen in Psalm 62:5, which says God is our rock and salvation. When we put our hope in God, we can trust that He will take care of us, even when things do not go as planned, as promised in Jeremiah 29:11. By trusting in God's goodness and love, we can find comfort and peace, even in the midst of disappointment, as encouraged in 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be confounded in Job 6:20?
To be confounded means to be utterly disappointed or disillusioned, as seen in the context of Job 6:20, where travelers are let down by the lack of water they had hoped to find, similar to the disappointment expressed in Jeremiah 14:8 when people's hopes are not met.
Is Job 6:20 talking about a specific event or a general principle?
While the verse is set in the context of travelers searching for water, the principle of disappointment when hopes are not met is a universal one, also seen in Proverbs 13:12, which notes that delayed hope makes the heart sick.
How does this verse relate to Job's overall situation?
Job 6:20 reflects Job's feelings of disappointment and disillusionment with his friends, who he feels have not provided the help and comfort he needed, as expressed in Job 6:21-22, similar to the feelings of betrayal and disappointment in Psalm 55:12-14.
What lesson can we learn from Job 6:20 about hope and disappointment?
This verse teaches us that our hopes and expectations must be grounded in God's promises, not in human circumstances, as seen in Hebrews 11:1, which defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, and Psalm 42:5, which encourages us to hope in God despite disappointments.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I have experienced disappointment because my hopes were not met, and how can I apply the lesson of Job 6:20 to those situations?
- How do I typically respond when my expectations are not fulfilled, and what would it look like to trust God in the midst of those disappointments, as seen in Romans 5:3-5?
- In what ways can I ensure that my hope is grounded in God's promises rather than in human circumstances or my own abilities, as encouraged in 2 Corinthians 1:20?
- What role does perseverance play in maintaining hope when faced with disappointment, and how can I cultivate perseverance in my own life, as seen in James 1:2-4?
Gill's Exposition on Job 6:20
And they were confounded because they had hoped,.... When they came to the places where they hoped to find water, finding none were ashamed of their vain hope, and reflected upon themselves for being
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 6:20
They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed. They had hoped - literally, each had hoped-namely, that their companions would find water.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 6:20
They were confounded, i.e. the troops and companies. Because they had hoped; they comforted themselves with the expectation of water there to quench their thirst. Were ashamed; as having deceived themselves and others with vain and false hopes.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 6:20
Job 6:20 They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.Ver. 20. They were confounded because they had hoped, &c.] Heb. They blushed, or they were abashed, because disappointed and defeated of their hope and expectation. See Jeremiah 14:3-4 Joe 1:10-11. God’ s people have a promise, that hoping in him they shall never be ashamed, Joe 2:26 Romans 10:11. Their hope is infallible, Romans 5:5, because founded upon faith unfeigned, 1 Timothy 1:5. Hence they are commanded to rejoice in hope, Romans 12:12, and to conceive gaudium in re, gaudium in spe, gaudium de possessione, gaudium de promissione, &c., joy for what they have in hand, and in present possession; joy also for what they have in hope, and in reversion. Wicked men’ s hopes may hope headless (as the proverb is, and as these troops of Tema experimented), they come to the world’ s felicities as they do to a lottery, with heads full of hopes, but return with hearts full of blanks: not so the saints; God will be better to them than their hopes; and when at worst, they can confidently say, it is well for the present, and it will be better hereafter.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 6:20
(20) They were confounded.—Comp. Jeremiah’s description of the famine (Jeremiah 14:3). (See margin.)
Cambridge Bible on Job 6:20
14–30. Job’s sorrowful disappointment at the position taken up towards him by his three friends Job had freely expressed his misery in ch. 3, believing that the sympathies of his friends were entirely with him. He is a brother noble, Whose nature is so far from doing harms That he suspects none. Lear, i. 2. And more sorrowful to him than any cold, critical words which they have uttered is the feeling that his friends have taken up such a position against him. This was what he had not looked for. And his disappointment is like that of the thirsty caravan that finds the long-looked-for waters dried up in the heat. Every emotion seems now to find a place in Job’s mind in succession. First, his disappointment, expressed in this beautiful figure, is mixed with the feeling how unworthy his friends’ conduct was. They had not acted to him as men do to one who is, as he describes himself, “despairing” and “losing hold of the fear of the Almighty.” Kindness is due to such a one, but they had turned against him from sheer feebleness of spirit, because they saw that his calamity was from God, Job 6:14-21.
Second, this mixed sadness and contempt passes into sarcasm when he tells them that he could have understood their fear if he had asked anything from them—even one’s friends must not be put under that strain—but he sought only sympathy, Job 6:22-23. Third, this sarcasm then gives place to a direct appeal of great severity, in which he demands that they should shew him the sins at which they had indirectly hinted, and wonders at their superficial captiousness in fastening on the mere excited words of a man in despair; adding in terms of bitter invective that their disposition was so hard that they would cast lots for the orphan and make market of their own friend, Job 6:24-27. Finally, he challenges them to seek the explanation of his afflictions on other principles than the supposition of his guiltiness, asking them whether, in asserting his innocence, he would lie in their faces, and if he was not able to say whether his calamities were deserved or not? Job 6:28-30.
Barnes' Notes on Job 6:20
They were confounded because they had hoped - The caravans of Tema and Sheba. The word “confounded” here means ashamed. It represents the state of feeling which one has who has met with disappointment.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 6:20
20. They were confounded, etc. — Rather, They were ashamed because they trusted; they came thither and reddened with shame. Job now closes a most striking description of the failure of human friendship.
Sermons on Job 6:20
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Gods Love by Corrie Ten Boom | In this sermon, the speaker shares his experience of being introduced in Alaska and compares it to the power of the Holy Spirit. He emphasizes the importance of not standing in the |
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1 Cor 13 (Version 2) by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, the preacher shares a story about an old couple who were brutally attacked by a man they had shown love to. The preacher emphasizes the importance of love and how i |
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Interview 1974 by Corrie Ten Boom | This sermon shares the powerful testimony of a woman who endured imprisonment and suffering during World War II, highlighting how God's grace sustained her through the darkest time |
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The Greatest of These Is Love by Corrie Ten Boom | In this sermon, the speaker shares his experiences during a difficult time in Holland when the Germans were targeting Jewish people. He talks about how he and others worked to save |
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Testimony - Part 1 by Corrie Ten Boom | In this video, a woman shares her personal experience of being imprisoned by the Nazis for hiding Jewish people in Holland. She spent 11 months in prison, including time in solitar |
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The Holy Spirit Gives Power by Corrie Ten Boom | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of relying on the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He shares a story of a little boy who overcame his fear by holding hi |
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(Last Days) Being Ready for Christs Coming by Zac Poonen | This sermon emphasizes the importance of being spiritually prepared for the second coming of Christ. It highlights the need to have a hidden life filled with the Holy Spirit, love, |