Job 6:20

Disappointed, because they had hoped,

   They reach them, finding shame.

It seems our whole family has now had the flu or whatever is running around messing up sinuses these days. The worst part for me was the lack of sleep and the lack of rest. (At least at the time I wrote this.) The debilitating coughing was not great either. It has been a while since I was caught out like this, but I am older now and it was tough.

This verse is still going on about wadis and we have at least one more to go. This verse is somewhat obviously pointing out the negative plight of those who put their trust in anything beyond God.

Six sources had “they are” in front of “disappointed, but I found their absence more poetic. “Distressed” and “confounded” were used by two sources, but “confounded” had a sense of ignorance that seemed inapplicable, and “distressed” seemed too physical a reaction. “Hoped” was only used twice, but was chosen over “confident”, “trust”, and “counted on” that each lacked an emotional content that hope carries.

The Jewish sources all had “reached them” that made more sense than the Christian sources that had “came there”. “Finding shame” was chosen over “are confounded”, “disappointed”, “confused”, “stand aghast”, “find frustration”, and “were abashed”. “Shame” seemed more appropriate for groups who consistently traveled the region.

When I first started coughing this week, I assumed it would be nothing because I am taking so many antihistamines. I was wrong. By the time I started to add more antihistamines to my regimen, I was so out of whack it was a whole day before I could see recovery coming. I cannot imagine how frightening this would have been for people with COVID and without my sinus history.  I was filled with shame at haven fallen into hoping my medicine would keep me well no matter what. Its not nearly the same thing as coming to a wadi with thirst and finding no water, but humbling none the less.