Isaiah 40:31 (New King James Version)
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
of our readers. Printed with permission.
In a Victorian or pre-V British novel, I discovered the phrase ‘wait upon’ used to mean ‘doing a person the honor of coming to call at their home, ‘waiting upon’ them to appear or summon the caller into their presence, where they would delight to bestow the riches of their home, provisions and possessions in order to refresh, restore their guest from your journey: food, drink, music, poetry, art, conversation, lodging, even supplying refuge and sanctuary if circumstances required.’ The speaker was chiding the other person that they had not come to wait upon him and he was sad not to spend time with him and bestow the bounties of his hospitality upon his friend. That changed the meaning of Isaiah 40:31 for me forever.
