Words for Hope in the Old Testament

There are several Hebrew words that, depending upon the context, may be translated “hope.”

The verb קָוָה (qawah) means “to wait or to look for with eager expectation” (Hartley, קָוָה, qawah), as upon Yahweh (Holladay, “קוה, qwh”). The essential notion is that the God of Israel is reliable and worthy of His people’s trust. Trusting and hoping in Yahweh, however, is an expression of great faith. Such action on Israel’s part means “enduring patiently in confident hope that God will act decisively for the salvation of his people” (Hartley, “קָוָה, qawah”; Gen 49:18; Isa 49:23; Psa 37:9).

The noun form תִּקְוָה (tiqwah) appears in Ruth 1:12, Job 4:6, and Jer 29:11, where it expresses the idea of “expectation” or “hope” (Holladay, “קוה, qwh”). In the Psalms, the hope of the afflicted will never perish (Psa 9:18). Jeremiah also uses a different noun constructed from תִּקְוָה (tiqwah), מִקְוֶה (miqweh), to instill in the people that Yahweh is the “hope of Israel” (Jer 14:8; 17:13; 50:7). This is the same understanding expressed by Jeremiah in addressing Yahweh: “Our hope is in you” (Jer 14:22).

The verb יָחַל (yachal) refers to “waiting,” and has the effect of making or causing someone to hope (Holladay, “קוה, qwh”). The verb forms convey the idea of “confident expectation, trust” (Gilchrist, “יָחַל, yachal”). This kind of hope is “the solid ground of expectation for the righteous. As such it is directed towards God” (Gilchrist, “יָחַל, yachal”). Those who “wait for Yahweh” are to take courage (Psa 31:24). Yahweh provides those who have “hope” in Him with “loving-kindness” (Pss 33:18, 22; 130:7), answers in crushing times (Psa 38:15), gives His presence to overcome despair (Pss 42:5, 11; 43:5), and offers forgiveness (Pss 130:5, 7).

Finally, the verb שֵׂבֶר (sever) refers in the piel stem to either “waiting” or “hoping” (Esth 9:1; Pss 104:27; 119:166).