A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"
Study #41 - A Review of Hope
We have completed our word study on the Hebrew Old Testament words for "hope". We thought it would be a good idea to stop and summarize our findings before proceeding to the New Testament. Over the last 40 posts we have looked at 12 Hebrew Synonyms for "hope" and have listed or discussed most of the 75 references to "hope" in the Old Testament. We have found that there are at least five distinct root meanings or ideas that make up the Old Testament concept of a Biblical hope. We may list our findings as follows:
Study # Hebrew Words Root Meaning Distinctive Idea
1-19 tiqwa, miqweh "to bind together" A confident hope
20-28 yahal, tohelet "to wait" An expectant hope
29-31 sabar, seber "to watch" A watchful hope
32-33 kesel, kisla "to be fat" A full hope
34-36 batah, betah "to find refuge" A secure hope
37-40 hasa, mahseh "to flee to safety" A sheltering hope
If we were to try to include most of the aspects of "hope" as expressed in these Hebrew words and in the Scriptures where they are used we could arrive at a working definition of a Biblical Hope: A full and confident expectation of both present safety and future blessing based upon a firm belief in God and His Word that is expressed by patient waiting and trust. What a far cry from the wishful thinking that most people call "hope" today! We have enjoyed these Old Testament studies and are looking forward to our study of "hope" in the New Testament Scriptures. Will you join me in this journey of hope?
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