προσδοκ-άω G4328
To wait for, look for (with patient anticipation); to expect, anticipate (mental supposition)
The verb prosdokao describes the human posture of expectation in the New Testament, whether hopeful, anxious, or calculating. In its primary sense it conveys patient, embodied waiting: Zechariah's crowd 'was waiting for him' outside the temple (Luke 1:21), the people 'were expecting' whether John might be the Christ (Luke 3:15), and John the Baptist sends disciples to ask 'are you the one we are waiting for?' (Matt 11:3, Luke 7:19-20). A secondary cluster shifts the emphasis from bodily waiting to mental anticipation or supposition: the master 'will come on a day when the servant does not expect' (Matt 24:50, Luke 12:46), and the Maltese 'were expecting' Paul to swell up or drop dead (Acts 28:6).
Senses
1. wait for, look for — To wait for, look for, or watch for someone or something with patient, often embodied anticipation. The waiting is typically hopeful or anxious, involving physical presence and orientation toward the awaited person or event. Zechariah's congregation was 'waiting for him' and marveling at his delay (Luke 1:21); the crowds 'were waiting expectantly' about the Messiah (Luke 3:15); John the Baptist sends to ask 'are you the one we are waiting for, or should we expect another?' (Matt 11:3, Luke 7:19-20). Spanish 'esperando/esperamos' and German 'erwarten' both carry the sense of active, patient watching. Eleven occurrences make this the dominant usage. 11×
AR["مُنتَظِرينَ", "مُنْتَظِرًا", "مُنْتَظِرِينَ", "نَنتَظِرُ", "يَنتَظِرونَ", "يَنْتَظِرُ"]·ben["অপেক্ষা-করছিল", "অপেক্ষা-করছে", "অপেক্ষা-করব", "অপেক্ষা-করা-অবস্থায়", "অপেক্ষা-করিতেছে", "আমরা-প্রতীক্ষা-করি", "প্রতীক্ষা-করছিল", "প্রতীক্ষা-করতে", "প্রতীক্ষা-করে"]·DE["erwarten", "erwartet"]·EN["expecting", "should-we-expect", "waiting-for", "watching", "we-await"]·FR["attendre"]·heb["בְּהַמְתִין", "מְחַכִּים", "מְחַכֶּה", "מְצַפִּים", "מְצַפֶּה", "נְחַכֶּה", "נְצַפֶּה"]·HI["प्रतिकश-करेइन", "प्रतीक्षा-करता", "प्रतीक्षा-करते", "प्रतीक्षा-करते-हुए", "प्रतीक्षा-करें", "प्रतीक्षाकरतेहुए", "हम-प्रतीक्षा-करते-हैं"]·ID["Ketika-sedang-menanti", "haruskah-kami-nantikan", "kami-menantikan", "kita-nantikan,", "menantikan", "menantikan,", "menunggu"]·IT["aspettare", "prosdokōmen", "prosdokōntas", "prosdokōntes"]·jav["Sami-nengga", "kita-ngarep-arep,", "kula-sedaya-badhé-ngentosi?", "nengga", "ngantos", "ngarep-arep", "ngarep-arep,", "ngentosi"]·KO["기다리고-있었다", "기다리노라,", "기다리는", "기다리리까", "기다리며", "기다리며,", "기다릴까요"]·PT["Esperando", "devemos-esperar", "esperamos", "esperando", "esperaremos"]·RU["Ожидающего", "ожидаем", "ожидать", "ожидать-нам", "ожидающие", "ожидающий", "ожидающих"]·ES["Esperando", "esperamos", "esperando", "esperándolo"]·SW["Walipokuwa-wakingoja", "akiwangojea", "mkingoja", "mkingojea", "mkisubiri", "tumngoje", "tumngojee?", "tunasubiri", "wakimngoja", "wakimngojea"]·TR["Beklerken", "bekleriz", "bekleyelim", "bekleyelim?", "bekleyen", "bekleyenler", "bekleyerek"]·urd["انتظار-کر-رہے-تھے", "انتظار-کرتا-ہوا", "انتظار-کرتے", "انتظار-کرتے-ہوئے", "انتظار-کرتے-ہوئے،", "انتظار-کرتے-ہیں،", "انتظار-کریں"]
2. expect, anticipate — To expect or anticipate something mentally, focusing on the cognitive state of supposition rather than the physical posture of waiting. The emphasis falls on what the mind projects rather than what the body does. In Matt 24:50 and Luke 12:46, the master arrives on a day 'when the servant does not expect him' -- the point is the failure of mental calculation, not the absence of physical watching. At Acts 3:5, the lame man 'was expecting to receive something' from Peter and John, and at Acts 28:6 the islanders 'were expecting' Paul to swell up from the snakebite. German 'erwartet' and Spanish 'esperaban' serve both senses, but the collocational shift from persons-awaited to outcomes-projected marks the boundary. 5×
AR["تَوَقَّعوا", "مُتَوَقِّعًا", "مُنتَظِرينَ", "يَنتَظِرُهُ", "يَنْتَظِرُهُ"]·ben["অপেক্ষা-করিতেছিল", "আশা-করে", "প্রত্যাশা-করিতেছিল", "প্রত্যাশা-করে", "সে-প্রত্যাশা-করে"]·DE["erwartet"]·EN["expecting", "he-expects", "were-expecting"]·FR["attendre"]·heb["מְצַפִּים", "מְצַפֶּה", "צִפּוּ"]·HI["अपेक्षा-करता-है", "उम्मीद-कर-रहे-थे", "उम्मीद-करते-हुए", "कुछ", "सोचता-है"]·ID["dia-harapkan", "ia-duga", "mengharapkan"]·IT["aspettare"]·jav["dipunarep-arep", "ngajeng-ajeng", "ngarep-arep", "piyambakipun-ngarep-arep"]·KO["기대하고", "기대하는", "기대하며", "기대하였다"]·PT["esperando", "esperavam"]·RU["ожидает", "ожидающих", "ожидая", "они-ожидали"]·ES["espera", "esperaban", "esperando"]·SW["akitarajia", "katika", "mtarajii", "wakitarajia", "walitarajia"]·TR["bekleyerek", "bekliyor", "bekliyorlardı", "ve"]·urd["امید-رکھتے-ہوئے", "انتظار", "انتظار-کرتے-تھے", "انتظار-کرنے", "توقع-رکھتا"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
προσδοκ-άω, Ionic dialect προσδοκ-έω (which is sometimes found as falsa lectio, e.g. in Refs 2nd c.BC+future -ήσω: aorist -εδόκησα: perfect προσδεδόκηκα Refs 1st c.AD+:—expect, whether in hope or fear; mostly with infinitive future, expect that one will do or that a thing will be, Refs 5th c.BC+infinitive aorist and ἄν, that one would do or that a thing would be, Refs 5th c.BC+ expect his…