H3176 H3176
To wait, hope, expect; to place confident hope in God or await an outcome with anticipation
Across its Piel, Hiphil, and Niphal stems, this verb expresses the posture of expectant waiting -- often directed toward God. It appears most characteristically in the Psalms, where the worshipper declares, 'I hope in your word' (Ps 119:49, 81, 114). Genesis 8:12 provides the earliest narrative use: Noah 'waited yet seven more days.' The Spanish 'esperar' and French 'espérer' both capture its blend of waiting and hoping, a semantic range English must divide between two words.
Senses
1. to hope, wait expectantly — The primary meaning spanning all stems: to place one's hope or expectation in someone, especially God, or to wait with confident anticipation. In Psalms this is the dominant posture of faith (Ps 31:24; 33:22; 38:15; 130:5-7). Genesis 8:12 shows the more concrete 'wait' end of the spectrum. The Hiphil causative nuance appears in passages where God is said to cause hope. 40×
AR["أَرْجُو","أَنْتَظِرُ","انْتَظَرْتُ","تَرَجَّي","رَجَوْتُ","لِيَتَرَجَّ","وَ-يَنتَظِرونَ"]·ben["অপেক্ষা-কর","অপেক্ষা-করব","অপেক্ষা-করুক","অপেক্ষা-করেছি","আমি-অপেক্ষা-করব","আমি-আশা-করেছি","আর-অপেক্ষা-করত","আশা-করি-আমি","আশা-রাখি","প্রত্যাশা-করেছি।"]·DE["[אוחיל]","[אוחילה]","[איחל]","[ויחלו]","hoffte","ich-wird-wait","lass-hoffen"]·EN["I-have-hoped","I-have-waited","I-hope","I-wait","I-will-hope","I-will-wait","and-they-waited","and-waited","hope","let-hope"]·FR["espérer","et-espérer","j'espère","je-fera-attends","le-espérer"]·heb["אוחיל","אוחילה","אייחל","הוחילי","הוחלתי","ו-ייחלו","ייחל","ייחלתי"]·HI["आशा-रख","आशा-रखता-हूँ","आशा-रखता-हूं","आशा-रखी-मैंने","आशा-रखे","और-इंतज़ार-करते-थे-मेरा","और-चुप-रहते-थे","मैं-आशा-रखूँगा","मैं-प्रतीक्षा-करूँगा","रुकूँगा"]·ID["Berharaplah","Dan-mereka menunggu","akan-aku-tunggu","aku-akan-menanti","aku-berharap","aku-menunggu","dan-menunggu"]·IT["[אוחילה]","e-sperare","io-vorrà-aspetta","sperare","spero'"]·jav["Lan-piyambak-ipun-ngentosi","Mugi-ngarep-arep","badhé-ngenteni","kawula-gadhah-pangajeng-ajeng","kawula-ngarep-arep","kula-badhe-ngentosi","kula-ngarep-arep","kula-ngentosi","lan-ngentosi","mugi-ngarep-arep"]·KO["그리고-기다렸는데","기다렸나이다","기다렸도다","기다리겠다","기다리리이다","내-가-소망하리라","내가-기다리겠다","내가-소망하리라","당신-의-말씀-을","바랄지어다","바랐나이다","소망하라"]·PT["E-esperavam","Espera","Espere","e-esperavam","espera","esperarei","esperei","espero"]·RU["Да-уповает","буду-ждать","буду-надеяться","и-ждали-они","и-ожидали","надейся","уповай","уповал-я","уповаю-я"]·ES["Espere","Y-esperaban","espera","esperaré","espero","esperé","y-esperaban"]·SW["Mngojee","na-wakasubiri","na-walisubiri","nimetegemea","nimetumaini","ninamtumaini","ninatumaini","ningengojea","nitamngojea","nitamtumaini","nitasubiri","tumaini"]·TR["Ve-beklediler","bekle","bekledim","beklerim","bekleyeceğim","umut-bağladım","umut-bağlasın","umut-ederim","ve-beklediler"]·urd["امید-رکھتا-ہوں-میں","امید-رکھوں-گا","امید-رکھوںگی-میں","امید-رکھی-میں-نے","امید-رکھے","انتظار-کروں-گا","انتظار-کیا-میں-نے","اور-انتظار کرتے تھے","اُمید-رکھ","میں-انتظار-کروں-گا","میں-نے-اُمید-رکھی"]
Gen 8:12, 1 Sam 10:8, 1 Sam 13:8, 1 Sam 13:8, 2 Sam 18:14, 2 Kgs 6:33, Job 6:11, Job 13:15, Job 14:14, Job 29:21, Job 29:23, Job 30:26 (+28 more)
2. sense 2 — A causative Hiphil usage in Psalm 119:49 where the psalmist addresses God: 'You have made me hope.' The multilingual evidence ('me hiciste esperar,' 'espérer,' 'hoffte') confirms the causative force -- God actively instilling hope rather than the speaker generating it. This sense underscores the theological reality that hope itself is a divine gift. 1×
AR["جَعَلْتَنِي-أَرْجُو"]·ben["তুমি-আশা-দিয়েছিলে"]·DE["hoffte"]·EN["You-have-made-me-hope"]·FR["espérer"]·heb["ייחלתני"]·ID["Engkau-memberi-harapan-ku"]·IT["spero'"]·jav["Paduka-sampun-damel-kula-ngarep-arep"]·KO["기다리게-하셨나이다-나-를"]·PT["fizeste-esperar"]·RU["дал-Ты-мне-уповать"]·ES["me-hiciste-esperar"]·SW["umenifanya-nitegemee"]·TR["umut-verdin-bana"]·urd["امید-دلائی-تُو-نے"]
3. sense 3 — A debated occurrence in Jeremiah 4:19 where English renders 'I writhe' and Spanish 'me duelo' (I grieve), possibly reflecting a homonymous root or textual corruption. Some scholars connect it to an Aramaic root meaning 'be weak' or 'sink down.' French still translates 'espérer,' suggesting the ambiguity was not resolved in all traditions. The context of anguished prophecy fits either 'I wait in pain' or 'I writhe.' 1×
AR["أَتَأَلَّمُ"]·ben["কষ্টে-কাতর-হচ্ছি"]·DE["[(אוחילה)]"]·EN["I-writhe"]·FR["espérer"]·heb["אוחילה"]·HI["तड़पती-हूं-मैं"]·ID["aku-merasakan-sakit"]·IT["sperare"]·jav["kawula-lelara"]·KO["고통스러워하라-나는"]·PT["estou-angustiada"]·RU["(страдаю)"]·ES["me-duelo"]·SW["ninaumia"]·TR["acı-çekiyorum"]·urd["تڑپتی-ہوں"]
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
† [יָחַל] vb.Niph. wait; Pi. await (cf. NH יִחוּלexpectation);— Niph. Pf. 3 fs. נוֹחֲלָה Ez 19:5 (yet v. infr.); Impf. וַיִּיָּ֫חֶל Gn 8:12 + 1 S 13:18 Kt (v. Dr; Qr Hiph. וַיּוֹחֶל);—wait: Gn 8:12 and he waited yet seven days; so 1 S 13:8 Kt; of Isr. under fig. of lioness, וַתֵּרֶא כִּי נוֹחֲלָה אָֽבְדָה תִּקְוָתָהּ Ez 19:5 when she saw that her hope tarried, was lost (but dub.; Sm comp. Aramaic…