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תִּקְוָה

𐤕𐤒𐤅𐤄

tiqvâh

H8615 noun

SILEX Entry

Root קוה to bind, to wait, to gather, to hope

Definition

Tiqvâh primarily denotes an expectation or hope—an attitude of waiting or longing for something anticipated, particularly for deliverance, future good, or the fulfillment of a promise. In some contexts, especially in early usage, it also refers concretely to a cord or line, reflecting a physical means of connection or attachment. The word's semantic range thus covers both the literal image of a cord and the abstract sense of hope or expectation.

Semantic Range

cord, line, thread (literal); hope, expectation, object of hope, thing longed for (figurative/abstract); anticipation of deliverance or future good

Root / Etymology

The noun תִּקְוָה derives from the root קוה (q-w-h), which in its primary sense means 'to collect, to bind together, to twist'. The root also developed the sense 'to wait for, to hope', likely from the idea of something held in tension (as with a cord) until expectation is fulfilled. The noun tiqvâh thus emerges with a dual semantic development: as a concrete noun, 'cord' or 'line', and as an abstract noun, 'expectation, hope'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early biblical usage (e.g., Joshua 2:18, 21), tiqvâh refers literally to a 'cord', specifically in the narrative concerning Rahab and the scarlet cord. Elsewhere (such as in Job, Proverbs, and the Prophets), tiqvâh more commonly means 'hope' or 'expectation', often used for the anticipation of deliverance, vindication, or a positive future, whether individual or communal. The shift from a physical cord to abstract hope may reflect the metaphorical sense of holding on or being bound to the outcome of one's longing. In late biblical and postbiblical Hebrew, tiqvâh becomes the primary term for 'hope'. English translations often render tiqvâh simply as 'hope', but this can obscure the richness of the metaphor and its literal origin. The term is distinct from some other words for hope or waiting, such as יָחַל (yāḥal), which can emphasize patience or trust, rather than expectation or longing connected with an object.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from קָוָה; (compare קָוֶה); literally a cord (as an attachment); figuratively, expectancy; expectation(-ted), hope, live, thing that I long for.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

קוה (q-w-h) — to bind, to wait, to gather, to hope

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4723 מִקְוֶה Gathering-Place
H4724 מִקְוָה and water-gathering pool
H6957 קַו with the measuring-cord
H6960 קָוָה I will eagerly wait
H6961 קָוֶה measuring cord of

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8615-02 תִּקְוָ֥ה tiqevah HNcfsa hope expectant hope 12
H8615-03 תִּקְוַ֡ת tiqevat HNcfsc hope hope of 5
H8615-07 תִּקְוָתִֽ/י tiqevati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my hope my expectation 4
H8615-09 וְ/תִקְוַ֖ת vetiqevat HC/Ncfsc and hope and hope-of 3
H8615-11 וְ֝/תִקְוָתְ/ךָ֗ vetiqevatekha HC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms and your hope your expectation-hope 2
H8615-12 וְ֝/תִקְוָתִ֗/י vetiqevati HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs and my hope and my expectation 2
H8615-06 תִקְוָתֵ֖/נוּ tiqevatenu HNcfsc/Sp1cp our hope our expectation 1
H8615-05 תִּ֝קְוָתְ/ךָ֗ tiqevatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your hope your expectation 1
H8615-01 הַ/תִּקְוָ֑ה hatiqevah HTd/Ncfsa of the hope the expectation 1
H8615-10 וְ֝/תִקְוָתָ֗/ם vetiqevatam HC/Ncfsc/Sp3mp and their hope their expectation 1

Occurrences in Scripture

34 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8615-03 Joshua 2:18 תִּקְוַ֡ת tiqevat HNcfsc cord hope of
H8615-03 Joshua 2:21 תִּקְוַ֥ת tiqevat HNcfsc scarlet cord hope of
H8615-08 Jeremiah 29:11 וְ/תִקְוָֽה vetiqevah HC/Ncfsa and-a-hope and expectation
H8615-02 Jeremiah 31:17 תִּקְוָ֥ה tiqevah HNcfsa hope expectant hope
H8615-04 Ezekiel 19:5 תִּקְוָתָ֑/הּ tiqevatah HNcfsc/Sp3fs her hope her expectation
H8615-06 Ezekiel 37:11 תִקְוָתֵ֖/נוּ tiqevatenu HNcfsc/Sp1cp our hope our expectation
H8615-02 Hosea 2:17 תִּקְוָ֑ה tiqevah HNcfsa of-hope expectant hope
H8615-01 Zechariah 9:12 הַ/תִּקְוָ֑ה hatiqevah HTd/Ncfsa of the hope the expectation
H8615-03 Psalms 9:19 תִּקְוַ֥ת tiqevat HNcfsc hope hope of
H8615-07 Psalms 62:6 תִּקְוָתִֽ/י tiqevati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my hope my expectation
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