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Hope

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G1680

ἐλπίς

elpis — hope

ἐλπίς (ἑλ-, Rom.8:20, WH, see Bl., § 4, 3; M, Pr., 44), -ίδος, ἡ [in LXX for בָּטַח and its derivatives, תִּקְוָה (frequently in Jb), etc. ;] expectation (in cl., rarely of evil, mostly of good, and so always in NT), hope; 1. of hope in general: 2Co.1:6; with genitive obj., Act.16:19; art. inf., Act.27:20, 1Co.9:10; παρ᾽ ἐλπίδα, Rom.4:18; ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι, 1Co.9:10. 2. Of religious hope: ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι, Act.2:26 26:6, Rom.4:18 8:20, Tit.1:2; τῇ ἐ. ἐσώθημεν, Rom.8:24; κατ᾽ ἐλπίδα ζωῆς αἰωνίου, Tit.3:7; of the Messianic hope of Israel, Act.23:6 26:6-7 28:20; of Christian hope, Rom.5:2-5 12:12 15:4, 13, 1Co.13:13, 2Th.2:16, Heb.3:6 6:11 7:19 10:23, 1Pe.1:3 1:21 3:15; with genitive obj., Rom.5:2, Col.1:27, 1Th.1:3 5:8, Tit.1:2; with genitive of that on which the hope is based, Act.26:6, Eph.1:18 4:4, Col.1:23; ὁ θεὸς τῆς ἐ., Rom.15:13; ἔχειν ἐ. (= cl. ἐλπίζειν), Act.24:15, Rom.15:4, 2Co.3:12 10:15, Eph.2:12, 1Th.4:13; before ἐπί, with dative, 1Jn.3:3; εἰς, Act.24:15; ὅτι, Rom.8:20, Php.1:20-21. Meton., (a) of the author or ground of hope (cl.): 1Th.2:19, 1Ti.1:1; with genitive obj., Col.1:27; (b) of the thing hoped for: Gal.5:5, Col.1:5, Tit.2:13, Heb.6:18 (Cremer, 252, 712).† (AS)

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GREEK · G1525

εἰσέρχομαι

eiserchomai — to enter

εἰσ-έρχομαι, [in LXX chiefly for בּוֹא ;] to go in or into, enter: Mat.9:25, Luk.7:45, al.; before εἰς, Mat.10:12, Mrk.2:1, al.; before διά (πύλης, θύρας, etc.), Mat.7:13, Jhn.10:1, al.; ὑπὸ τ. στέγην, Mat.8:8; with adv.: ὅπου, Mrk.14:14, Heb.6:20; ὧδε, Mat.22:12; ἔσω, Mat.26:58; before πρός, with accusative of person(s), Mrk.15:43, Luk.1:28, Act.10:3 11:3 16:40 17:2 28:8, Rev.3:20; of demons taking possession, Mrk.9:25, Luk.8:30 22:3, Jhn.13:27; of food, Mat.15:11, Act.11:8. Metaphorical, of thoughts, Luk.9:46; εἰς κόπον, Jhn.4:38; εἰς πειρασμόν, Mat.26:41, Luk.22:40, 46; of hope as an anchor, Heb.6:19; βοαί, Jas.5:4; πνεῦμα ζωῆς, Rev.11:11; εἰς τ. κόσμον (cf. Wis.2:24 14:14, Jhn.18:37), Rom.5:12, Heb.10:5; in counterparts of Jewish Aram. phrases relating to the theocracy (cf. Dalman, Words, 116ff.): εἰς τ. γάμους, Mat.25:10; εἰς τ. χάραν τ. κυρίου, Mat.25:21, 23; εἰς τ. ζωήν, Mat.18:8, 9 19:17, Mrk.9:43, 45; εἰς τ. βασιλ. τ. οὐρανῶν, Mat.5:20 7:21, al. (see: βασιλεία); εἰς τ. κατάπαυσιν, Heb.3:11, 18 4:1ff.; εἰς τ. δόξαν, Luk.24:26; εἰσ. καὶ ἐξερχ., to go in and out (like Heb. בוֹא וְצֵאת, Deu.28:6, etc.), of familiar intercourse, Act.1:21; figuratively, of moral freedom, Jhn.10:9 (cf. ἐπ-, παρ-, συν-εισέρχομαι). (AS)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6960

קָוָה

qa.vah — to await

1) to wait, look for, hope, expect 1a) (Qal) waiting (participle) 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to wait or look eagerly for 1b2) to lie in wait for 1b3) to wait for, linger for

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3176

יָחַל

ya.chal — to wait: wait

: wait[for_time] 1) to wait, hope, expect 1a) (Niphal) to wait 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to wait, await, tarry 1b2) to wait for, hope for 1c) (Hiphil) to wait, tarry, wait for, hope for Also means: ya.chal (יָחַל ": hope" H3176H)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2620

חָסָה

cha.sah — to seek refuge

1) (Qal) to seek refuge, flee for protection 1a) to put trust in (God), confide or hope in (God) (fig.)

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GREEK · G1679

ἐλπίζω

elpizō — to hope/expect

ἐλπίζω [in LXX chiefly for בָּטַח, also for חָסָה, יָחַל pi., hi., etc. ;] to look for, expect, hope (for): with accusative of thing(s), Rom.8:24-25, 1Co.13:7, Heb.11:1; with dative of thing(s) (τ. τύχῃ, Thuc., iii, 97, 2), Mat.12:21; before καθώς, 2Co.8:5; with inf., Luk.6:34 23:8, Act.26:7, Rom.15:24, 1Co.16:7, 2Co.5:11, Php.2:19, 23, 1Ti.3:14, II Jn 12, 3Jn.14; before ὅτι, with pres., Luk.24:21; with fut., Act.24:26, 2Co.1:13 13:6, Phm 22. As in LXX (WM, § xxxiii, d; and esp. in the pf., Ellic. on 1Ti.4:10; Bl., § 59, 2), with prep.; εἰς, Jhn.5:45 (see Ellis., l.with), 1Pe.3:5; before ὅτι, 2Co.1:10; ἐπί, with dative, Rom.15:12 (LXX 1Ti.4:10 6:17; ἐν, 1Co.15:19; with accusative, 1Pe.1:13 (aor. imper. see Bl., § 58, 2); τ. θεόν, 1Ti.5:5 (of. ἀπ-, προ-ελπίζω, see Cremer, 255).† (AS)

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GREEK · G1381

δοκιμάζω

dokimazō — to test

δοκιμάζω (δόκιμος), [in LXX chiefly for בָּחַן ;] 1. primarily of metals (Pro.8:10 17:3, Sir.2:5, Wis.3:6), to test, try, prove (in the hope and expectation that the test will prove successful, see reff. s. Syn.): χρυσίον, 1Pe.1:7; other things, Luk.12:56 14:19, 2Co.8:8, Gal.6:4, 1Th.2:4 5:21; τὰ διαφέροντα, Rom.2:18, Php.1:10 (R, mg., but see infr.); πνεύματα, 1Jn.4:1; of men, 1Ti.3:10 (pass.); ἑαυτόν, 1Co.11:28, 2Co.13:5; before subst. clause, Rom.12:2, 1Co.3:13, Eph.5:10 2. As the result of trial, to approve, think fit: Rom.1:28 14:22, 1Co.16:3, 2Co.8:22, 1Th.2:4 (δεδοκιμάσμεθα); τὰ διαφέροντα, Rom.2:18, Php.1:10, R, txt. (but see supr.; cf. διαφέρω).† (AS)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H309

אָחַר

a.char — to delay

1) to delay, hesitate, tarry, defer, remain behind 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to delay, tarry (intensive) 1a2) to cause one to delay, hinder, keep back 1b) (Piel) to delay, wait, stay behind (but not in hope) Also means: ya.char (יָחַר "to delay" H3186)

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GREEK · G2617

καταισχύνω

kataischunō — to dishonor

κατ-αισχύνω [in LXX chiefly for בּוּשׁ ;] to disgrace, dishonour, put to shame: with accusative of thing(s), 1Co.11:4-5; with accusative of person(s), 1Co.1:27 11:22; pass., to be ashamed: Luk.13:17, 2Co.7:14 9:4, 1Pe.3:16; as in LXX (Psa.22:6 25:2-3, al.), of unfulfilled hopes: Rom.5:5; pass., Rom.9:33 10:11, 1Pe.2:6" (LXX) .† (AS)

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GREEK · G1622

ἐκτός

ektos — outside/except

1. outside , opposite to ἐντός: 2. as preposition with genitive outside, out of, far from , with genitive, (Homer): outside of, free from , (Herdotus Historicus), attic; ἐκτὸς ἐλπίδος beyond hope, Lat. praeter spem, (Sophocles Tragicus) 3. of Time, beyond , (Herdotus Historicus) 4. except , ἐκτὸς ὀλίγων (Xenophon Historicus) 5. absolute, τὰ ἐκτός external things , (Euripides) 6. with Verbs of motion, ῥίπτειν ἐκτός to throw out , (Sophocles Tragicus), etc. (ML)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2976

יָאַשׁ

ya.ash — to despair

1) to despair 1a) (Niphal) to be despaired, be desperate 1b) (Piel) to cause to despair interj 2) it is hopeless!

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H1891

הָבַל

ha.val — to become vain

1) to act emptily, become vain, be vain 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to become vain 1a2) to be utterly vain (with cognate acc) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to become vain 1b2) to fill with vain hopes

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8616

תִּקְוָה

tiq.vah — Tikvah

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.22.14; son of: Harhas (H2745); father of: Shallum (H7967H); also called Tokhath (Qere. Ketiv: Tokahath; KJV: Tikvath) at 2Ch.34.22; Also named: to.qa.hat (תּוֹקַהַת "Tokhath" H8445) § Tikvath or Tikvah = "hope" 1) father of Shallum, the husband of the prophetess Huldah in the time of king Josiah of Judah 2) father of Jahaziah (Tikvah) in the time of Ezra

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GREEK · G560

ἀπελπίζω

apelpizō — to despair

ἀπ-ελπίζω [in LXX: Isa.29:19 (אֶבְיוֹן), Jdth.9:11, Est.4:17, Sir.22:21 27:21, 2Ma.9:18 * ;] 1. to give up in despair, despair of (Polyb., Diod., LXX). 2. to hope to receive from or in return (Field, Notes, 59; Cremer, 712; Soph., Lex., see word): with accusative (M; Pr., 65; MM, see word), Luk.6:35.† (AS)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3178

יַחְלְאֵלִי

yach.le.e.li — Jahleelite

Someone descended from Jahleel who was a man of the tribe of Zebulun living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.14; son of: Zebulun (H2074); brother of: Sered (H5624) and Elon (H0356H) Group of yach.le.el (יַחְלְאֵל "Jahleel" H3177) § Jahleelites = "the hope of God" descendants of Jahleel of the tribe of Zebulun

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3693

כְּסָלוֹן

ke.sa.lon — Chesalon

Chesalon = "hopes" a town of the northern border of Judah approx 10 miles west of Jerusalem Also named: ye.a.rim (יְעָרִים "(Mount )Jearim" H3297)

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GREEK · G6332

ἀνέλπιστος

anelpistos — unhoped for

1. unhoped for, unlooked for , [variant datesTragica Adespota, etc.; τὸ ἀνέλπιστον τοῦ βεβαίου the hopelessness of security, (Thucydides) 2. active, 3. of persons, having no hope, hopeless , (Theocritus Poeta Bucolicus); with infinitive having no hope or not expecting that . . , (Thucydides) 4. of things or conditions, leaving no hope, hopeless, desperate , (Sophocles Tragicus); τὸ ἀνέλπιστον despair , (Thucydides):—;comparative -ότερος more desperate , (Thucydides) (ML)

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Historical dictionary entry

One of the three main elements of Christian character (1 Cor. 13:13). It is joined to faith and love, and is opposed to seeing or possessing (Rom. 8:24; 1 John 3:2). “Hope is an essential and fundamental element of Christian life, so essential indeed, that, like faith and love, it can itself designate the essence of Christianity (1 Pet. 3:15; Heb. 10:23). In it the whole glory of the Christian vocation is centred (Eph. 1:18; 4:4).” Unbelievers are without this hope (Eph. 2:12; 1 Thess. 4:13). Christ is the actual object of the believer’s hope, because it is in his second coming that the hope of glory will be fulfilled (1 Tim. 1:1; Col. 1:27; Titus 2:13). It is spoken of as “lively”, i.e., a living, hope, a hope not frail and perishable, but having a perennial life (1 Pet. 1:3). In Rom. 5:2 the “hope” spoken of is probably objective, i.e., “the hope set before us,” namely, eternal life (comp. 12:12). In 1 John 3:3 the expression “hope in him” ought rather to be, as in the Revised Version, “hope on him,” i.e., a hope based on God.

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Hope in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →