Hope

Hope: Confident Expectation in the God Who Cannot Lie

Hope, in the Bible, is not wishful thinking. It is a confident, joyful expectation that God will do what He has promised—both in this age and in the age to come. It is anchored in His character, His covenant, and His unchanging Word, and it is energized in us by the Holy Spirit.

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1. The Biblical Definition of Hope

Hebrew: Tiqvah and Yachal

In the Old Testament, two key words describe hope:

• תִּקְוָה (tiqvah) – literally “cord” or “rope,” and figuratively “expectation, hope” (e.g., Josh 2:18; Prov 23:18).
  • Picture: your hope is like a cord tying you to God’s future. It is something you “hold on to” when everything else shakes.
• יָחַל (yachal) – “to wait, to hope, to expect” (e.g., Ps 130:5; Lam 3:21–24).
  • This is not passive waiting; it is active, trusting expectation.

So biblical hope is confident waiting with expectation, not vague optimism.

Greek: Elpis and Elpizō

In the New Testament, the primary word is:

• ἐλπίς (elpis) – “hope, expectation, confident anticipation” (Rom 5:5; 1 Pet 1:3).
• The verb ἐλπίζω (elpizō) – “to hope, to expect, to trust” (Rom 15:13).

In Scripture, hope is always tied to God’s character and promises. It is not “I hope so,” but “I know whom I have believed” (2 Tim 1:12).

Key Features of Biblical Hope

1. Grounded in God’s character – “God… cannot lie” (Titus 1:2).
2. Anchored in God’s promises – “He who promised is faithful” (Heb 10:23).
3. Future-oriented yet present-strengthening – Hope looks ahead, but it empowers endurance now (Rom 8:24–25).
4. Produced and sustained by the Holy Spirit – “The God of hope fill you… through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:13).