תִּקְוָה
Tikvah
Hope, expectation, cord
The Hebrew word for hope is tikvah (תִּקְוָה), and its meaning will surprise you. While we think of hope as a feeling or a wish, the Hebrew reveals something far more tangible: tikvah literally means 'cord' or 'rope.' The same word used for Rahab's scarlet cord in Joshua 2:18 — the lifeline that saved her family — is the word for hope. In Hebrew, hope is not wishful thinking. It's a rope that anchors you to God's promises, a lifeline thrown from heaven. Israel's national anthem is called 'HaTikvah' (The Hope), and when you understand the word's depth, you'll never read Jeremiah 29:11 the same way again.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope (tikvah).”
Etymology & Root Letters
Tikvah comes from the root ק-ו-ה (qof-vav-he), meaning 'to wait, to expect.' Remarkably, it also means 'cord' or 'rope' — hope in Hebrew is literally a lifeline that binds you to God's promises.
How Tikvah Is Used in Scripture
Tikvah appears 34 times in the Hebrew Bible. The same word is used for the scarlet 'cord' (tikvah) that Rahab hung from her window (Joshua 2:18) — a beautiful picture of hope as salvation's lifeline.
Cultural & Modern Context
Israel's national anthem is called 'HaTikvah' (The Hope). Written in 1878, it expresses the Jewish people's 2,000-year hope of returning to their homeland. Tikvah is deeply woven into Jewish identity.
How to Use Tikvah in Prayer
Use tikvah in prayer when you need to hold onto God's promises. Remember that biblical hope isn't wishful thinking — it's a cord that anchors your soul to the faithfulness of God.
People Also Ask About Tikvah
Why is Israel's national anthem called HaTikvah?
HaTikvah (The Hope) was written in 1878 by Naftali Herz Imber, expressing the Jewish people's 2,000-year hope of returning to their homeland. The word tikvah was chosen because it represents not just a wish but an unbreakable cord connecting the Jewish people to the land of Israel — a hope that endured through exile, persecution, and the Holocaust.
What is the connection between tikvah (hope) and Rahab's cord?
In Joshua 2:18, the spies tell Rahab to hang a 'tikvat' (cord of) scarlet thread from her window to be saved. The same root word is used for 'hope' throughout the Bible. This beautiful wordplay reveals that biblical hope is tangible — like a rope you can hold onto — and it's connected to salvation.
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