Lexical Summary yachil: To wait, to hope, to expect Original Word: יָחִיל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance should hope From yachal; expectant -- should hope. see HEBREW yachal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom yachal Definition waiting NASB Translation waits (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs יָחִיל adjective verb. waiting, so Thes SS Buhl, but very dubious, — only טוֺב וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם לְ Lamentations 3:26 good is it that one be waiting and that silently (but see דוּמָם) for the salvation of ׳י; construct. with ו and adjective hardly possibly; Ew Ke Lohr Köii. 407 and others regard as verb (from חול); read perhaps וְיֹחִיל Hiph`il Imperfect from יחל (compare Lamentations 3:24). Topical Lexicon Lexical Scope and Conceptual Range יָחִיל (Strong’s 3175) represents the third-person singular imperfect of the root יָחַל (Strong’s 3176), “to wait for, hope in, expect.” Though the exact form יָחִיל does not appear in the canonical text, it belongs to the same verbal family that saturates Scripture with the ideas of patient waiting, confident expectation, and enduring trust in the covenant-keeping LORD. The Theology of Hope and Waiting 1. Hope grounded in the character of God Hope is neither naive optimism nor wishful thinking; it is a response to the steadfast lovingkindness (חֶסֶד) that defines the LORD’s dealings with His people. 2. Hope as covenant loyalty During exile the remnant’s only inheritance was God Himself. Waiting became an act of covenant fidelity when every outward sign of blessing had disappeared. 3. Hope purified through suffering Job’s defiant trust illustrates how יָחִיל embraces perseverance under unexplained affliction, anticipating vindication beyond present sight. Historical Summary of Israel’s Waiting • The Flood – Noah “waited” seven more days before sending out the dove (Genesis 8:10), picturing patient trust amid judgment. Messianic Trajectory The waiting motif intensifies in expectation of the Messiah. Simeon is described as “waiting for the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25), echoing the Hebrew verb’s ethos. Jesus fulfills every strand of Old Testament hope, yet even after the resurrection believers are called to “await the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). The New Testament therefore extends יָחִיל into an eschatological horizon. Pastoral and Ministry Application • Spiritual Formation: Teaching believers to wait reshapes prayer from demand to dialogue, nurturing humility and receptivity. Related Hebrew Terms • קָוָה (qavah) – to wait with tension or twisting (Isaiah 40:31). All three verbs converge in depicting faith that refuses shortcuts and rests in God’s timing. Devotional Reflection “I wait for the LORD; my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope” (Psalm 130:5). Because the Word is unfailing, waiting is never wasted time. יָחִיל reminds believers that the discipline of patient expectation is itself a witness to the reliability of God, equipping the church to endure, to worship, and to serve until faith becomes sight. Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance wî·ḥî·’êl — 9 Occ.yə·ḥî·’êl — 5 Occ. yə·ḥî·’ê·lî — 2 Occ. hay·yā·ḥîḏ — 1 Occ. wə·yā·ḥîḏ — 1 Occ. yā·ḥîḏ — 3 Occ. yə·ḥî·ḏāh — 1 Occ. yə·ḥî·ḏā·ṯî — 2 Occ. yə·ḥî·ḏə·ḵā — 3 Occ. yə·ḥî·ḏîm — 1 Occ. ’ă·ya·ḥêl — 4 Occ. ham·ya·ḥă·lîm — 2 Occ. hō·w·ḥal·tî — 3 Occ. hō·w·ḥî·lî — 3 Occ. lam·ya·ḥă·lîm — 1 Occ. mə·ya·ḥêl — 1 Occ. nō·w·ḥă·lāh — 1 Occ. ’ō·w·ḥîl — 3 Occ. ’ō·ḥî·lāh — 2 Occ. tō·w·ḥêl — 1 Occ. |
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