יָחַל (ya.chal)
ya.chal
to wait: wait
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 33 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb yachal describes a posture of active waiting that is closely linked to hoping and trusting. It appears thirty-three times in the Old Testament, with significant usage in Psalms, Job, and Lamentations. Rather than implying passive inactivity, the word conveys an expectant patience, often directed toward God. Translators frequently render it as "wait," "hope," or "trust," reflecting its dual sense of enduring time while anticipating a specific outcome.
A key feature of yachal is its association with endurance through difficulty. In Job 13:15, for instance, the speaker declares, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him." This usage highlights that the waiting is not merely about time passing, but about maintaining faith despite circumstances. The verb often takes a preposition indicating the object of expectation, such as waiting on the Lord or hoping in His steadfast love.
The word’s theological weight lies in its connection to divine reliability. When Psalm 130:7 says, "Israel, hope in the Lord," it uses yachal to describe a communal trust that God will redeem. This active expectation distinguishes biblical hope from mere wishful thinking; it is a firm reliance on God's character and promises, even when the answer is delayed.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word yachal describes a posture of active waiting that is closely linked to hoping and trusting. It appears thirty-three times in the Old Testament, with significant usage in Psalms, Job, and Lamentations. Rather than implying passive inactivity, the word conveys an expectant patience, often directed toward God. Translators frequently render it as "wait," "hope," or "trust," reflecting its dual sense of enduring time while anticipating a specific outcome.
A key feature of yachal is its association with endurance through difficulty. In Job 13:15, the speaker declares, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him." This usage highlights that the waiting is not merely about time passing, but about maintaining faith despite circumstances. The verb often takes a preposition indicating the object of expectation, such as waiting on the Lord or hoping in His steadfast love.
The word’s theological weight lies in its connection to divine reliability. When Psalm 130:7 says, "Israel, hope in the Lord," it uses yachal to describe a communal trust that God will redeem. This active expectation distinguishes biblical hope from mere wishful thinking; it is a firm reliance on God's character and promises, even when the answer is delayed.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 33 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- I will wait7×
- I hope5×
- hope2×
- and/ they waited2×
- and/ he waited2×
- you have made hope/ me1×
- will I wait1×
- we hope1×
- wait1×
- to <the>/ [those who] hope1×
- those/ [who] hope1×
- they will wait1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יִחָֽלְתִּי\׃5×
- אֲיַחֵ֑ל4×
- אוֹחִ֥יל2×
- תּוֹחֵל֙1×
- לַֽ/מְיַחֲלִ֥ים1×
- יַחֵ֥ל1×
- יַחֵ֣ל1×
- יִחַ֥לְנוּ1×
- יִֽחַלְתָּֽ/נִי\׃1×
- יְיַחֵלֽוּ/ן\׃1×
- יְיַחֵֽילוּ\׃\ \פ1×
- וַֽ/אֲיַחֲלָ֥ה1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 130:7
Israel, hope in Yahweh, for there is loving kindness with Yahweh. Abundant redemption is with him.
This verse commands Israel to hope in Yahweh, linking yachal directly to communal trust and the assurance of abundant redemption.
-
Job 13:15
Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.
Here the verb expresses a defiant faith that maintains its stance before God even in the face of potential destruction.
-
Psalms 43:5
Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him: my Savior, my helper, and my God.
The psalmist uses this word to command his own soul to hope in God, framing it as an act of self-discipline and praise.
-
Psalms 119:81
My soul faints for your salvation. I hope in your word.
This occurrence shows the physical toll of waiting, as the psalmist's soul faints while still anchoring its hope in God's word.