קֹוֶה (qo.veh)
qo.veh
Kue; hope; collection
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 10 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The noun miqveh primarily denotes a collection or gathered mass, but in biblical Hebrew it most commonly carries the meaning of hope. It describes not just a wish, but the tangible object of that expectation—the "ground of hope" or the specific outcome one anticipates. This usage appears frequently in prophetic literature, where it often refers to trusting in God as the source of stability and future blessing.
A distinct secondary meaning identifies Miqveh as a proper noun for Kue, a region in Cilicia from which King Solomon imported horses (1 Kings 10:28). This geographic reference highlights the word’s root idea of gathering or assembly, as Kue was known for its significant horse-breeding and trade. The connection between physical collection and spiritual expectation underscores how ancient Hebrew thought linked concrete reality with abstract trust.
Translators typically render miqveh as "hope" in theological contexts, emphasizing its role as a confident waiting upon divine promise. In Jeremiah, for instance, the prophet contrasts human failure with God’s reliability as the true miqveh (Jeremiah 17:13). This usage reinforces the idea that hope is not passive dreaming but an active reliance on a guaranteed outcome.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read about gathering waters or collecting horses, we see a physical act of bringing things together. In Hebrew thought, this same word describes how our hopes are gathered into one solid place. It is not a vague wish floating in the air, but a specific object you can hold onto. This shifts hope from being a feeling to being a fact rooted in God's character.
The prophets used this term to describe God as the 'hope of Israel.' They meant that He is the reliable source where our expectations are stored and secured. When life feels scattered or uncertain, this word reminds us that our trust has a firm foundation. We do not hope in empty promises, but in the One who gathers all things under His care.
This understanding brings peace because it means our future is not left to chance. Just as waters gather into seas, our lives find their purpose when gathered around God. He remains steady while circumstances change. This gives us a quiet confidence that what we wait for is already held securely in His hands.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 10 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- from/ Que2×
- and/ from/ Que2×
- [is] hope2×
- O hope of2×
- and/ [the] hope of1×
- and/ <to>/ [the] collection of1×
- a reservoir of1×
- <the> reservoir of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מִקְוֶֽה\׃1×
- מִקְוֶ֥ה1×
- מִקְוֵה֙1×
- מִקְוֵה\־1×
- מִקְוֵ֥ה1×
- מִקְוֵ֤ה1×
- מִ/קְוֵ֥א1×
- מִ/קְוֵ֖ה1×
- וּ/מִקְוֵ֥ה1×
- וּ/מִ/קְוֵ֕ה1×
- וּ/מִ/קְוֵ֕א1×
- וּ/לְ/מִקְוֵ֥ה1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 14:8
You hope of Israel, its Savior in the time of trouble, why should you be as a foreigner in the land, and as a wayfaring man who turns aside to stay for a night?
This verse addresses God directly as the 'hope of Israel,' showing that hope is a person to rely on, not just an abstract idea.
-
Jeremiah 17:13
Yahweh, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be disappointed. Those who depart from me will be written in the earth, because they have forsaken Yahweh, the spring of living waters.
Here the word contrasts those who forsake God with God Himself, identifying Him as the only true source of living water and stable expectation.
-
Ezra 10:2
Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing.
This occurrence shows hope emerging after failure, indicating that even when people have trespassed, a gathered future remains possible through repentance.