קָוָה (qa.vah)
qa.vah
to await; to collect
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 36 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb qavah carries the dual sense of waiting and gathering. In its most common usage, it describes an active, expectant hope rather than passive idleness. It implies looking forward to something with confidence, as seen in Psalm 27:14 where the psalmist urges the reader to wait for the Lord, or in Isaiah 40:31, which promises that those who wait will renew their strength.
Its root meaning involves drawing things together into a line or bundle. This physical image of collecting or binding shapes its spiritual application. When believers wait on God, they are not merely passing time; they are gathering their attention and trust around His promises. The Piel stem intensifies this, sometimes suggesting an eager or even urgent waiting, as one might lie in wait for a significant event.
Translators often render qavah as "hope" or "wait," but the underlying idea is one of focused anticipation. It suggests that hope is a disciplined act of gathering one’s life around a future reality. This word appears frequently in the Psalms and Isaiah, reminding readers that faithful waiting involves both patience and purposeful expectation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word qavah invites us to see waiting not as idle passing of time, but as an active gathering of our hope. Just as waters are collected into one place or caravans await supplies, this verb describes a focused anticipation where attention and trust are drawn together around God’s promises. It is a disciplined act of looking forward with confidence rather than passive resignation.
In verses like Psalm 27:14, the psalmist urges strength and courage while waiting for the Lord. This suggests that faithful expectation involves both patience and purposeful engagement. When we wait on God, we are not merely enduring a delay; we are aligning our lives with His timing and character.
Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that those who wait will renew their strength. This renewal comes from the act of gathering our hopes in Him. It is a quiet confidence that God is faithful to His word, even when circumstances seem unclear or difficult.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 36 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- we have waited3×
- wait3×
- we waited eagerly2×
- we wait eagerly2×
- they will wait2×
- and/ he waited2×
- and/ [those who] wait for2×
- we have waited for/ you1×
- to/ [those who] wait for/ him1×
- they look eagerly1×
- they have waited1×
- that/ we have waited for/ it1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- קַוֵּ֥ה2×
- קַוֵּ֤ה2×
- נְקַוֶּ֤ה2×
- שֶׁ/קִּוִּינֻ֖/הוּ1×
- קוָֹֽ/י\׃\ \ס1×
- קֹ֭וֶי/ךָ1×
- קַוֵּ֗ה1×
- קִוּוּ\־1×
- קִוֵּ֛יתִי1×
- קִוִּיתִֽי/ךָ\׃1×
- קִוִּינ֑וּ/ךָ1×
- קִוִּ֥יתִי1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 27:14
Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh.
This verse links waiting directly with strength and courage, showing that expectation is an active posture of the heart.
-
Isaiah 40:31
but those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.
It promises renewed strength for those who wait, emphasizing the restorative power of focused hope in God.
-
Genesis 1:9
God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear;” and it was so.
This occurrence reflects the root meaning of gathering waters into one place, illustrating the physical basis for the spiritual concept of collecting hope.
-
Psalms 130:5
I wait for Yahweh. My soul waits. I hope in his word.
The psalmist’s soul waits and hopes in God’s word, highlighting the personal and intimate nature of this anticipation.