Word study
Wait
13 Hebrew and 6 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: wait, waited, waiting, waits. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “wait” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- קָוָה qâvâhwait fortranslated this way 28 times of its 48 uses · Strong’s H6960Verb · Translated: wait 20, hope 6, waited 4, hoped 3Full study and all 45 verses →
Job 3:9 May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain for daylight; may it not see the breaking of dawn.
Psalm 25:3 Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who engage in treachery without cause will be disgraced.
- אָרַב ârablie in waittranslated this way 17 times of its 41 uses · Strong’s H693Verb · Translated: ambush 9, lie in wait 9, men in ambush 4, lay in wait 4Full study and all 39 verses →
Deuteronomy 19:11 If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
Judges 9:32 Now then, tonight you and the people with you are to come and lie in wait in the fields.
- יָחַל yâchalwaittranslated this way 14 times of its 40 uses · Strong’s H3176Verb · Translated: hope 8, wait 8, Put your hope 5, put my hope 3Full study and all 40 verses →
Genesis 8:12 And Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but this time she did not return to him.
1 Samuel 10:8 And you shall go before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”
- חָכָה châkâhwait, awaittranslated this way 10 times of its 14 uses · Strong’s H2442Verb · Translated: wait 6, waits 2Full study and all 13 verses →
2 Kings 7:9 Finally, they said to one another, “We are not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will overtake us. Now, therefore, let us go and tell the king’s household.”
Job 32:4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were older than he.
- חוּל chûlwhirl, dance, writhetranslated this way 4 times of its 58 uses · Strong’s H2342Verb · Translated: brought forth 6, tremble 5, labor 3, waited 2Full study and all 55 verses →
Genesis 8:10 Noah waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark.
Judges 3:25 So they waited until they became worried and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upper room. Then they took the key and opened the doors— and there was their lord lying dead on the floor.
- מָהַהּ mâhahhlinger, tarrytranslated this way 3 times of its 9 uses · Strong’s H4102Verb · Translated: but when 1, delayed 1, delay 1, servants waited 1Full study and all 9 verses →
Judges 3:26 Ehud, however, had escaped while the servants waited. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.
2 Samuel 15:28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
- יָשַׁב yâshabsit, remain, dwelltranslated this way 3 times of its 1,049 uses · Strong’s H3427Verb · Translated: lived 103, dwell 89, live 84, sit 70Full study and all 960 verses →
Exodus 24:14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are here with you. Whoever has a dispute can go to them.”
- נוּחַ nûachresttranslated this way 2 times of its 140 uses · Strong’s H5117Verb · Translated: rest 20, leave 10, placed 9, set 7Full study and all 139 verses →
1 Samuel 25:9 When David’s young men arrived, they relayed all these words to Nabal on behalf of David. Then they waited.
Habakkuk 3:16 I heard and trembled within; my lips quivered at the sound. Decay entered my bones; I trembled where I stood. Yet I must wait patiently for the day of distress to come upon the people who invade us.
- עָמַד âmadtake one's stand, standtranslated this way 2 times of its 508 uses · Strong’s H5975Verb · Translated: stood 99, stand 95, standing 50, stands 12Full study and all 485 verses →
Numbers 9:8 “Wait here until I find out what the LORD commands concerning you,” Moses replied.
1 Kings 20:38 and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
- דָּמַם dâmambe or grow dumb, silent, stilltranslated this way 2 times of its 30 uses · Strong’s H1826Verb · Translated: still 4, silenced 4, rest 3, perish 2Full study and all 29 verses →
1 Samuel 14:9 If they say, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stay where we are and will not go up to them.
Job 29:21 Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
- שָׁמַר shâmarkeep, watch, preservetranslated this way 2 times of its 461 uses · Strong’s H8104Verb · Translated: keep 133, careful 39, kept 33, guard 25Full study and all 436 verses →
Psalm 71:10 For my enemies speak against me, and those who lie in wait for my life conspire,
- שָׂבַר sâbarinspect, examinetranslated this way 2 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s H7663Verb · Translated: wait 2, inspected 2, look 2, hoped 1Full study and all 8 verses →
Ruth 1:13 would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”
Psalm 119:166 I wait for Your salvation, O LORD, and I carry out Your commandments.
- צָפָה tsâphâhlook out or about, spy, keep watchtranslated this way 2 times of its 34 uses · Strong’s H6822Verb · Translated: watchman 11, watchmen 5, watch 4Full study and all 33 verses →
Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation.
Psalm 37:32 Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,
Greek words (New Testament)
- προσδέχομαι prosdéchomaiI expect, welcome, accepttranslated this way 5 times of its 14 uses · Strong’s G4327Verb · Translated: waiting 5, Welcome 2, await 2Full study and all 14 verses →
Mark 15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent Council member who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.
Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
- ἀπεκδέχομαι apekdéchomaiI expect eagerly, wait for eagerlytranslated this way 4 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s G553Verb · Translated: eagerly await 4, waits 1, wait eagerly 1, wait 1Full study and all 8 verses →
Romans 8:19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God.
1 Peter 3:20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water.
- προσδοκάω prosdokáōI expect, awaittranslated this way 4 times of its 16 uses · Strong’s G4328Verb · Translated: look 3, waiting 3, expecting 3, expect 2Full study and all 15 verses →
Luke 1:21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he took so long in the temple.
Acts 28:6 The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
- ἐκδέχομαι ekdéchomaiI wait for, expecttranslated this way 3 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s G1551Verb · Translated: waiting 1, wait 1, expecting 1, waits 1Full study and all 6 verses →
Acts 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols.
1 Corinthians 11:33 So, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
- ἐνεδρεύω enedreúōI lie in wait for, seek to entrap, defraud, deceivetranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s G1748Verb · Translated: waiting 1, waiting to ambush 1Full study and all 2 verses →
Luke 11:54 waiting to catch Him in something He might say.
Acts 23:21 Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.”
- διακονέω diakonéōI wait at table, servetranslated this way 2 times of its 37 uses · Strong’s G1247Verb · Translated: serve 6, serves 6, ministered 5, served 4Full study and all 32 verses →
Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them.
Acts 6:2 So the Twelve summoned all the disciples and said, “It is unacceptable for us to neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.