Hope and Expectation
An anchor, not a wish — biblical hope in Greek and Hebrew
Modern English has drained 'hope' of its weight. Biblical hope — elpis in Greek, tiqvah in Hebrew — is not a vague wish but a confident expectation grounded in the character of God. It leans forward into the future with certainty, anchored not in circumstances but in the promises of the One who made them and will keep them.
ἐλπίς — An Anchor, Not a Wish
expectation (abstractly or concretely) or confidence
Also rendered: faith, hope
The Greek elpis is not the passive, 'fingers-crossed' hope of everyday English — Hebrews uses the image of an anchor: 'hope as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast.' It is expectation that leans forward with confidence, not wishful thinking about what might happen but settled trust in what has been promised by the One who cannot lie.