Pastor Bob Grimm shares the definition of the Hebrew word for wait.
The Hebrew Word For Wait
Isaiah 40:31 contains excellent promise from the Lord. It says, “Those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary.”
Most Bible readers understand the word “wait” in the given verse to wait, hope for, and expect. Waiting for the Lord means passively sitting to wait and trust in Him.
But, the Hebrew word for wait in the passage is qavah, and it actually means “intertwine” as in “twisting and binding.” It is the word mainly used in making a rope.
When used alone, it easily breaks and cuts. But with “qavah,” the strand is bound with others, and they become unbreakable.
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Pastor Bob, who is the lead pastor of Life Church, explained this revelation. He said, “It’s like a three-legged race. You tie up with your partner, you tie your legs together, and then you have to get in sync with one another. That’s what wait is in Hebrew.”
He added, “In Hebrew, you get in sync with God, and He ties up with you. You feel when He pauses, and you pause. You feel when He runs, and you run. And it’s those who intertwine, who wait, who tie their life up with God’s, they renew their strength.”
And so, we understand that waiting in Isaiah 40:31 does not mean sitting and looking for God. It is actively binding, intertwining oneself with Him. The more you are intertwined with God, the more you get stronger. As the promise of the verse says, “They will run and not grow tired. They will walk and not become weary.”
