The Greek verb prosdokaō (προσδοκάω) means to wait for, expect, or look forward to something with anticipation. It combines pros (toward) + dokeō (to think/seem) to convey the idea of directing one's thoughts and attention toward a future event. It appears about 16 times in the New Testament and is used of both positive expectation and anxious anticipation.
Biblical hope is not mere optimism — it is structured, active expectation based on God's promises. Prosdokaō captures this posture. The Simeon and Anna narratives (Luke 2) exemplify it: both had spent their lives waiting for the consolation of Israel and the redemption of Jerusalem. John the Baptist, in prison, sends disciples asking, 'Are you the one we have been waiting for?' (Matthew 11:3). Peter's eschatological exhortation in 2 Peter 3:13–14 calls believers to 'look forward to (prosdokōmen) a new heaven and a new earth' — and this expectation is meant to drive holy living in the present. We wait actively, not passively.