A Hebrew verb meaning to wait for, look eagerly for, hope, expect. The root carries the physical image of twisting or stretching a cord taut — like a rope under tension. Biblical waiting is not passive sitting but active, tensed expectation — stretched toward God with every fiber, like a taut rope connected to an anchor.
'But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles' (Isaiah 40:31) — one of Scripture's most beloved promises depends on qavah. The image is powerful: strength comes not from frantic activity but from taut, expectant connection to God. The Psalmist models this: 'I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope' (Psalm 130:5) — three dimensions of active waiting. Jeremiah 14:22 confesses, 'We set our hope on you' — in the midst of drought, when all other sources fail, hope is a cord stretched toward God alone. Biblical hope is not wishful thinking but taut, expectant trust in a God who has promised and will deliver.