What does חָכָה (ḥākāh) mean in the Bible?
חָכָה (ḥākāh): Waiting as active adherence or clinging; not passive but physically/emotionally holding fast to anticipation
Hebrew · H2442
חָכָה
Properly, to adhere to; hence, to await
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חָכָה H2442
Pronunciation ḥākāh
What does חָכָה (ḥākāh) mean in the Bible?
חָכָה (ḥākāh): Waiting as active adherence or clinging; not passive but physically/emotionally holding fast to anticipation
Full entry for חָכָה (H2442) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2442?
The BSB source-word alignment has 14 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include wait (2), and wait (1), delay (1), had waited (1), he who waits (1).
Where does חָכָה (ḥākāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 2 Kings 7:9. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (4), 2 Kings (2), Job (2), Psalms (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It wait 2× Habakkuk 2:3, Zephaniah 3:8
and wait 1× 2 Kings 7:9
delay 1× 2 Kings 9:3
had waited 1× Job 32:4
he who waits 1× Daniel 12:12
I will wait 1× Isaiah 8:17
longs 1× Isaiah 30:18
on behalf of those who wait 1× Isaiah 64:4
to wait 1× Psalms 106:13
waits 1× Psalms 33:20
who lie in ambush 1× Hosea 6:9
who long 1× Job 3:21
who wait 1× Isaiah 30:18
Show sample aligned rows
2 Kings 7:9 וְחִכִּ֛ינוּ to and wait Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common plural 2 Kings 9:3 תְחַכֶּֽה׃ to delay Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Job 3:21 הַֽמְחַכִּ֣ים to who long Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural Job 32:4 חִכָּ֣ה to had waited Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular Psalms 33:20 חִכְּתָ֣ה to waits Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singular Psalms 106:13 חִ֝כּ֗וּ to to wait Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural Isaiah 8:17 וְחִכִּ֙יתִי֙ to I will wait Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular Isaiah 30:18 יְחַכֶּ֤ה to longs Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Isaiah 30:18 ח֥וֹכֵי to who wait Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct Isaiah 64:4 לִמְחַכֵּה־ to on behalf of those who wait Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row 2 Kings 7:9
Aligned rows 14
Books represented 8
2 Kings 2 Job 2 Psalms 2 Isaiah 4 Daniel 1 Hosea 1 Habakkuk 1 Zephaniah 1
Source forms
הַֽמְחַכֶּ֖ה 1x ham·ḥak·keh Daniel 12:12
הַֽמְחַכִּ֣ים 1x ham·ḥak·kîm Job 3:21
וְחִכִּ֛ינוּ 1x wə·ḥik·kî·nū 2 Kings 7:9
וְחִכִּ֙יתִי֙ 1x wə·ḥik·kî·ṯî Isaiah 8:17
וּכְחַכֵּ֨י 1x ū·ḵə·ḥak·kê Hosea 6:9
ח֥וֹכֵי 1x ḥō·w·ḵê Isaiah 30:18
חִכָּ֣ה 1x ḥik·kāh Job 32:4
חַכֵּה־ 1x ḥak·kêh- Habakkuk 2:3
Parsing patterns
Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural 1x Job 3:21
Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular 1x Daniel 12:12
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common plural 1x 2 Kings 7:9
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 1x Isaiah 8:17
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct 1x Hosea 6:9
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct 1x Isaiah 64:4
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural 1x Zephaniah 3:8
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular 1x Habakkuk 2:3
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Waiting as active adherence or clinging; not passive but physically/emotionally holding fast to anticipation
Strong's H2442
Lexical occurrences 14 verses Word forms 2 forms 8 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Isaiah 30:18-26 Source Gloss
properly, to adhere to; hence, to await
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Waiting as active adherence or clinging; not passive but physically/emotionally holding fast to anticipation
properly, to adhere to; hence, to await BDB: wait Usage: long, tarry, wait.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 8
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 7×
Perfect Job 32:4 · Ps 33:20 · Ps 106:13 3×
Imperfect 2Kgs 9:3 · Isa 30:18 2×
Sequential imperfect Hab 2:3 · Zeph 3:8 2×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 1×
Participle active Isa 30:18 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
God waits to show grace, expecting people to seek His justice
Faithful expectation of God's actions for those who await Him
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 14 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
חָכָה is built from this root:
חָקָה H2707
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain