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Hebrew verb · H3176

יָחַל

yachalyaw-chal'

to wait: wait

41 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Concordance spelling: yâchal

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H3176is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 11 of 39
    Old Testament books
  • 31
    spellings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · H3176

to wait; by implication, to be patient, hope

The King James renders it: (cause to, have, make to) hope, be pained, stay, tarry, trust, wait.

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

yachal is rendered "to wait: wait". It stands 41 times in the Hebrew text, across eleven books.

  • Nineteen of the uses stand in Psalms, more than in any other book.
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Genesis 8:12And Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but this time she did not return to him.
  • The Greek text spells it thirty-one different ways.

The first use

And Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but this time she did not return to him.

Genesis 8:12וַיִּיָּ֣חֶל

The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.

Where the word stands

Nineteen of the word's forty-one uses are in Psalms.

The other 28 Old Testament books never use the word.

What the word means

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

How the Greek text is glossed, word by word

  • I will wait7
  • I hope5
  • wait3
  • and he waited2
  • and they waited2
  • hope2
  • and I waited1
  • and they have waited1
  • and will I wait1
  • I am waiting1
  • I have hoped1
  • I have waited1

and 14 more, 41 uses in all

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

יָחַשׂyachasto enrollUses18
יָחַםyachamto conceiveUses6
יָחַדyachadbe joinedUses3
יָחַרyacharto delayUsesnot recorded

The words it stands beside

All 41, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

31 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • יִחָֽלְתִּי׃5
  • אֲיַחֵ֑ל4
  • הוֹחִ֣ילִי3
  • אוֹחִ֥יל2
  • אוֹחִֽיל׃ ס1
  • אוֹחִ֜ילָה1
  • אוֹחִ֖ילָה1
  • אֹחִ֣ילָה1
  • הוֹחַ֨לְתִּי1
  • הוֹחָ֑לְתִּי1
  • הוֹחָֽלְתִּי׃1
  • הַ֝מְיַחֲלִ֗ים1

and 19 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • verb · intensive (piel), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singular5HVpp1cs
  • verb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singular4HVpi1cs
  • verb · causative (hiphil), infinitive (“to…”) · 1st person common singular3HVhc1cs
  • verb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singular3HVhi1cs
  • verb · causative (hiphil), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singular3HVhp1cs
  • verb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person feminine singular3HVhv2fs
  • Hc/Vpq3cp2Hc/Vpq3cp
  • the definite article (“the”) + verb · intensive (piel), participle · masculine plural2HTd/Vprmpa
  • verb · intensive (piel), command · 2nd person masculine singular2HVpv2ms
  • Hc/Vhq1cs1Hc/Vhq1cs
  • Hc/Vhw3ms1Hc/Vhw3ms
  • Hc/VNw3ms1Hc/VNw3ms

Genesis

one use
  • And Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but this time she did not return to him.

    Genesis 8:12

    • וַיִּיָּ֣חֶלvaiyiyachelHc/VNw3mstagged: and he waited

1 Samuel

two uses
  • And you shall go before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”

    1 Samuel 10:8

    • תּוֹחֵל֙tochelverb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: may you wait
  • And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.

    1 Samuel 13:8

    • וַיּ֣וֹחֶלvaiyichelHc/Vhw3mstagged: and he waited

2 Samuel

one use
  • But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree.

    2 Samuel 18:14

    • אֹחִ֣ילָהʾochilahverb · causative (hiphil), infinitive (“to…”) · 1st person common singulartagged: I will wait

2 Kings

one use
  • While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”

    2 Kings 6:33

    • אוֹחִ֥ילʾochilverb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: will I wait

Job

eight uses
  • What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What is my future, that I should be patient?

    Job 6:11

    • אֲיַחֵ֑לʾayachelverb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I will wait
  • Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.

    Job 13:15

    • אֲיַחֵ֑לʾayachelverb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I will hope
  • When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, until my renewal comes.

    Job 14:14

    • אֲיַחֵ֑לʾayachelverb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I will wait
  • Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.

    Job 29:21

    • וְיִחֵ֑לּוּveyicheluconjunction (“and”) + verb · intensive (piel), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: and they waited
  • They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.

    Job 29:23

    • וְיִֽחֲל֣וּveyichaluHc/Vpq3cptagged: and they waited
  • But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness fell.

    Job 30:26

    • וַֽאֲיַחֲלָ֥הvaayachalahconjunction (“and”) + verb · intensive (piel), infinitive (“to…”) · 1st person common singulartagged: and I waited
  • Indeed, I waited while you spoke; I listened to your reasoning; as you searched for words,

    Job 32:11

    • הוֹחַ֨לְתִּיhochaltiverb · causative (hiphil), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I waited
  • Must I wait, now that they are silent, now that they stand and no longer reply?

    Job 32:16

    • וְ֭הוֹחַלְתִּיvehochaltiHc/Vhq1cstagged: and will I wait

Psalms

nineteen uses
  • Be strong and courageous, all you who hope in the LORD.

    Psalms 31:24

    • הַ֝מְיַחֲלִ֗יםhamyachalimthe definite article (“the”) + verb · intensive (piel), participle · masculine pluraltagged: those wait
  • Surely the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His loving devotion

    Psalms 33:18

    • לַֽמְיַחֲלִ֥יםlamyachalimpreposition with the article + verb · intensive (piel), participle · masculine pluraltagged: to the hope
  • May Your loving devotion rest on us, O LORD, as we put our hope in You.

    Psalms 33:22

    • יִחַ֥לְנוּyichalnuverb · intensive (piel), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common pluraltagged: we hope
  • I wait for You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God.

    Psalms 38:15

    • הוֹחָ֑לְתִּיhochaltiverb · causative (hiphil), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I have waited
  • Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence.

    Psalms 42:5

    • הוֹחִ֣ילִיhochiliverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person feminine singulartagged: wait
  • Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.

    Psalms 42:11

    • הוֹחִ֣ילִיhochiliverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person feminine singulartagged: wait
  • Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.

    Psalms 43:5

    • הוֹחִ֣ילִיhochiliverb · causative (hiphil), command · 2nd person feminine singulartagged: wait
  • I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

    Psalms 69:3

    • מְ֝יַחֵ֗לmeyachelverb · intensive (piel), participle · masculine singulartagged: waiting
  • But I will always hope and will praise You more and more.

    Psalms 71:14

    • אֲיַחֵ֑לʾayachelverb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I will wait
  • Never take Your word of truth from my mouth, for I hope in Your judgments.

    Psalms 119:43

    • יִחָֽלְתִּי׃yichaltiverb · intensive (piel), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I hope
  • Remember Your word to Your servant, upon which You have given me hope.

    Psalms 119:49

    • יִֽחַלְתָּֽנִי׃yichaltaniverb · intensive (piel), qatal (perfect) · 2nd person masculine singular + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: you have made hope me
  • May those who fear You see me and rejoice, for I have hoped in Your word.

    Psalms 119:74

    • יִחָֽלְתִּי׃yichaltiverb · intensive (piel), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I have hoped
  • My soul faints for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.

    Psalms 119:81

    • יִחָֽלְתִּי׃yichaltiverb · intensive (piel), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I hope
  • You are my hiding place and my shield; I put my hope in Your word.

    Psalms 119:114

    • יִחָֽלְתִּי׃yichaltiverb · intensive (piel), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I hope
  • I rise before dawn and cry for help; in Your word I have put my hope.

    Psalms 119:147

    • יִחָֽלְתִּי׃yichaltiverb · intensive (piel), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I hope
  • I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope.

    Psalms 130:5

    • הוֹחָֽלְתִּי׃hochaltiverb · causative (hiphil), qatal (perfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I hope
  • O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is loving devotion, and with Him is redemption in abundance.

    Psalms 130:7

    • יַחֵ֥לyachelverb · intensive (piel), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: hope
  • O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, both now and forevermore.

    Psalms 131:3

    • יַחֵ֣לyachelverb · intensive (piel), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: hope
  • The LORD is pleased with those who fear Him, who hope in His loving devotion.

    Psalms 147:11

    • הַֽמְיַחֲלִ֥יםhamyachalimthe definite article (“the”) + verb · intensive (piel), participle · masculine pluraltagged: those hope

Isaiah

two uses
  • He will not grow weak or discouraged before He has established justice on the earth. In His law the islands will put their hope.”

    Isaiah 42:4

    • יְיַחֵֽילוּ׃ פyeyacheiluverb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: they will wait
  • My righteousness draws near, My salvation is on the way, and My arms will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look for Me and wait in hope for My arm.

    Isaiah 51:5

    • יְיַחֵלֽוּן׃yeyachelunverb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine plural + paragogic nuntagged: they will hope

Jeremiah

one use
  • My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.

    Jeremiah 4:19

    • אוֹחִ֜ילָהʾachulahverb · causative (hiphil), infinitive (“to…”) · 1st person common singulartagged: I am waiting

Lamentations

two uses
  • Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope:

    Lamentations 3:21

    • אוֹחִֽיל׃ סʾochilverb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I will wait
  • “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”

    Lamentations 3:24

    • אוֹחִ֥ילʾochilverb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 1st person common singulartagged: I will wait

Ezekiel

two uses
  • They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ when the LORD did not send them; yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message.

    Ezekiel 13:6

    • וְיִֽחֲל֖וּveyichaluHc/Vpq3cptagged: and they have waited
  • When she saw that she had waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.

    Ezekiel 19:5

    • נֽוֹחֲלָ֔הnochalahverb · passive or reflexive (niphal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person feminine singulartagged: she waited

Micah

two uses
  • Then the remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind.

    Micah 5:7

    • יְיַחֵ֖לyeyachelverb · intensive (piel), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it waits
  • But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

    Micah 7:7

    • אוֹחִ֖ילָהʾochilahverb · causative (hiphil), infinitive (“to…”) · 1st person common singulartagged: I will wait

The letters

Where it leads

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.

The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESH gloss (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →