Psalms 39:7
And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Hope language permeates Israel's worship and prophetic literature. The psalms repeatedly express hope in God: 'Why art thou cast down, O my soul?... hope thou in God' (Psalm 42:5, 11). The prophets sustained hope during exile: 'The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him' (Lamentations 3:25). This hope wasn't naive optimism but covenant confidence—God had bound Himself by oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and His faithfulness was certain.
Israel's historical experience validated and tested this hope. The exodus demonstrated God's faithfulness to deliver; the wilderness wandering tested whether they'd trust Him; the conquest proved His power; the exile challenged their hope to the breaking point. Yet throughout, faithful remnants maintained hope in God. Daniel, Ezekiel, and other exiles expressed confident expectation that God would restore Israel despite circumstances suggesting permanent destruction.
Jewish hope became increasingly eschatological during the Second Temple period. After centuries without king or independence, hope centered on God's future intervention—the coming Messiah, resurrection of the dead, establishment of God's eternal kingdom. This hope sustained Jews through Greek persecution (Maccabean period) and Roman occupation. When Jesus announced 'the kingdom of God is at hand' (Mark 1:15), He addressed this deep-seated hope.
The New Testament transforms hope through resurrection. Jesus conquered death, the ultimate human frailty, proving that God's power extends beyond mortality. The resurrection became the 'anchor of the soul' (Hebrews 6:19), the foundation of Christian hope. Paul calls Christ 'our hope' (1 Timothy 1:1), Peter speaks of 'living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead' (1 Peter 1:3). What was future expectation became present reality in Christ, yet still awaits final fulfillment at His return.
Questions for Reflection
- What are you 'waiting for'—what is the true object of your hope and expectation?
- How does placing your hope exclusively 'in God' rather than circumstances affect your emotional stability?
- In what areas of life are you tempted to place hope in human solutions rather than divine provision?
- How does Christ's resurrection transform hope from wishful thinking to confident expectation?
- What difference would it make if you truly believed 'my hope is in thee' rather than in your abilities or resources?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. After contemplating human frailty and life's brevity (verses 4-6), David reaches this psalm's theological turning point. The question 'what wait I for?' (umah qivviti, וּמָה־קִוִּיתִי) flows from previous verses' meditation on mortality. If life is so brief and human existence so fragile, what can provide hope? David's answer is decisive and exclusive: 'my hope is in thee.'
The word 'hope' (tikvati, תִּקְוָתִי) in Hebrew carries stronger meaning than English 'hope' (which often implies wishful thinking). Biblical hope is confident expectation rooted in God's character and promises—not optimistic uncertainty but assured certainty. The word comes from qavah (קָוָה), meaning to wait, to expect with confidence, to look eagerly. It's the same word used in Isaiah 40:31: 'They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength.'
The exclusive nature of David's hope is emphasized: 'my hope is in thee'—not in circumstances, not in human help, not in his own abilities, but in God alone. This echoes Psalm 62:5: 'My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.' When all earthly foundations prove unstable, God remains the only reliable foundation. Jeremiah warned, 'Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm... Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is' (Jeremiah 17:5, 7).
This verse represents the proper response to mortality awareness. Recognizing human frailty should drive us to divine sufficiency. We're temporary, but God is eternal; we're weak, but God is strong; we're mortal, but God offers immortality through Christ. Paul wrote, 'If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead' (1 Corinthians 15:19-20). Christian hope transcends death because it rests in the resurrected Christ.