Hope in the Psalms and the Prophets

Introduction

Hope is a fundamental pillar of the spirituality of the Old Testament and of pre-Christian Judaism. In the Psalms and in the writings of the prophets, hope goes beyond mere expectation, showing itself as a deep trust in God in the face of adversity. This article explores the Hebrew vocabulary related to hope and how it is used in prayers and prophecies, reflecting the unshakable faith of the people of Israel.

The vocabulary of hope in the Psalms and the prophets

The vocabulary of the Hebrew Bible corresponding to the semantic field of ἔλπίς in the New Testament and the Septuagint appears mainly in the prayers of the Book of Psalms and in the writings of the prophets. These expressions are frequently found in laments and supplications, both communal and individual.

In the Book of Jeremiah, for example, we find laments in times of drought, in which God is invoked as the “hope of Israel” (Jeremiah 14:2-9), and hopeful trust is placed exclusively in the almighty and chosen God (Jeremiah 14:19-22). Similarly, the individual supplications in the Psalms express a confident expectation in God, as in passages such as Psalms 71 (70):5; 62 (61):6; 38 (37):16; 31 (32):7b-8a; 61 (60):4-5 (Woschitz, 286-297; Van Menxel, 172-182).

These prayers, coming both from distressed communities and from suffering individuals, bear witness that salvation, deliverance from misfortunes, illnesses, oppression, or other evils, often material ones, is expected from God alone. They trust in Him as the Almighty Creator and the Lord of Israel’s Covenant.

Hope and the observance of the Law

Some psalmists deepen their reflection on hope, linking it to fidelity to the Law (Psalms 27 [26]:14; 37 [36]:3-7, 34ab). In these texts, the psalmist associates trust in God with the blessings that flow from it:

• Possession of the land: Psalms 32 [31]:9b, 34
• The grace of the Lord: Psalms 32 [31]:10; 33 [32]:18
• Protection from punishment: Psalms 34 [33]:23
• Security: Psalms 25 [24]:3

Hope in God is therefore extolled as a virtue, and those who possess it are called blessed (Psalms 146 [145]:5; 84 [83]:13; 40 [39]:5; Jeremiah 17:7-8). These “hopeful” ones are associated with those who seek God, with the “poor” and the “pious” (Psalms 69 [68]:7; 37 [36]:9, 28; 31 [30]:24-25). Thus hope in God, in His faithfulness and power, is a central theme of the spirituality expressed in the Psalms.

Hope in the prophecies

The prophetic writings broaden and deepen the theme of hope. It is reinforced by various promises of salvation, such as:

• The restoration of Jerusalem: Isaiah 2:2-3
• The promise of a new covenant: Jeremiah 31:31-34
• The birth of a promised child: Isaiah 7:14; 9:5; 11:1-5; Micah 5:1-5
• A new exodus: Hosea 2:7; Isaiah 43:16-21
• The resurrection of Israel: Ezekiel 37:1-14

The pre-exilic prophets, such as Isaiah, profess their hope in God even when His word is rejected by their hearers (Isaiah 8:16-18). In the Book of Consolation, written during the exile, Isaiah responds to the people’s despair by affirming that God has not abandoned Israel (Isaiah 41:27-31). He grounds his call to hope in the eternity of God, Creator of the earth and guide of history. This text may be the first explicit expression of how hope is a fundamental attitude of Israelite faith.

In the last section of the Book of Isaiah, which heralds apocalyptic literature, we find a fragment of a hymn that sums up the spirituality of hope:

“On that day they will say: This is our God, in whom we hoped, that He might save us. This is the Lord, in whom we hoped. Let us rejoice and exult in His salvation” (Isaiah 25:9).

This context includes the hope for the fulfillment of the definitive act of salvation, which entails the triumph over death and eternal life (Isaiah 25:6-8). The expressions of trust and hope in the faithful God, in both the Psalms and the prophets, show their roots in the pre-exilic period, but they grow denser over time, culminating in the vision of victory over death and of eschatological hope.

Recommended reading: Spe Salvi (Benedict XVI), the encyclical on Christian hope.

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Conclusion

Hope in the Psalms and the Prophets of the Old Testament is portrayed as a deep trust in God’s promises and faithfulness. From the supplications in the Psalms to the prophecies of restoration and covenant, hope is intrinsically bound up with the expectation of future blessings and of restoration. This vision of hope strengthens faith and guides the ethical and communal conduct of the people of Israel, reflecting the complexity and depth of the religious traditions that shaped Jewish spirituality.

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