תִּקְוָה
Tikvah, the name of two Israelites
Definition
Tiqvâh is a proper noun used as the name of two individuals in the Old Testament. In 2 Kings 22:14 and 2 Chronicles 34:22, Tikvah is the father of Shallum, the husband of the prophetess Huldah, who was consulted during King Josiah's religious reforms. In Ezra 10:15, a different Tikvah is mentioned as the father of Jahzeiah, who opposed the plan for Israelite men to divorce their foreign wives. The name is identical to the common Hebrew noun תִּקְוָה (tiqvâh, H8615), meaning 'hope,' 'cord,' or 'expectation.'
Biblical Usage
The name Tikvah appears only three times in the Old Testament, exclusively in historical narratives. It is used in the context of genealogical identification ('father of' or 'son of') for two different men. The first appears in the context of the late monarchy during Josiah's reign (2 Kings 22:14, 2 Chronicles 34:22), and the second appears in the post-exilic period during Ezra's reforms (Ezra 10:15). There is no narrative action directly associated with the individuals named Tikvah themselves.
Etymology
Tiqvâh is derived directly from the feminine noun תִּקְוָה (tiqvâh, H8615), meaning 'hope,' 'expectation,' or 'cord.' The root is קָוָה (qāvâh), meaning 'to wait for' or 'to look eagerly.' As a personal name, it is a 'theophoric' or meaningful name, likely expressing a parent's hope or expectation in God, a common practice in Israelite culture (e.g., Isaiah 40:31 uses the root qāvâh for 'those who hope in the LORD').
Semantic Range
While a proper name, its etymological connection to 'hope' (tiqvâh) is significant. In the Bible, names often reflect character, destiny, or theological truth. The appearance of individuals named 'Hope' at critical junctures—during national reformation under Josiah and during the community's painful post-exilic restoration under Ezra—may subtly underscore the theme of hope in God's promises during times of covenant renewal and moral crisis. Understanding the name's meaning adds a layer of depth to these narratives.
In ancient Israel, names were not merely labels but carried meaning and often expressed a prayer, attribute, or connection to God. Giving a child a name like Tikvah ('Hope') was an act of faith and aspiration. The two bearers of this name come from the priestly and leadership classes (associated with prophets and community leaders), suggesting it was a known and meaningful name within Israelite society, reflecting a key virtue of the covenant relationship with Yahweh.
תִּקְוָה (tiqvâh, H8615) — The common noun for 'hope' or 'cord' from which the proper name is derived. יֶחֶל (yāchal, H3176) — Another Hebrew word for 'hope' or 'wait,' focusing more on the patient endurance of waiting. כִּסְלָה (kislâh, H3689) — A poetic term for 'hope' or 'confidence,' often implying folly if misplaced. שֶׂבֶר (sever, H7664) — Meaning 'hope' or 'expectation,' but also can mean 'break of day.'
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →