'Wait' in the Bible

“And I will put enmity (open hostility)Between you and the woman,And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed;He shall [fatally] bruise your head,And you shall [only] bruise His heel.”

“I wait for Your salvation, O Lord.

Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he is going out to the water, and wait for him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand the staff that was turned into a serpent.

However, if he did not lie in wait [for him], but God allowed him to fall into his hand, then I will establish for you a place to which he may escape [for protection until duly tried].

When she is cleansed from her discharge, then she shall count off for herself seven days, and after that she will be clean.

But if he pushed his victim out of hatred or threw something at him with malicious intent, and he died,

‘But if he pushed the victim suddenly, not in enmity, or threw anything at him without malicious intent,

“But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait and ambush for him and attacks him and strikes him down so that he dies, and the assailant escapes to one of these cities,

He commanded them, saying, “Listen closely, you are going to lie in wait and ambush the city from behind it. Do not go very far away from the city, but all of you be ready.

Please do not depart from here until I come back to You, and bring my offering and place it before You.” And He said, “I will wait until you return.”

Now then, get up during the night, you and the people who are with you, and set up an ambush in the field.

So Abimelech and all the people who were with him got up during the night, and set up an ambush against Shechem, in four companies.

So he took his people and divided them into three companies, and set an ambush in the field; and he looked and saw the people coming out of the city. And he rose up against them and struck them down.

The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” So they surrounded the place and waited all night at the gate of the city to ambush him. They kept quiet all night, saying, “In the morning, when it is light, we will kill him.”

Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner room. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he broke the cords as a string of tow breaks when it touches fire. So [the secret of] his strength was not discovered.

So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And the men lying in ambush were in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like [sewing] thread.

So they instructed the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go, set an ambush in the vineyards,

would you wait until they were grown? Would you go without marrying? No, my daughters; for it is much more difficult for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has gone against me.”

Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the Lord establish and confirm His word.” So the woman remained [behind] and nursed her son until she weaned him.

You shall go down ahead of me to Gilgal; and behold, I will be coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you must do.”

If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand in our place and not go up to them.

Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley.

For all of you have conspired against me so that no one informs me when my son [Jonathan] makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you cares about me or informs me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in ambush, as he does this day?”

Saul said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so he would rebel against me by lying in ambush, as he does this day?”

See, I am going to wait at the fords [of the Jordan] in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

So his servants said to him, “Let a young virgin be found for my lord the king and let her attend him and become his nurse; let her lie against your chest, so that my lord the king may feel warm.”

While Elisha was still talking with them, the messenger came down to him [followed by the king] and the king said, “This evil [situation] is from the Lord! Why should I wait for [help from] the Lord any longer?”

Then they said one to another, “We are not doing the right thing. This is a day of good news, yet we are keeping silent. If we wait until the morning light, some punishment [for not reporting this now] will come on us. So now come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”

For their duty is to assist [the priests] the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the Lord, in [caring for] the courtyards, the chambers, the purifying of all holy things, and any work of the service of the house of God,

We set out from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was upon us, and He rescued us from the hand of the enemy and those who lay in ambushes along the way.

Who wait for death, but it does not come,And dig (search) for death more [diligently] than for hidden treasures,

“What strength do I have left, that I should wait [and hope]?And what is ahead of me, that I should be patient and endure?

“Even though He kills me;I will hope in Him.Nevertheless, I will argue my ways to His face.

“If a man dies, will he live again?I will wait all the days of my struggleUntil my change and release will come.

“If my heart has been enticed and I was made a fool by a woman,Or if I have [covetously] lurked at my neighbor’s door [until his departure],

“And shall I wait, because they say nothing,But stand still and say no more?

“Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you,That there is yet more to say on God’s behalf.

When they crouch in their densAnd lie in wait in their lair?

In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice;In the morning I will prepare [a prayer and a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].

He lurks in a hiding place like a lion in his lair;He lies in wait to catch the afflicted;He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.

Indeed, none of those who [expectantly] wait for You will be ashamed;Those who turn away from what is right and deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed (humiliated, embarrassed).

Guide me in Your truth and teach me,For You are the God of my salvation;For You [and only You] I wait [expectantly] all the day long.

Let integrity and uprightness protect me,For I wait [expectantly] for You.

Teach me Your way, O Lord,And lead me on a level pathBecause of my enemies [who lie in wait].

Wait for and confidently expect the Lord;Be strong and let your heart take courage;Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

Be strong and let your hearts take courage,All you who wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear Him [and worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and obedience],On those who hope [confidently] in His compassion and lovingkindness,

We wait [expectantly] for the Lord;He is our help and our shield.

Be still before the Lord; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him;Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way,Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

For those who do evil will be cut off,But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.

The wicked lies in wait for the righteousAnd seeks to kill him.

Wait for and expect the Lord and keep His way,And He will exalt you to inherit the land;[In the end] when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

“And now, Lord, for what do I expectantly wait?My hope [my confident expectation] is in You.

Why are you in despair, O my soul?And why have you become restless and disturbed within me?Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise HimFor the help of His presence.

Why are you in despair, O my soul?Why have you become restless and disquieted within me?Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him,The help of my countenance and my God.

Why are you in despair, O my soul?And why are you restless and disturbed within me?Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him,The help of my [sad] countenance and my God.

I will thank You forever, because You have done it, [You have rescued me and kept me safe].I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.

My enemies have trampled upon me all day long,For they are many who fight proudly against me.

Look! They lie in wait for my life;Fierce and powerful men [are uniting together to] launch an attack against me,Not for my wrongdoing nor for any sin of mine, O Lord.

My God in His [steadfast] lovingkindness will meet me;God will let me look triumphantly on my enemies [who lie in wait for me].

For God alone my soul waits in silence and quietly submits to Him,For my hope is from Him.

Do not let those who wait [confidently] for You be ashamed through me, O Lord God of hosts;Do not let those who seek You [as necessary for life itself] be dishonored through me, O God of Israel,

My eye has looked on my foes;My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me.

They all wait for YouTo give them their food in its appointed season.

But they quickly forgot His works;They did not [patiently] wait for His counsel and purpose [to be revealed regarding them],

The wicked wait for me to destroy me,But I will consider Your testimonies.

I wait [patiently] for the Lord, my soul [expectantly] waits,And in His word do I hope.

The eyes of all look to You [in hopeful expectation],And You give them their food in due time.

If they say, “Come with us;Let us lie in wait to shed blood,Let us ambush the innocent without cause;

But [when these people set a trap for others] they lie in wait for their own blood;They set an ambush for their own lives [and rush to their destruction].

The [malevolent] words of the wicked lie in wait for [innocent] blood [to slander],But the mouth of the upright will rescue and protect them.

Do not say, “I will repay evil”;Wait [expectantly] for the Lord, and He will rescue and save you.

She lurks and lies in wait like a robber [who waits for prey],And she increases the faithless among men.

Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;Do not destroy his resting place;

And I will wait for the Lord who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; and I will look eagerly for Him.

Indeed, in the path of Your judgments, O Lord,We have waited expectantly for You;Your name, even Your memory, is the desire and deep longing of our souls.

Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you,And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.For the Lord is a God of justice;Blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for Him [since He will never fail them].

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]Will gain new strength and renew their power;They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun];They will run and not become weary,They will walk and not grow tired.

“He will not be disheartened or crushed [in spirit];[He will persevere] until He has established justice on the earth;And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

“Kings will be your attendants,And their princesses your nurses.They will bow down to you with their faces to the earthAnd lick the dust of your feet;And you shall know [with an understanding based on personal experience] that I am the Lord;For they shall not be put to shame who wait and hope expectantly for Me.

“My righteousness (justice) is near, My salvation has gone forth,And My arms will judge the peoples;The islands and coastlands will wait for Me,And they will wait with hope and confident expectation for My arm.

“Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;And you who have no money come, buy grain and eat.Come, buy wine and milkWithout money and without cost [simply accept it as a gift from God].

Therefore justice is far from us,And righteousness does not overtake us.We [expectantly] hope for light, but only see darkness;We hope for gleam of light, but we walk in darkness and gloom.

“The islands and coastlands will confidently wait for Me;And the ships of Tarshish will come first,To bring your sons from far away,Their silver and gold with them,For the name of the Lord your God,For the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you.

Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them,A wolf of the deserts will destroy them,A leopard is watching their cities.Everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces,Because their transgressions are many,Their desertions of faith are countless.

‘For wicked men are found among My people,They watch like fowlers who lie in wait;They set a trap,They catch men.

Are there any among the idols of the nations who can send rain?Or can the heavens [of their own will] give showers?Is it not You, O Lord our God?Therefore we will wait and hope [confidently] in You,For You are the one who has made all these things [the heavens and the rain].

He is to me like a bear lying in wait,And like a lion [hiding] in secret places.

“The Lord is my portion and my inheritance,” says my soul;“Therefore I have hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.”

The Lord is good to those who wait [confidently] for Him,To those who seek Him [on the authority of God’s word].

It is good that one waits quietlyFor the salvation of the Lord.

Our pursuers were swifterThan the eagles of the sky;They pursued us on the mountains,They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.

And as bands of robbers [lie in] wait for a man,So a band of priests murder on the road toward Shechem [covering their crimes in that city of refuge];Certainly they have committed crimes and outrages.

As they approach their plotting,Their mind burns [with intrigue] like an oven [while they lie in wait].Their anger smolders all night;In the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

Therefore, return [in repentance] to your God,Observe and highly regard kindness and justice,And wait [expectantly] for your God continually.

Then the remnant of JacobShall be among many peoplesLike dew from the Lord,Like showers on the grass [a source of blessing]Which [come suddenly and] do not wait for manNor delay for the sons of men.

The godly person [who is faithful and loyal to God] has perished from the earth,And there is no upright person [one with good character and moral integrity] among men.They all lie in wait to shed blood;Each hunts the other with a net.

But as for me, I will look expectantly for the Lord and with confidence in Him I will keep watch;I will wait [with confident expectation] for the God of my salvation.My God will hear me.

“For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] timeIt hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail.Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it,Because it will certainly come; it will not delay.

I heard and my whole inner self trembled;My lips quivered at the sound.Decay and rottenness enter my bones,And I tremble in my place.Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress,For the people to arise who will invade and attack us.