waiting for the blessed hope

ἐλπίς, ίδος, ἡ (s. ἐλπίζω; Hom.+ ‘expectation, hope’, also ‘foreboding’ Aeschyl. et al.)

① the looking forward to someth. with some reason for confidence respecting fulfillment, hope, expectation:

ⓐ gener. hope, expectation, prospect ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι (for the spelling s. 1bα below) in hope (Ps.-Pla., Alc. 1, 105a ἐπὶ τίνι ἐλπίδι ζῇς; Eur., Herc. Fur. 804; X., Mem. 2, 1, 18; Diod S 13, 21, 7; Jos., Ant. 4, 36) 1 Cor 9:10a in a quotation (source unknown; cp. Sir. 6:19). παρʼ ἐλπίδα contrary to (all human) expectation (Aeschyl., Ag. 899; Aeneas Tact. 1020; Lycophron vs. 535; Dionys. Hal. 6, 25; Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 22 §85; Philo, Mos. 1, 250; Jos., Bell. 3, 183, Vi. 380; Just., D. 2, 5) Ro 4:18. W. objective gen. (Diod S 16, 55, 4 τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἐλπίς; Appian, Celt. 1 §9 ἐλπὶς ἀναβιώσεως; Jos., Vi. 325 ἐ. κέρδους; Just., D. 8, 3 ἐ. … ἀμείνονος μοίρας) ἐλπὶς τ. ἐργασίας hope of gain Ac 16:19; μετανοίας IEph 10:1; Hs 6, 2, 4; 8, 7, 2; 8, 10, 2. W. gen. of the inf. (Dositheus 19, 6 ἐ. τοῦ δύνασθαι; Ath. 33, 1 τοῦ συνέσεσθαι θεῷ) τοῦ σῴζεσθαι Ac 27:20; τοῦ μετέχειν 1 Cor 9:10b. ἐλπίδα ἔχειν (oft. LXX and non-bibl. wr.) w. gen. of the inf. τοῦ μετανοῆσαι Hs 8, 6, 5. τῇ ἐ. ἐσώθημεν we are saved (or possess salvation) only in hope/anticipation (not yet in reality) Ro 8:24 (Diod S 20, 40, 1 περιεβάλετο ταῖς ἐλπίσι μείζονα δυναστείαν=he entertained prospects of control over a larger realm). ἡ ἐ. ἡμῶν βεβαία ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν our expectations involving you are well founded (Paul is confident that the Cor. will hold out under oppression in the future as they have in the past) 2 Cor 1:7. Of the confidence that the Jews placed in their temple ματαία ἡ ἐ. αὐτῶν B 16:2 (on empty hope, s. Reader, Polemo 313).

ⓑ esp. pert. to matters spoken of in God’s promises, hope

α. without specif. ref. to Christian hope ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι (for the spelling ἐφʼ ἑλπίδι s. B-D-F §14; Rob. 224 and cp. an ins fr. Asia Minor: PASA II, 1888, p. 89 ln. 15 ἐπʼ ἐλπίδος and ln. 26 ἐφʼ ἑλπίδος) in (the) hope (Diod S 13, 21, 7 ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι [σωτηρίας]) Ro 8:20 (B-D-F §235, 2); cp. Tit 1:2. ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν full of hope he believed (in God) Ro 4:18. The ἐπʼ ἐ. of Ac 2:26 could also be understood in this way, but it is also prob. that in this quot. fr. Ps 15:9 the OT mng. in safety (Judg 18:7 B, 27 B; Hos 2:20; Pr 1:33) is correct, as 1 Cl 57:7 (Pr 1:33), unless, with Lat., Syr., and Copt. transl. and Clem. Al., Strom. 2, 22 πεποιθώς is to be added. Of Israel’s messianic hope Ac 23:6 (ἐ. καὶ ἀνάστασις for ἐ. τῆς ἀν. [obj. gen.] as 2 Macc 3:29 ἐ. καὶ σωτηρία); 26:6; 28:20. In imagery of one who combines γνώσις with interest in ζωή Dg 12:6.

β. of Christian expectation: abs. Ro 5:4f; 12:12; 15:13; 1 Cor 13:13 (cp. Pol. 3:3; on the triad: faith, hope, love s. on ἀγάπη 1aα; s. also WWeis, ZNW 84, ’93, 196–217); Hb 3:6; 6:11; 10:23; 1 Pt 3:15; Agr. 7; 2 Cl 17:7; IEph 1:2; IMg 7:1; expectation of resurrection 1 Cl 27:1. ἐ. ἀγαθή (Pla., Phd. 67c; X., Mem. 2, 1, 18 et al.; FCumont, Lux Perpetua ’49 p. 401–5 with numerous reff., including some from the mystery religions [IG V/2 p. 63: 64/61 B.C.]; μετὰ ἀγαθῆς ἐ. Hippol., Ref. 4, 49, 3; cp. ἐ. ἔχειν … ἀρίστας Orig., C. Cels. 4, 27, 14) 2 Th 2:16 (POtzen, ZNW 49, ’58, 283–85); ἐ. κρείττων Hb 7:19; ἐ. ζῶσα 1 Pt 1:3; cp. εἰς ἐ. B. 11:8. τὸ κοινὸν τῆς ἐ. the common hope 1 Cl 51:1; cp. κοινὴ ἐ. IPh 5:2; καινότης ἐλπίδος new hope IMg 9:1. W. subj. gen. Phil 1:20; ἐ. τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν 1 Cl 58:2; cp. 57:2. W. obj. gen., which designates the obj. of the hope (Ps.-Callisth. 1, 18, 1 ἱλαρὸς ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ τέκνου ἐλπίδι=glad because of hope for the son; τῆς ἀναστάσεως Iren. 4, 18, 5 [Harv. II 208, 2]; Orig., C. Cels. 3, 3, 9; Did., Gen. 216, 16) ἐπʼ ἐ. τῆς ἐπαγγελίας because of hope in the promise Ac 26:6, cp. vs. 7; ἐ. ζωῆς αἰωνίου Tit 1:2; 3:7 (Ath. 33, 1); cp. B 1:4, 6; Hs 9, 26, 2; ἐ. τῆς δόξης τ. θεοῦ Ro 5:2; cp. Col 1:27; ἐ. σωτηρίας (cp. Aeneas Tact. ln. 14; Lucian, Abdic. 31; En 98:14; Philo, Leg. ad Gai. 329; Jos., Bell. 3, 194) 1 Th 5:8; 2 Cl 1:7. ἐλπίδα δικαιοσύνης ἀπεκδεχόμεθα Gal 5:5 is also obj. gen., since it is a blending of the two expressions ‘we await righteousness’ and ‘we have expectation of righteousness’ (cp. Job 2:9a προσδεχόμενος τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας μου); ἐ. τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν 1 Th 1:3 prob. belongs here also: hope in our Lord.—The gen. can also give the basis for the expectation: ἐ. τοῦ εὐαγγελίου hope that is based on the gospel Col 1:23; ἐ. τῆς κλήσεως the hope that is given w. the calling Eph 1:18; 4:4; ἐ. τῆς πίστεως hope that faith affords B 4:8; ὁ θεὸς τῆς ἐ. Ro 15:13. Sim. ἐ. εἰς (Plut., Galba 1061 [19, 6]; Achilles Tat. 6, 17, 5): ἐ. εἰς θεόν (εἰς τὸν θεόν Did., Gen. 150, 26) hope in God or directed towards God 1 Pt 1:21 (cp. AcThom 28 [Aa II/2, 145, 4]); εἰς τ. Ἰησοῦν B 11:11; cp. ἐ. ἐν (αὐτῷ Diod S 17, 26, 2): ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ Mt 12:21 v.l. ἐπὶ λίθον ἡ ἐ.; is (our) hope based on a stone? (w. ref. to Is 28:16) B 6:3.—As obj. of ἔχω: ἔχειν ἐλπίδα Ro 15:4; 2 Cor 3:12 (cp. Just., D. 141, 3); ἐ. μὴ ἔχοντες (Diod S 21, 12, 1 μηδεμίαν ἔχειν ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας) Eph 2:12; 1 Th 4:13; Hv 3, 11, 3; Hs 9, 14, 3; οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἐλπίδα (Wsd 3:18) Hv 1, 1, 9; ἀπώλεσάς σου τὴν πᾶσαν ἐ. 33, 7. W. ἐπί τινι in someone 1J 3:3 (cp. Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 86 §354 ἐφʼ ἑνί; Lucian, Somn. 2; Ps 61:8; Is 26:3f; ἐπὶ τῇ μετανοίᾳ Orig., C. Cels. 3, 65, 17); likew. εἴς τινα (Thu. 3, 14, 1;—Appian, Liby. 51 §223 ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας ἔχειν ἔν τινι=place a hope of safety in someone) Ac 24:15; πρός τινα ibid. v.l. The obj. of the hope follows in the aor. inf. 2 Cor 10:15; in the acc. w. inf. Ac 24:15; w. ὅτι Ro 8:20f (v.l. διότι [q.v. 4]); Phil 1:20.

② that which is the basis for hoping, (foundation of) hope (ἐλπὶς … σύ, ὁ θεός PsSol 15:1; Thu. 3, 57, 4 ὑμεῖς, ὦ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, ἡ μόνη ἐλπίς; Plut., Mor. 169c; Oenom. in Eus., PE 5, 23, 5: for the Athenians in the Persian Wars, σωτηρίας ἐλπὶς μόνος ὁ θεός=God was their only hope for deliverence; IG III, 131, 1; Jer 17:7) of a Christian community 1 Th 2:19; of Christ, our hope 1 Ti 1:1 (sim. POxy 3239 [II A.D.] of Isis; New Docs 2, 77; EJudge, TynBull 35, ’84, 8); cp. Col 1:27; IEph 21:2; IPhld 11:2; IMg 11; ISm 10:2; ITr ins; 2:2; Pol 8:1.

③ that for which one hopes, hope, something hoped for (Vi. Aesopi G 8 P. ἀπὸ θεῶν λήμψεσθαι ἐλπίδας) ἐ. βλεπομένη οὐκ ἔστιν ἐ. something hoped for, when it is seen, is no longer hoped for=one cannot hope for what one already has Ro 8:24. διὰ τ. ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀποκειμένην ὑμῖν ἐν τ. οὐρανοῖς because of what you hope for, which is stored up for you in the heavens Col 1:5; προσδεχόμενοι τ. μακαρίαν ἐ. waiting for the blessed hope Tit 2:13 (cp. 2 Macc 7:14 τὰς ὐπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ προσδοκᾶν ἐλπίδας and Aristot. EN 1, 9, 10 οἱ δὲ λεγόμενοι διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα μακαρίζονται of children who may be called fortunate in the present only because of latent promise). ἡ προκειμένη ἐ. Hb 6:18 (cp. Just., D. 35, 2 ἐν τῇ ἐ. κατηγγελμένῃ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ).—PVolz, D. Eschatol. der jüd. Gemeinde ’34, 91ff; JdeGuibert, Sur l’emploi d’ ἐλπίς et ses synonymes dans le NT: RSR 4, 1913, 565–96; APott, D. Hoffen im NT 1915; WGrossouw, L’espérance dans le NT: RB 61, ’54, 508–32; DDenton, SJT 34, ’81, 313–20 (link w. ὑπομονή).—B. 1164. Schmidt, Syn. III 583–90. DELG s.v. ἔλπομαι. M-M. EDNT. TW. Spicq. Sv.