7664. seber

Lexical Summary

seber: Hope, expectation

Original Word: שֵׂבֶר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: seber
Pronunciation: SEH-ber
Phonetic Spelling: (say'-ber)
KJV: hope
NASB: hope
Word Origin: [from H7663 (שָׂבַר שָׁבַר - To hope)]

1. expectation

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

hope

From sabar; expectation -- hope.

see HEBREW sabar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from sabar
Definition
a hope
NASB Translation
hope (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[שֵׂ֫בֶר] noun masculine hope; — suffix שִׂבְרִי Psalm 119:116, ׳שִׂבְרוֺ עַליֿ Psalm 146:5.

Topical Lexicon

Root and Meaning

The noun שֵׂבֶר (seber) conveys the idea of positive anticipation—“hope,” “expectation,” or “confidence” in a future good. While the more common Hebrew term for hope is תִּקְוָה (tiqvah), seber nuances that hope as an inward posture of waiting that is grounded in the reliability of God’s spoken word and saving character rather than in human calculation.

Occurrences and Literary Context

Seber appears only twice, both in Psalms.
• Psalm 119:116 situates hope within a covenantal framework: “Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; let me not be ashamed of my hope.” The psalmist’s very survival depends on the sustaining power of Scripture; disgrace is portrayed not as a social embarrassment but as the collapse of expectation should God’s promises fail (which, by implication, they never will).
• Psalm 146:5 expands the horizon from personal to communal worship: “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God.” Here seber is paired with divine “help,” underscoring that authentic hope is inseparable from active divine intervention rooted in the patriarchal covenant.

Hope within the Story of Redemption

Seber joins the wider biblical testimony that true hope is anchored in God’s faithfulness:
• Genesis 49:18 anticipates salvation: “I wait for Your salvation, O LORD!” although employing a different verb, it shares the same posture of expectancy.
• Isaiah 25:9 proclaims, “Surely this is our God; we have waited for Him,” bridging seber’s concept of waiting with eschatological fulfillment.
• Romans 5:5 affirms the same principle under the New Covenant: “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” The apostle Paul echoes the psalmist’s confidence that hope grounded in God is never put to shame.

Hope and Covenant Faithfulness

By placing seber alongside references to the “word” (Psalm 119) and the “God of Jacob” (Psalm 146), the Psalter locates hope within the two fundamental pillars of covenant life:

1. The reliability of divine revelation.
2. The enduring nature of the covenant God Himself.

Thus seber is neither wishful thinking nor vague optimism; it is covenantal realism. Because Yahweh is righteous and His word is steadfast, the believer’s expectation is sure.

Connection with Messianic Expectation

Early Jewish interpreters linked Psalm 146 to messianic hope because of its emphasis on God’s reign and justice (cf. Psalm 146:10). In Christian reading, this finds fulfillment in Jesus Christ, whose resurrection secures “a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3). Seber, though sparse in usage, foreshadows the definitive hope embodied in the Messiah.

Practical and Pastoral Applications

• Discipleship: Grounding believers in Scripture cultivates seber—an unshakable expectancy that shapes perseverance and obedience.
• Worship: Corporate singing of Psalms 146 and 119 fosters communal hope that transcends individual circumstances.
• Counseling: Seber offers a biblical alternative to despair, encouraging counselees to anchor expectations in God’s immutable character rather than fluctuating circumstances.

Historical and Theological Reception

Rabbinic tradition associated hope with waiting for the redemption of Israel, while early church fathers saw in these Psalms a foretaste of Christian assurance. Reformers highlighted the contrast between biblical hope and human presumption, emphasizing sola Scriptura as the foundation of confident expectation.

Summary

שֵׂבֶר communicates a covenant-rooted, Scripture-informed hope that never collapses because it rests on the steadfast character of God. Though it occurs only twice, its theological weight is profound: those who place their seber in the Lord find help, blessing, and deliverance, experiencing a foretaste of the ultimate fulfillment secured in Christ.

Forms and Transliterations

ברו מִשִּׂבְרִֽי׃ משברי׃ שִׂ֝בְר֗וֹ ḇə·rōw ḇərōw miś·śiḇ·rî miśśiḇrî missivRi veRo

Englishman's Concordance

Psalm 119:116
HEB: וְאַל־ תְּ֝בִישֵׁ֗נִי מִשִּׂבְרִֽי׃
NAS: And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
KJV: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
INT: not me be ashamed of my hope

Psalm 146:5
HEB: יַעֲקֹ֣ב בְּעֶזְר֑וֹ שִׂ֝בְר֗וֹ עַל־ יְהוָ֥ה
NAS: of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD
KJV: for his help, whose hope [is] in the LORD
INT: of Jacob help hope is in the LORD

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 7664
2 Occurrences

miś·śiḇ·rî — 1 Occ.
ḇə·rōw — 1 Occ.