מַבָּט
𐤌𐤁𐤈
mabbâṭ
H4007 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A thing looked toward or waited for; hope, expectation, or object of trust. In various contexts, מַבָּט refers to what one anticipates, longs for, or directs one's hope toward, whether pertaining to people, objects, or abstract outcomes. The nuance can range from confident hope to vain or misplaced expectation.
Semantic Range
expectation, hope, object of trust, thing looked for, thing anticipated, (occasionally) confidence or grounds for hope; in negative contexts, vain hope or disappointed expectation
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root נבט (n-b-ṭ), meaning 'to look at, gaze, regard.' The noun מַבָּט arises from the idea of an object one looks toward in hope or longing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַבָּט appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, notably in Isaiah and Job. The sense is generally abstract—a focus of hope or expectation—rather than a concrete gaze. In certain prophetic texts (e.g., Isaiah 20:6), it can have the connotation of relying upon or putting trust in something or someone, especially in contexts of political alliance or deliverance. The nuance can shade toward 'false hope' or 'disappointment' when the expected object fails (see Job 41:9[Heb. 41:0]). English translations often render מַבָּט as 'hope,' 'expectation,' or 'trust,' but underlying this is the sense of something directly looked to for help or fulfillment, resonating with the root's visual metaphor. The distinction between מַבָּט and related terms such as תִּקְוָה (tiqvah, 'hope') lies in מַבָּט's stress on the anticipated object or outcome, rather than the abstract feeling of hopefulness.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or מֶבָּט; from נָבַט; something expected, i.e. (abstractly) expectation; expectation.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נבט (n-b-ṭ) — to look at, gaze, regard
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4007-03 |
מֶבָּטָ֑/הּ | mebatah | HNcmsc/Sp3fs |
her expectation | her looked-for hope | 1 |
H4007-02 |
מַבָּטֵ֗/נוּ | mabatenu | HNcmsc/Sp1cp |
our expectation | our looked-for hope | 1 |
H4007-01 |
מַבָּטָ֔/ם | mabatam | HNcmsc/Sp3mp |
their hope | their looked-for thing | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4007-01 |
Isaiah 20:5 | מַבָּטָ֔/ם | mabatam | HNcmsc/Sp3mp |
their hope | their looked-for thing |
H4007-02 |
Isaiah 20:6 | מַבָּטֵ֗/נוּ | mabatenu | HNcmsc/Sp1cp |
our expectation | our looked-for hope |
H4007-03 |
Zechariah 9:5 | מֶבָּטָ֑/הּ | mebatah | HNcmsc/Sp3fs |
her expectation | her looked-for hope |