I. Israel waited in expectation (hope) for their salvation to come
II. Hebrew word for salvation
III. Full meaning of the word "salvation"

I. Israel waited in expectation (hope) for their salvation to come, "I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD" (Gen 49:18).

Genesis 49:18
" '…but for the redemption of the Messiah, the Son of David, which Thou through Thy word hast promised to bring to Thy people the children of Israel: for this Thy redemption my soul waits.' (Note: This is the reading according to the text of the Jerusalem Targum, in the London Polyglot as corrected from the extracts of Fagius in the Critt. Sacr. …"
(from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament)

Reference:
KEIL & DELITZSCH COMMENTARY ON THE OLD TESTAMENT: NEW UPDATED EDITION, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses that include the word "Wait":
Ps 25:3, 5
Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. …Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

Ps 25:21
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

Ps 27:14
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Ps 37:7, 9
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. …For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

Ps 37:34
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

Ps 52:9
I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.

Ps 59:9
Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.

Ps 62:5
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

Prv 20:22
Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

Is 8:17
And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

Is 30:18
And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

Is 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Jer 14:22
Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.

Lam 3:25-26
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

Hos 12:6
Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.

Mic 7:7
Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

Zeph 3:8
Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

Verses that include the word "Patience" (in reference to coming):
Rom 5:3
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Rom 8:25
But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Rom 15:4-5
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

2Cor 6:4
But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

1Thes 1:3
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

Heb 6:12
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Heb 10:36
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Heb 12:1
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Jas 1:3-4
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Jas 5:7-11
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

2Ptr 1:6
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

Rev 1:9
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Hab 2:2-4
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision <2377>, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision <2377> is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Strong's Hebrew Lexicon: Hab 2:2-3, "vision" <2377>
2377. chazown khaw-zone'; from 2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:- vision.

Dan 8:17
So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
Dan 10:14
Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.
Jn 5:25
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

Note! In each case, our waiting with patience in expectation of certainty is fulfilled only in Christ.

· We wait for the Lord who is SURE (certain) in His Coming.
· The Lord Himself is the fruit and reward of patient waiting in expectation. He shall appear!
· We are not found waiting upon persons, places, events-but in the midst of "all these", we wait upon the Lord and our waiting is never in vain.

II In the following references as well as others mentioned, the Hebrew word for salvation is "yesh-oo'-aw <3444>" (a Greek form of this word is Jesus) or "yaw-shah' <3467>".

In Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary under the subject "To Deliver" reads: "yeshu`sh ^3444^, "deliverance." …Many personal names contain a form of the root, such as… Jesus (a Greek form of yeshu`ah)… [Salvation is also translated as] teshu`ah ^8668^, "deliverance." Tesu`ah occurs 34 times. One example is <Isa. 45:17>: "But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end."
(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
(Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers) (pg 58).

Strong's Hebrew Lexicon: "salvation" <3444>
3444. y@shuwæah yesh-oo'-aw; feminine passive participle of 3467; something saved, i.e. (abstractly) deliverance; hence, aid, victory, prosperity:- deliverance, health, help(-ing), salvation, save, saving (health), welfare.

Deut 32:15
But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation <3444>.

Is 12:2
Behold, God is my salvation <3444>; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation <3444>.

Ps 98:1-2
O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory <3467>. The LORD hath made known his salvation <3444>: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

Ps 96:2
Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation <3444> from day to day.

Ps 9:14
That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation <3444>.

Ps 69:29
But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation <3444>, O God, set me up on high.

Hab 3:18-19
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation <3468>. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Hab 3:8
Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation <3444>?

Note these verses also:

III. It is clear that the full meaning of this word "salvation" is fulfilled only in The Person of Salvation Himself.

IV. Comparisons:

Compare:
1Chr 16:35
And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.
With…
Eph 1:9-10
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Compare:
2Chr 6:41
Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.
With…
Gal 3:27
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
2Cor 5:1-5
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
Rev 1:9-10
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Compare:
Ps 3:8
Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
With…
Eph 1:3-7
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Compare:
Ps 53:6
Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
With…
Eph 4:1-10
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Heb 12:22-24
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumberable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Compare:
Ps 62:1-2, 6
Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. …He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
With…
Mtt 16:18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Compare:
Is 49:8
Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
With…
2Cor 6:2
(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Compare:
Deut 32:4, 15, 18
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he …But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation …Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.
With…
1Cor 10:4
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.