Talk:hope against hope

against hope
What nominal meaning is used in the second hope? --Backinstadiums (talk) 11:41, 18 November 2019 (UTC)
 * I dont think it's supposed to make sense .... it's just one of those things we say. I could imagine it coming from something like "when all hope is lost, i pull on an even greater hope".  but i just made that up.  i have no idea if there are attested versions of this  expression that hint at its origins or a deeper meaning.  — Soap — 01:49, 12 September 2021 (UTC)
 * It's a Bible quote. The meaning of against may have changed, but since the expression has survived, the verse still has similar wording in more modern Bible translations. — Soap — 19:48, 20 January 2023 (UTC)
 * The against is possibly a confusing translation, as the Greek word παρ' has many translations, and the Strong's Concordance note (section III, subsection 2) on the usage in Romans 4:18 seems to suggest that without might be a more understandable translation: hope without hope, meaning to have hope even in a situation that feels truly hopeless. Mrpoush (talk) 19:21, 22 February 2024 (UTC)