The prophet Yechezkel speaks about an exiled nation mired in despair; they are thus compared to corpses that are not only lifeless but whose flesh and skin have decomposed and whose bones have been scattered. "Ha-Tikva" likewise describes a nation in exile, but the soul of this nation is alive and its eyes look towards Zion.  Hope has another aspect to it, as expressed in the words of Iyov. Elements from Tanakh are compared to their references in HaTikva and to other Jewish sources about hope for the return to Zion.

Courtesy of the Virtual Beit Midrash, Yeshivat Har Etzion