Lexical Summary uts: To counsel, advise, plan Original Word: אוּץ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance make hasten labor, be narrow A primitive root; to press; (by implication) to be close, hurry, withdraw -- (make) haste(-n, -y), labor, be narrow. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to press, be pressed, make haste NASB Translation hasten (1), hasty (2), hurried (1), hurries (1), makes haste (1), narrow (1), pressed (1), try (1), urged (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [אוּץ] verb press, be pressed, make haste — Qal Perfect אָץ Joshua 10:13; Joshua 17:15; אַ֫צְתִּי Jeremiah 17:16 Participle אָץ Proverbs 19:2 3t. Proverbs; אָצִים Exodus 5:13; — 1 press, hasten (transitive but object not expressed) Exodus 5:13 (E). 2 (intransitive) be pressed, confined, narrow Joshua 17:15 כִי אָץ לְךָ הַראֶֿפְרַיִם. 3 hasten, make haste, followed by ל + Infinitive Joshua 10:13 לֹא אָץ לָבוֺא (J, of sun); Proverbs 28:20 לְהַעֲשִׂיר ׳א; followed by מִן Jeremiah 17:16 מֵרֹעֶה ׳לֹא א; followed by ב (of particular in which one hastens) Proverbs 19:2 (בְּרגְלַיִם); Proverbs 29:20 (בִּדְבָרִים); compare also Proverbs 21:5 וְכָלאָֿץ אַח לְמַחְסוֺר. Hiph`il Imperfect וַיָּאִיצוּ Genesis 19:15; תָּאִיצוּ Isaiah 22:4 — hasten (transitive) followed by ב Genesis 19:15 (J); followed by ל + Infinitive ׳אַלתָּֿא לְנַחֲמֵנִי Isaiah 22:4. (May be Qal Imperfect, & verbי׳ע.) Topical Lexicon Overview אוּץ portrays both literal speed and figurative impulsiveness. When someone אוּץ in Scripture, action is driven forward—sometimes in obedience to divine warning, at other times in reckless self-interest. The verb therefore acts as a literary signal for urgency, compulsion, or impatience, and the surrounding context usually clarifies whether that urgency is wise or foolish. Narrative occurrences • Genesis 19:15 presents the most vivid life-and-death instance. “At dawn the angels hurried Lot, saying, ‘Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away…’ ”. The haste is gracious: God hastens the righteous out of judgment. Wisdom literature Proverbs concentrates almost half of the occurrences, using אוּץ to warn against precipitous choices: – Proverbs 19:2: “He who hurries his footsteps misses the mark.” – Proverbs 21:5: “Everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.” – Proverbs 28:20: “He who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” – Proverbs 29:20: “Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” In each case haste is condemned when it bypasses knowledge, diligence, faithfulness, or careful speech. The underlying theology affirms that God’s created order rewards steady obedience but exposes impulsive self-promotion. Prophetic usage Isaiah 22:4 and Jeremiah 17:16 employ אוּץ negatively but with subtle distinctions: Isaiah weeps over Zion’s impending judgment and refuses to be “hurried” into superficial consolation; Jeremiah protests that he has not “hurried away” from shepherding duty despite looming disaster. Both prophets reject escapist haste and instead embrace patient faithfulness amid crisis. Themes and theological trajectory 1. Redemptive urgency versus oppressive haste: The verb can serve either salvation (Genesis 19) or slavery (Exodus 5), depending on who initiates it. Ministry implications • Urgency is commendable when it aligns with divine revelation (e.g., fleeing judgment or seizing missionary opportunities) but destructive when motivated by fear, greed, or impatience. Summary אוּץ is a concise Hebrew reminder that speed is morally ambivalent. The same verb that rushes Lot to safety can rush a fool to ruin. Scripture therefore invites believers to calibrate their pace to God’s timing—swift in obedience, slow in presumption, and unyielding in faithfulness. Forms and Transliterations אַ֣צְתִּי ׀ אָ֝֗ץ אָ֣ץ אָ֥ץ אָצִ֣ים אץ אצים אצתי וְאָ֖ץ וְאָ֥ץ וַיָּאִ֥יצוּ ואץ ויאיצו תָּאִ֣יצוּ תאיצו ’ā·ṣîm ’āṣ ’aṣ·tî ’āṣîm ’aṣtî atz aTzim Atzti tā’îṣū tā·’î·ṣū taItzu vaiyaItzu veAtz way·yā·’î·ṣū wayyā’îṣū wə’āṣ wə·’āṣLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 19:15 HEB: הַשַּׁ֣חַר עָלָ֔ה וַיָּאִ֥יצוּ הַמַּלְאָכִ֖ים בְּל֣וֹט NAS: dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, KJV: then the angels hastened Lot, INT: morning dawned urged the angels Lot Exodus 5:13 Joshua 10:13 Joshua 17:15 Proverbs 19:2 Proverbs 21:5 Proverbs 28:20 Proverbs 29:20 Isaiah 22:4 Jeremiah 17:16 10 Occurrences |