◄ 2439. chish ►
Lexical Summary
chish: To hasten, to hurry

Original Word: חִישׁ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: chiysh
Pronunciation: kheesh
Phonetic Spelling: (kheesh)
KJV: make haste
Word Origin: [another form of H2363 (חוּשׁ - To hasten)]

1. to hurry

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
make haste

Another form of chuwsh; to hurry -- make haste.

see HEBREW chuwsh

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
the same as chush, q.v.

Topical Lexicon
Etymological Background

חִישׁ (Strong’s Hebrew 2439) belongs to a small cluster of Hebrew forms that convey the idea of speed, urgency, or haste. Although this particular form is not attested in the received Old Testament text, its kinship to the more common verb חוּשׁ (“to hurry,” Strong’s 2363) allows it to be studied alongside the broader biblical motif of haste.

Haste as God-Honoring Readiness

Scripture often commends a prompt response when God speaks or acts. Abraham models such readiness: “So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, ‘Quick, knead three measures of fine flour and bake some bread’” (Genesis 18:6). His urgency expresses reverence for the divine visitors, showing that speed in obedience can arise from faith and hospitality.

Israel’s first Passover embodies the same theme: “You are to eat it in haste—it is the LORD’s Passover” (Exodus 12:11). Here haste pictures trust; the people stand poised for the redemptive exodus that Yahweh Himself will accomplish. The New Testament later echoes this attitude when the shepherds “hurried off and found Mary and Joseph” after the angelic announcement (Luke 2:16).

Warnings Against Rashness

Haste is not inherently virtuous. Proverbs repeatedly cautions against impulsiveness: “It is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps errs” (Proverbs 19:2). Saul’s unlawful sacrifice (1 Samuel 13:8-12) and Uzzah’s reflexive grasp of the ark (2 Samuel 6:6-7) illustrate how precipitous actions, even when well-intended, can violate divine command and invite judgment.

Salvation Hastened by God, Not Man

While humans are urged to respond quickly to the Lord, Scripture underscores that final deliverance is ultimately timed by God. Isaiah anticipates a day when “Zion will be redeemed with justice” (Isaiah 1:27) and reminds the faithful, “Whoever believes will not act hastily” (Isaiah 28:16). Peter applies this equilibrium to eschatology, urging believers to be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:12), yet also stressing that the apparent delay showcases the Lord’s patience (2 Peter 3:9).

Ministerial Application

1. Readiness in Service: Leaders should cultivate congregational habits of immediate obedience—prayer, corporate worship, and evangelism conducted with a sense of holy urgency.
2. Discernment in Decision-Making: Churches must guard against acting so quickly that scriptural principles, prayer, and wise counsel are bypassed.
3. Hope in God’s Timetable: While believers “make every effort” (2 Peter 1:5) without procrastination, they rest in the assurance that the culmination of redemption will arrive precisely when the Lord wills.

Conclusion

Though חִישׁ (2439) itself does not appear in the canonical text, the concept it represents threads through the whole of Scripture. The follower of Christ is called to a balanced haste—swift to obey, yet slow to sin; eager for Christ’s return, yet content with the Father’s schedule.

Links
Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts
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