5789. ush
Lexical Summary
ush: To hasten, to be eager, to be swift

Original Word: עוּשׁ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: `uwsh
Pronunciation: oosh
Phonetic Spelling: (oosh)
KJV: assemble self
NASB: hasten
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to hasten

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
assemble self

A primitive root; to hasten -- assemble self.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to lend aid, come to help
NASB Translation
hasten (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[עוּשׁ] verb si vera lectio, lend aid, come to help (Arabic IV. aid, succour; Sabean עֿותֿ noun help, SabDenkm91; Nabataean, Sinaitic עות in proper name Lzb337 Cook90); —

Qal Imperative masculine plural עוּשׁוּ וָבֹאוּ Joel 4:11 but dubious; Gr Dr, plausibly, חוּשׁוּ; CheExpos., Nov. 1897,365 גְּשׁוּ (√ נגשׁ); עוּרוּ We Now.

Topical Lexicon
Usage in the Canon

The form עוּשׁ occurs once, in Joel 3:11, as an imperative calling the surrounding nations to “Hurry and come”. This unique occurrence heightens its rhetorical force: the prophet summons hostile armies to assemble swiftly for judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, underscoring the sure and imminent nature of the Day of the LORD.

Historical Setting in Joel

Joel addresses Judah during a time of national distress, whether an early-monarchy locust plague or a post-exilic economic crisis. In either dating, the oracle looks beyond Judah’s immediate calamity to a climactic confrontation between the covenant-keeping God and the rebellious nations. By commanding them to “hurry,” Joel dramatizes their helplessness; they rush headlong at God’s bidding to the very place where He will vindicate His people (Joel 3:12–16).

Theological Themes

1. Divine Sovereignty: Even hostile armies move according to God’s timetable. The imperative עוּשׁ exposes the myth of autonomous human power.
2. Imminence of Judgment: Urgency saturates Joel’s vision; no delay stands between human rebellion and divine reckoning.
3. Holy Warfare: The call for the LORD’s “mighty ones” (angelic hosts) to descend places the coming battle in the spiritual realm, prefiguring Revelation 19:11–16.
4. Covenant Faithfulness: The same God who urged Judah to “rend your hearts” (Joel 2:13) now urges the nations to gather for judgment, proving His consistent loyalty to His promises.

Prophetic and Eschatological Implications

• Prefigures the end-time gathering of nations for the final battle (Revelation 16:14–16).
• Affirms that God, not earthly coalitions, sets the agenda of history.
• Encourages believers to interpret current global unrest in light of the coming Day of the LORD rather than through mere political analysis.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Urgency in Evangelism: If God commands the nations to hasten to judgment, the church must hasten with the gospel (Matthew 24:14).
• Readiness in Spiritual Warfare: As God summons His “mighty ones,” believers are reminded to “be strong in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:10).
• Confidence in Intercession: The same voice that gathers the nations hears the prayers of the saints; thus Joel’s imperative fuels persistent prayer for justice (Luke 18:7–8).

Related Biblical Concepts

Hastening in obedience (Psalm 119:60), hastening in prayer for deliverance (Psalm 70:1), and the church’s longing that can “hasten the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:12) all echo Joel’s sense of urgency. In each case, human action aligns with divine initiative rather than forcing God’s hand.

Further Reflection

The lone appearance of עוּשׁ acts as a theological spotlight. It reminds the reader that every moment of apparent geopolitical chaos is, in fact, ordered by the LORD of hosts. For the faithful, this single command in Joel transforms panic into praise: the Judge of all the earth is neither late nor idle but summons history to its appointed climax—swiftly, surely, and at His word.

Forms and Transliterations
ע֣וּשׁוּ עושו ‘ū·šū ‘ūšū Ushu
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Englishman's Concordance
Joel 3:11
HEB: ע֣וּשׁוּ וָבֹ֧אוּ כָֽל־
NAS: Hasten and come, all
KJV: Assemble yourselves, and come,
INT: Hasten and come all

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5789
1 Occurrence


‘ū·šū — 1 Occ.

5788b
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