H4120 H4120
Quickly, speedily, in haste — an adverb urging swift action or describing rapid occurrence
An adverbial noun from the root מהר ('to hasten') used throughout the Hebrew Bible to express urgency and speed. It often follows a verb to intensify the rapidity of action — Aaron must go quickly to make atonement and stop the plague (Num 16:46), the Gibeonites plead 'come up to us quickly and save us' (Josh 10:6), and Hushai warns David to cross the Jordan quickly lest he be swallowed up (2 Sam 17:16). In poetic texts it precedes the verb for emphasis: Isaiah pictures God summoning a distant nation that comes swiftly (Isa 5:26), and the psalmist prays 'be a rock of refuge to me; hasten to deliver me' (Ps 31:3).
Senses
1. quickly, speedily, swiftly — The adverb מְהֵרָה (meherah), 'quickly, speedily, in haste,' expressing urgency or swiftness of action. Typically follows the verb in prose (Josh 8:19, the ambush rises quickly; 2 Sam 17:16, 21, David must flee quickly) and precedes it in poetry for heightened effect (Isa 5:26; Ps 31:3). Spanish renders variously as 'apresuradamente/pronto/prisa,' German sometimes leaves the Hebrew untransliterated. The late construction בִּמְהֵרָה ('in haste,' Eccl 4:12) and עַד־מְהֵרָה ('swiftly,' Ps 147:15) show prepositional expansion of the same core sense. 20×
AR["أَسْرِعْ", "الشَّرِّ", "سَريعاً", "سَريعًا", "سَرِيعاً", "سَرِيعًا", "عاجِلًا", "مُسرِعاً", "مُسْرِعًا", "يَنْقَطِعُ"]·ben["তাড়াতাড়ি", "দ্রুত", "শীঘ্র", "শীঘ্রই"]·DE["[במהרה]", "[מהרה]", "quickly", "schnell", "swiftly"]·EN["quickly", "speedily", "swiftly"]·FR["[מהרה]", "dans-rapidement", "de-hâte", "quickly", "rapidement", "vite"]·heb["ב-מהרה", "מהרה"]·HI["जलदि", "जल्दी", "शीघ्र", "शीघ्रता-से"]·ID["Segeralah", "cepat", "cepatlah", "dengan-cepat", "dengan-segera", "segera"]·IT["[מהרה]", "in-fretta", "in-quickly", "presto", "quickly", "rapidamente"]·jav["en-ggal", "enggal", "enggal-sanget", "énggal"]·KO["금히", "빨리", "속히"]·PT["depressa", "muito-depressa", "rapidamente", "velozmente"]·RU["бежит", "быстро", "скорее", "скоро", "скоро,"]·ES["apresuradamente", "prisa", "pronto", "rápidamente", "rápido"]·SW["haraka", "kwa-haraka", "upesi"]·TR["cabucak", "cabuk", "hızla", "hızlıca", "yakında", "çabucak", "çabuk", "çabukca", "çabuklıkla"]·urd["جلد", "جلدی", "جلدی-سے", "جلدی-کر", "فوراً"]
Num 16:46, Deut 11:17, Josh 8:19, Josh 10:6, Josh 23:16, Judg 9:54, 1 Sam 20:38, 2 Sam 17:16, 2 Sam 17:18, 2 Sam 17:21, 2 Kgs 1:11, Ps 31:2 (+8 more)
Related Senses
H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H6258 1. and now (421×)G2250 1. day (388×)H5750 1. again, more, further (288×)H5769 1. forever, to eternity (280×)H6256 1. time, period (264×)H2320 1. month, calendar period (260×)H0310a 2. after (temporal) (258×)H3915 1. night, period of darkness (234×)H1242 1. morning (214×)H5750 2. still, yet (continuative) (166×)G5119 1. then (160×)G3568 1. now (147×)G2193 1. until (143×)G3825 1. (141×)G3752 1. (123×)H6153 1. evening, time of day (123×)H0227a 1. then (122×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מְהֵרָה n.f. haste, speed;—usually as adverb. acc. hastily, quickly: Jos 8:19; 10:6; 23:16 (all JE), Nu 17:11 (P), Dt 11:17; Ju 9:54; 2 S 17:16, 18, 21; Je 27:16; Ec 8:11 (in all these cases after vb.); before vb. (poet.) Is 5:26 (‖ קַל), ψ 31:3; 37:2 Is 58:8 Jo 4:4 (‖ קַל); so also 1 S 20:38 מ׳ הוּשָׁה (cf. Dr); 2 K 1:11 מ׳ רֵ֑דָה;—but perhaps read מַהֲרָה, i.e. Pi. Imv. of מהר (cf. 1 S 23:27); c. prep. (late): בִּמ׳ in haste = quickly Ec 4:12; עַד־מ׳, id. ψ 147:15.