Original Word: σπουδή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: spoudé
Pronunciation: spoo-DAY
Phonetic Spelling: (spoo-day')
KJV: business, (earnest) care(-fulness), diligence, forwardness, haste
NASB: earnestness, diligence, hurry, effort
Word Origin: [from G4692 (σπεύδω - hurry)]

1. "speed"
2. (by implication) despatch, eagerness, earnestness

haste, diligence, forwardness

From speudo; "speed", i.e. (by implication) despatch, eagerness, earnestness -- business, (earnest) care(-fulness), diligence, forwardness, haste.

see GREEK speudo

4710 spoudḗ (from 4692 /speúdō, "move quickly, speed on") – properly, swiftness to show zealous diligence, i.e. one's "best" (full effort by making haste).

For the believer, 4710 /spoudḗ ("speedy diligence") means quickly obeying what the Lord reveals is His priority. This elevates the better over the good – the more important over the important – and does so with earnest swiftness (intensity).

Word Origin
from speudó
Definition
haste, diligence
NASB Translation
diligence (4), earnestness (5), effort (1), hurry (2).

STRONGS NT 4710: σπουδή

σπουδή, σπωδης, ἡ (σπεύδω (which see)), from Homer down;

1. haste: μετά σπουδῆς, with haste, Mark 6:25; Luke 1:39 (Wis. 19:2; Josephus, Antiquities 7, 9, 7; Herodian, 3, 4, 1; 6, 4, 3).

2. earnestness, diligence: universally, earnestness in accomplishing, promoting, or striving after anything, Romans 12:11; 2 Corinthians 7:11, 12; 2 Corinthians 8:7f; ἐν σπουδή, with diligence, Romans 12:8; σπουδήν ἐνδείκνυσθαι, Hebrews 6:11; πᾶσαν σπουδήν ποιεῖσθαι (see ποιέω, I. 3, p. 525{b} bottom), to give all diligence, interest oneself most earnestly, Jude 1:3; σπουδήν παρεισφέρειν, 2 Peter 1:5; ἡ σπουδή ὑπέρ τίνος, earnest care for one, 2 Corinthians 8:16 (περί τίνος (Demosthenes, 90, 10); Diodorus 1, 75).

Semantic Scope and Nuances

Strong’s Greek 4710 gathers together ideas of eagerness, earnest diligence, and swiftness of movement. Whether describing the quick steps of Mary toward Elizabeth (Luke 1:39) or the steadfast zeal expected of believers (Romans 12:11), it communicates a heart-and-hand response that is both urgent and persevering.

Distribution in the New Testament

The term appears twelve times, spanning Gospel narrative, Pauline correspondence, General Epistles, and Jude’s short exhortation. Its settings range from physical haste (Mark 6:25; Luke 1:39) to moral and spiritual earnestness (Romans 12:8; 2 Peter 1:5), demonstrating that true zeal should touch every arena where faith is lived out.

Diligence as a Hallmark of Christian Service

Romans 12 highlights diligence as indispensable to Spirit-empowered gifting. “...if it is leadership, let him govern diligently...” (Romans 12:8). Spiritual gifts are not self-animating; they flourish when believers exert conscientious effort. The same chapter warns, “Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11). Earnestness, then, guards against the entropy of half-hearted ministry.

Pastoral Usage in 2 Corinthians

Paul’s second letter to Corinth presents a theology of diligence applied to repentance and generosity. Godly sorrow has produced “what diligence” (2 Corinthians 7:11). The Corinthians’ zeal validated their repentance before God and man (7:12). Later Paul urges equivalent earnestness in stewardship: “just as you excel in everything… see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7). Titus embodies the principle: “But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you” (2 Corinthians 8:16). Zeal is contagious; when leaders possess it, congregations often follow.

Haste for Righteous and Unrighteous Ends

The word’s narrative appearances expose a moral polarity. In Mark 6:25, Herodias’s daughter “hurried in” to ask for John’s execution—an illustration of zeal enslaved to sin. By contrast, Mary “hurried” to Elizabeth, bearing the unborn Messiah (Luke 1:39). Scripture affirms that zeal is a powerful servant but a destructive master when divorced from righteousness.

Earnest Perseverance and Assurance

Hebrews 6:11 ties diligence to full assurance of hope: “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that your hope may be fully assured.” Earnest endurance keeps faith from stagnating and anchors believers in the certainty of God’s promises. Likewise, Peter exhorts: “make every effort to add to your faith virtue…” (2 Peter 1:5). Growth in grace is neither automatic nor optional; it requires deliberate application of moral energy.

Defense of the Faith

Jude models zeal in apologetics: “Although I was eager to write you about our common salvation, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3). In an age of doctrinal drift, vigorous engagement is portrayed as a duty flowing from love for the “once for all” deposit of truth.

Historical Considerations

In the first-century Mediterranean world, personal travel, couriered letters, and local collections for famine relief demanded prompt action. The churches’ reputations, Titus’s journey, and the Jerusalem offering all hinged on timely diligence. Spoudē captured the corporate ethic that Christianity could not be practiced casually; its mission moved at the pace of obedient hearts.

Contemporary Ministry Implications

1. Spiritual gifts mature through sustained effort.
2. Repentance is authenticated by visible zeal to make matters right.
3. Stewardship of resources is a tangible outlet for earnest love.
4. Sound doctrine must be defended vigorously yet graciously.
5. Believers should evaluate whether their haste is aligned with God’s purposes.

Summary

Strong’s 4710 portrays a sanctified urgency that resists both lethargy and reckless impulse. Rooted in grace and directed by truth, such diligence advances the kingdom, edifies the church, and offers a faithful witness before a watching world.

σπουδη σπουδή σπουδῇ σπουδην σπουδήν σπουδὴν σπουδης σπουδής σπουδῆς spoude spoudē spoudêi spoudē̂i spouden spoudēn spoudḗn spoudḕn spoudes spoudês spoudēs spoudē̂sInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts