Original Word: מָהַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: mahar
Pronunciation: mah-har'
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-har')
KJV: be carried headlong, fearful, (cause to make, in, make) haste(-n, -ily), (be) hasty, (fetch, make ready) X quickly, rash, X shortly, (be so) X soon, make speed, X speedily, X straightway, X suddenly, swift
NASB: quickly, hurried, hurry, hasten, swift, bring quickly, haste
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. (properly) to be liquid or flow easily
2. (by implication)
3. to hurry (in a good or a bad sense)
4. often used (with another verb) adverbially, promptly

be carried headlong, fearful, cause to make, in, make hasten be hasty, fetch

A primitive root; properly, to be liquid or flow easily, i.e. (by implication); to hurry (in a good or a bad sense); often used (with another verb) adverbially, promptly -- be carried headlong, fearful, (cause to make, in, make) haste(-n, -ily), (be) hasty, (fetch, make ready) X quickly, rash, X shortly, (be so) X soon, make speed, X speedily, X straightway, X suddenly, swift.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to hasten
NASB Translation
act quickly (1), anxious (1), bring quickly (2), bring...quickly (1), do quickly (1), haste (2), hasten (3), hastened (1), hastens (1), hastily (1), hasty (1), hurried (10), hurriedly (2), hurry (8), immediately (1), impetuous (1), impulsive (1), made haste (1), make haste (1), make speed (1), prepare (1), quickly (16), quickly thwarted (1), rapidly (1), soon (2), swift (3).

I. [מָהַר] verb hasten (Late Hebrew Pi`el,and derivatives; Arabic be practised, skilled (with Assyrian mâru, send, order, govern, compare II. מהר); Ethiopic train teach; Syriac Pa`el id.; compare also Egyptian m¹har, trained warrior Bondi⁵⁷); —

Niph`al Perfect3feminine singular נִמְהָ֑רָה Job 5:13; Participle נִמְהָר Habakkuk 1:6; plural נִמְהָרִים Isaiah 32:4; construct נִמְהֲרֵי Isaiah 35:4; — be hurried = anxious, disturbed נְמְהֲרֵילֵֿב Isaiah 35:4; hasty, precipitate, subject עֵצָה Job 5:13; so participle as substantive Isaiah 32:4; impetuous, of Chaldeans, Habakkuk 1:6 ("" מַר).

Pi`el Perfect מִהַר 1 Samuel 4:14; Isaiah 51:14; 3feminine singular מִהֲרָה Jeremiah 48:16 etc.; Imperfect יְמַהֵר Isaiah 5:19 2t.; וַיְמַהֵר Genesis 18:6 8t. (1 Sam 28:30 see below); 3 feminine plural תְּמַהֵרְנָה Jeremiah 9:17 etc.; Imperative masculine singular מַהֵר Genesis 19:22 +; מַהֲרָה 1 Samuel 23:27; 1 Kings 22:9, etc.; Infinitive construct מַהֵר Proverbs 7:23 +; Participle מְמַהֵר Genesis 41:32; Malachi 3:5 (on מַהֵר Zephaniah 1:14 [1 Samuel 23:22] compare Kö^{i. 268} Schw^{ZAW x. 1890, 176} see I. מַהֵר ), feminine plural מְמַהֲרוֺת Proverbs 6:18; —

1 hasten, make haste, = go or come quickly Genesis 18:6; 1 Samuel 9:12 ( but strike out ᵐ5 We Dr Kit Bu HPS), Nahum 2:6; Isaiah 49:17; 1 Chronicles 12:9; = go eagerly, (followed by Infinitive of purpose) Proverbs 1:16; Isaiah 59:7; Participle = swift, prompt Malachi 3:5; of bird Proverbs 7:23; figurative of calamity Isaiah 5:19 ("" חוּשׁ) Jeremiah 48:16, מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז Isaiah 8:1,3, below

2 hasten + verb, (׳מ having really adverbial force): followed by Infinitive Genesis 18:7 (מִהַר לַעֲשׂת); compare Genesis 27:20; Genesis 41:32 (subject God), Exodus 2:18; Exodus 10:16; Exodus 12:33; 2 Samuel 15:14; Isaiah 32:4; Isaiah 51:14; Proverbs 6:18; Ecclesiastes 5:1; more often followed by verb with ו Genesis 24:18,20,46; Genesis 44:11 (all J), Genesis 45:9,13 (E), probably Genesis 43:30 (J), also Exodus 34:8 (J), Joshua 4:10; Joshua 8:14,19 (all J E), Judges 13:10; 1 Samuel 4:14; 1 Samuel 17:48; 1 Samuel 23:27; 1 Samuel 25:18,23,34 (twice in verse); 1 Samuel 28:24; 2 Samuel 15:14; 2 Samuel 19:17; 1 Kings 20:33,41; 2 Kings 9:13; Jeremiah 9:17; so even when active is not wholly voluntary 1 Samuel 28:20 (but read probably וַיִּבָּהֵל ᵐ5 We Dr Kit Bu); also, ו omitted, Psalm 106:13; especially with Imperative Genesis 19:22 (J), Judges 9:48; Esther 6:10; so also מַהֵר עֲנֵנִי Psalm 69:18; Psalm 102:3; Psalm 143:7; compare Psalm 79:8 (see Ol^{on the passage}).

3 transitive hasten, = prepare quickly Genesis 18:6; = bring quickly 1 Kings 22:9 2Chronicles 18:8; Esther 5:5; = do quickly 2Chronicles 24:5 (twice in verse).

I. מַהֵר adjective hastening, speedy, swift (strictly

Pi`el Participle for מְמַהֵר see below מהר); — of ׳יוֺם י, מְאד ׳קָרוֺב וּמ Zephaniah 1:14; read also feminine הַמְּהֵרָה (רַגְלוֺ) 1 Samuel 23:22 his swift foot (for ᵑ0 רָאָהוּ ׳מִ ׳ר) Th We Dr Bu; deeper corruption assumed by HPS.

II. מַהֵר adverb quickly, speedily (strictly

Pi`el infinitive absolute) always immediately after verb; Exodus 32:8 (J), Deuteronomy 4:26; Deuteronomy 7:4,22; Deuteronomy 9:3,12 (twice in verse); Deuteronomy 9:16; Deuteronomy 28:20; Joshua 2:5 (J), Judges 2:17,23; Proverbs 25:8 (on Psalm 69:18; Psalm 79:8; Psalm 102:3; Psalm 143:7, where ׳מ precedes, see above below מָהַר).

Essential Idea

The verb מָהַר describes the impulse to act with speed, urgency or eagerness. Whether the subject is a patriarch offering hospitality, a soldier rushing into battle, a nation falling into idolatry, or the Lord Himself bringing judgment or salvation, the word highlights decisions made without delay.

Distribution

Approximately sixty-four occurrences span Genesis to Zechariah. The usage is evenly divided between positive urgency (prompt obedience, quick help, eager service) and negative haste (rash sin, sudden judgment). The breadth of contexts underlines the moral weight Scripture assigns to how quickly one responds to God’s word.

Patriarchal Examples: Eager Service and Hospitality

• Genesis 18:6-7 pictures Abraham as the model host: “So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, ‘Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour…’ ” His haste sprang from reverence for the LORD’s visitors and sets the pattern for prompt, willing service.

• Genesis 24:18-20 shows Rebekah “quickly” lowering her jar and running to draw water for Eliezer’s camels. The narrative commends diligence and self-forgetting kindness.

Exodus and Wilderness: Urgency for Deliverance and Warning

• Exodus 12:33 records Egypt “urging the people to hurry and leave the land.” Haste here is tied to redemption; Israel departs so quickly that the dough rises on the road, memorialized in the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

• Conversely, Exodus 32:8 laments Israel’s apostasy: “How quickly they have turned aside from the way I commanded them.” The same verb that praised prompt obedience now indicts restless rebellion.

Covenant Sanctions in Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy employs מָהַר to warn that disobedience will bring swift retribution (Deuteronomy 4:26; 28:20). The implied covenant ethic is clear: the speed with which a nation abandons Yahweh will be matched by the speed of divine discipline.

Military and Royal Contexts

• Joshua 10:6; Judges 9:48; 1 Samuel 20:38; 2 Chronicles 18:8 illustrate battlefield or court settings where life depends on rapid movement. Kings and commanders who “hurry” to obey prophetic counsel fare well; those who hurry toward self-willed plans court disaster.

Psalms and Wisdom Literature: Devotion versus Idolatry

• Psalm 119:60 celebrates disciplined zeal: “I hurried and did not delay to keep Your commandments.”

• Psalm 16:4 warns that “Sorrows will multiply to those who chase after other gods.” Here מָהַר depicts frantic idolatry contrasted with steadfast trust.

Proverbs echoes the theme with related imagery of feet that “run swiftly to evil,” reinforcing the moral dimension of haste.

Prophets: Longing for God to Act—And His Swift Judgment

• Isaiah 5:19 records scoffers demanding, “Let Him hurry and speed His work,” a taunt soon answered by real, catastrophic judgment.

• Zechariah 8:21 pictures nations exhorting one another, “Let us go at once to seek the LORD,” turning haste into a hopeful missionary impulse.

Divine Initiative

While most occurrences describe human action, several attribute haste to God. Psalm 70:1 pleads, “Hasten, O God, to deliver me.” The prophets likewise announce a day when the LORD will “act quickly” for His people (Isaiah 60:22). The tension between human impatience and divine timing calls believers to earnest prayer coupled with trust.

Ministry Significance

1. Prompt Obedience: Scripture commends the believer who “hurries” to obey (Psalm 119:60). Delayed obedience is functionally disobedience.

2. Urgent Hospitality and Service: Abraham and Rebekah model ministry that moves quickly to meet needs, sacrificing personal comfort.

3. Caution against Rashness: Israel’s swift apostasy (Exodus 32:8) and Judah’s headlong idolatry (Psalm 16:4) warn leaders against decisions driven by impulse rather than God’s word.

4. Expectant Prayer: Repeated cries for God to “hasten” encourage earnest, faith-filled intercession while acknowledging His sovereign timetable.

5. Eschatological Vigilance: New Testament exhortations to “be ready” echo the Old Testament call for holy haste, reminding the Church that the Day of the Lord will come “like a thief.”

Application

Believers are summoned to the same holy urgency displayed by the faithful throughout Scripture—quick to serve, quick to repent, quick to obey—while resisting the destructive hurry of unbelief and presumption. In ministry settings, the question is not merely how fast we move, but whether our speed aligns with the purposes of God revealed in His word.

וְהַנִּמְהָ֑ר וִֽ֝ימַהֲר֗וּ וִֽימַהֲר֔וּ וַֽיְמַהֲר֔וּ וַֽיְמַהֲר֗וּ וַֽיְמַהֲר֜וּ וַֽיְמַהֲר֡וּ וַיְמַהֲר֥וּ וַיְמַהֵ֕ר וַיְמַהֵ֖ר וַיְמַהֵ֗ר וַיְמַהֵ֣ר וַיְמַהֵ֧ר וַתְּמַהֵ֕ר וַתְּמַהֵ֖ר וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתְּמַהֵ֞ר וַתְּמַהֵ֣ר וַתְּמַהֵר֙ וּמְמַהֵ֥ר וּמִֽהַרְתֶּ֛ם וּתְמַהֵ֕רְנָה והנמהר וימהר וימהרו ומהרתם וממהר ותמהר ותמהרנה יְמַֽהֲרוּ֙ יְמַהֵ֛ר יְמַהֵ֤ר יְמַהֵ֧ר ׀ ימהר ימהרו כְּמַהֵ֣ר כמהר לְמַהֵ֖ר לְמַהֵֽר׃ לְנִמְהֲרֵי־ למהר למהר׃ לנמהרי־ מְ֝מַהֲר֗וֹת מְמַהֵ֗ר מִֽ֭הֲרוּ מִֽהֲר֖וּ מִהֲרָ֖ה מִהַ֔ר מִהַ֗רְתְּ מִהַ֥ר מִהַ֥רְתָּ מִהַרְתֶּ֥ן מַ֠הֵר מַהֲר֖וּ מַהֲר֣וּ מַהֲרִ֞י מַהֲרָ֖ה מַהֲרָ֣ה מַהֲרוּ֙ מַהֲרוּ֮ מַהֵ֖ר מַהֵ֣ר ׀ מַהֵר֙ מָ֫הָ֥רוּ מהר מהרה מהרו מהרי מהרת מהרתן ממהר ממהרות נִמְהָֽרָה׃ נִמְהָרִ֖ים נמהרה׃ נמהרים תְּמַהֲר֣וּ תְּמַהֵ֖ר תמהר תמהרו kə·ma·hêr kemaHer kəmahêr lə·ma·hêr lə·nim·hă·rê- lemaHer ləmahêr lənimhărê- lenimharei ma·hă·rāh ma·hă·rî ma·hă·rū mā·hā·rū ma·hêr mahaRah mahărāh mahaRi mahărî mahaRu mahărū māhārū maHer mahêr mə·ma·hă·rō·wṯ mə·ma·hêr memahaRot məmahărōwṯ memaHer məmahêr mi·hă·rāh mi·hă·rū mi·har mi·har·tā mi·har·ten mi·hart mihar mihaRah mihărāh mihart miHarta mihartā miharten mihaRu mihărū nim·hā·rāh nim·hā·rîm nimHarah nimhārāh nimhaRim nimhārîm tə·ma·hă·rū tə·ma·hêr temahaRu təmahărū temaHer təmahêr ū·mə·ma·hêr ū·mi·har·tem ū·ṯə·ma·hê·rə·nāh umemaHer ūməmahêr umiharTem ūmihartem utemaHerenah ūṯəmahêrənāh vattemaHer vaymahaRu vaymaHer vehannimHar vimahaRu wat·tə·ma·hêr wattəmahêr way·ma·hă·rū way·ma·hêr waymahărū waymahêr wə·han·nim·hār wəhannimhār wî·ma·hă·rū wîmahărū yə·ma·hă·rū yə·ma·hêr yemahaRu yəmahărū yemaHer yəmahêrInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts