חוּשׁ (chush)
chush
to hasten; to enjoy
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 14 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb chush carries two distinct meanings that might seem unrelated at first glance: to hurry and to feel or enjoy. In its most common usage, it describes physical speed or urgency. The sources indicate it appears frequently in poetic books like Psalms and Job, often describing people moving quickly to respond to a situation or divine command.
However, the word also signifies sensory experience or pleasure. This dual nature suggests a connection between rapid movement and intense feeling — perhaps implying that what we rush toward is what we desire to enjoy. Translators must carefully choose between "hasten" and "feel" based on context, as the same root can describe running feet or tasting food.
Its occurrence in Isaiah highlights this urgency, where God promises to act quickly on behalf of His people. The word’s presence in Job often relates to human impatience or the swift passage of time. Understanding chush requires attention to whether the subject is moving fast or experiencing sensation, revealing how ancient Hebrew thought linked action with inner experience.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word chush captures a vivid tension in our daily lives: the urge to rush and the desire for deep satisfaction. In Scripture, it often describes feet moving quickly—whether fleeing danger, obeying God, or impatiently demanding results. This physical speed mirrors an inner restlessness, a heart that wants things to happen now rather than waiting on God’s timing.
Yet chush also touches the senses, linking action with enjoyment. When we hurry toward something, it is often because we anticipate pleasure or relief. The Bible invites us to examine what we are rushing toward. Are we moving in faithful obedience, as David did in Psalm 119:60? Or are we driven by impatience, like Job’s friends who spoke too quickly? God calls us to a pace marked by trust, not anxiety.
This word reminds us that our speed reveals our priorities. When we choose to hurry toward God’s commands rather than our own fears, we find peace. It is an invitation to align our haste with His purpose, finding joy in the journey rather than just the destination.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 14 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- make haste/ !3×
- will he enjoy1×
- to agitate/ I1×
- they made haste1×
- making haste1×
- let it make haste/ !1×
- hurried1×
- he will make haste1×
- and/ it will make haste1×
- and/ it has made haste1×
- I will hasten/ it1×
- I have made haste1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יָחִֽישׁ\׃1×
- יָחִ֛ישָׁ/ה1×
- יָח֖וּשׁ1×
- חֽוּשָׁ/ה\׃1×
- חֻשִׁ֗ים1×
- חָ֥שׁ1×
- חַ֭שְׁתִּי1×
- ח֣וּשָׁ/ה1×
- ח֣וּשִׁ/י1×
- ח֖וּשָׁ/ה1×
- וַ/תַּ֖חַשׁ1×
- וְ/חָ֖שׁ1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 119:60
I will hurry, and not delay, to obey your commandments.
This verse shows chush used positively for eager obedience to God’s word, contrasting with impulsive haste.
-
Job 20:2
“Therefore my thoughts answer me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.
Here the word highlights Zophar’s internal agitation and hasty speech, revealing how impatience clouds wisdom.
-
Isaiah 28:16
Therefore the Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. He who believes shall not act hastily.
The promise that one who believes 'shall not act hastily' uses chush to define faith as steady trust rather than frantic action.
-
Ecclesiastes 2:25
For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?
This rare usage connects the root to sensory enjoyment, showing that true pleasure comes from God’s gift, not human striving.