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אוּץ

𐤀𐤅𐤑

ʼûwts

H213 verb

SILEX Entry

Root אוץ to press, to urge, to be narrow, to hasten

Definition

To move quickly or act with haste, to hurry or be urgent; in some contexts, to be pressed or constrained, either spatially (in a narrow place) or emotionally (under pressure or duress). The verb connotes urgency, swiftness, or the experience of being in a situation that compels rapid action.

Semantic Range

to hurry, to make haste, to be urgent, to force or press (into action), to labor quickly, to be constrained (physically or emotionally), to withdraw (under pressure), to be in a narrow place

Root / Etymology

Root אוּץ (ʼûwts) is based on the sense of pressing or being pressed, which is extended metaphorically to haste or urgency. The root commonly denotes the idea of 'pressing,' from which the notion of swiftness or urgency arises: a situation that figuratively 'presses' one to action.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אוּץ often appears in texts describing haste or urgent movement, such as Genesis 19:22 (the urging for Lot to flee from Sodom) and Proverbs 19:2 (warning against being hasty). The underlying imagery usually links the notion of being under pressure with swift action, capturing both physical and emotional haste. In wisdom literature, it cautions against acting with undue haste, associating hurriedness with folly (Proverbs). 'Labor' and 'be narrow' derive from the core sense of pressing, which can refer either to working quickly or being in a physically or metaphorically tight place. Some translations render forms of the word as 'hurry,' 'make haste,' or 'be pressed,' but each context determines the nuance—whether it means simply moving quickly or acting under constraint. The verb is distinct from חפז (ḥâfaz, H2648 'to hurry') and מיה (māhah, H4102 'to delay, linger') in that אוּץ tends to emphasize external or situational urgency rather than internal disposition. Over time, the sense of constraint or pressure became secondary to the dominant meaning of urgency or haste.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to press; (by implication) to be close, hurry, withdraw; (make) haste(-n, -y), labor, be narrow.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אוץ (ʾ-w-ts) — pressing, urging, narrowness, haste

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H213-01 אָ֥ץ ats HVqp3ms hasty he pressed on 4
H213-06 וְ/אָ֖ץ veats HC/Vqrmsa and-he-hastens and hastening one 2
H213-02 אַ֣צְתִּי atseti HVqp1cs have I hurried I pressed on 1
H213-05 וַ/יָּאִ֥יצוּ vayaitsu HC/Vhw3mp urged they urged on 1
H213-03 אָצִ֣ים atsim HVqrmpa were urgent the pressing ones 1
H213-04 תָּאִ֣יצוּ taitsu HVhj2mp try to comfort Press on! 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H213-05 Genesis 19:15 וַ/יָּאִ֥יצוּ vayaitsu HC/Vhw3mp urged they urged on
H213-03 Exodus 5:13 אָצִ֣ים atsim HVqrmpa were urgent the pressing ones
H213-01 Joshua 10:13 אָ֥ץ ats HVqp3ms hastened he pressed on
H213-01 Joshua 17:15 אָ֥ץ ats HVqp3ms is too narrow he pressed on
H213-04 Isaiah 22:4 תָּאִ֣יצוּ taitsu HVhj2mp try to comfort Press on!
H213-02 Jeremiah 17:16 אַ֣צְתִּי atseti HVqp1cs have I hurried I pressed on
H213-06 Proverbs 19:2 וְ/אָ֖ץ veats HC/Vqrmsa and-he-hastens and hastening one
H213-01 Proverbs 21:5 אָ֝֗ץ ats HVqrmsa hasty he pressed on
H213-06 Proverbs 28:20 וְ/אָ֥ץ veats HC/Vqrmsa but he who makes haste and hastening one
H213-01 Proverbs 29:20 אָ֣ץ ats HVqrmsa hasty he pressed on
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