חִפָּזוֹן
𐤇𐤐𐤆𐤅𐤍
chippâzôwn
H2649 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state or condition of hurriedness—specifically, urgent haste, hurry, or precipitate movement—frequently in the context of fleeing quickly from danger or in situations demanding immediate action. The term does not just denote generic speed, but extreme urgency, often associated with distress or necessity, as in rapid escape.
Semantic Range
urgent haste, panic-driven flight, rushed departure, state of alarmed hurry, precipitate movement or action
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חפז (ḥ-p-z), which primarily means 'to hurry, to be agitated, to hasten with urgency.' חִפָּזוֹן is a noun formation indicating the state or quality of hastening or urgency. Although some suggest possible links to the root חפל ('to rush'), lexical evidence strongly favors חפז for both form and sense.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חִפָּזוֹן appears in contexts emphasizing a distinctive, emergency-driven haste. Most notably, it describes the manner in which the Israelites departed Egypt (Exodus 12:11; Deuteronomy 16:3)—their exodus executed under duress, with little time for preparation, highlighting the urgency and divine compulsion of the event. This is not just speed or readiness, but the panic-tinged swiftness required by imminent danger. Elsewhere, such as Isaiah 52:12, the word is used in a prophetic context to promise that a future deliverance will not be characterized by such pressured haste, contrasting it with the panicked exodus. In later translations (especially English Bibles), the word is customarily rendered 'haste' or 'in haste,' but this often fails to convey the specific, urgent flight implied in the term's most prominent usages. The word is thematically distinct from more generic terms for swiftness (e.g., מהרה), focusing instead on compelled, urgent escape. Its connotations do not overlap significantly with later meanings of religious ritual 'haste.' Certain English translations also introduce the anachronistic 'Jew' in these contexts, but the original texts refer to the descendants of Israel at the time of the Exodus, not later ethnic or religious groups. The nuance of חִפָּזוֹן thus highlights unique aspects of Israelite collective memory regarding liberation and divine intervention.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חֻלְדָּה; hasty flight; haste.
Bantu Hebrew
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חפז (ḥ-p-z) — to hurry, to be agitated, to move urgently, to be in a rush
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2648 | חָפַז | in her anxious haste |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2649-02 |
בְ/חִפָּז֗וֹן | vechipazon | HR/Ncmsa |
in haste | in urgent haste | 2 |
H2649-01 |
בְּ/חִפָּז֔וֹן | bechipazon | HR/Ncmsa |
in haste | in urgent haste | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2649-01 |
Exodus 12:11 | בְּ/חִפָּז֔וֹן | bechipazon | HR/Ncmsa |
in haste | in urgent haste |
H2649-02 |
Deuteronomy 16:3 | בְ/חִפָּז֗וֹן | vechipazon | HR/Ncmsa |
in haste | in urgent haste |
H2649-02 |
Isaiah 52:12 | בְ/חִפָּזוֹן֙ | vechipazon | HR/Ncmsa |
in-haste | in urgent haste |