מְהֵרָה
𐤌𐤄𐤓𐤄
mᵉhêrâh
H4120 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state of haste or rapidness; often used adverbially to mean 'quickly,' 'speedily,' or 'without delay.' While the basic sense denotes acting or occurring with swiftness, in context it emphasizes urgency or immediacy — sometimes relating to the swift fulfillment of an event, command, or action.
Semantic Range
haste, speed, quickness, swiftness, imminence, acting or occurring promptly, urgency, adverbially: quickly, speedily, soon, without delay
Root / Etymology
From the root מהר (מ-ה-ר), which has the core sense of 'to hurry, hasten, act with speed.' The feminine noun מְהֵרָה is formed from this root, indicating a state or quality related to haste or speed. The form functions adverbially in most occurrences.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מְהֵרָה appears frequently in poetic or prayerful contexts, particularly in Psalms and later writings, where it expresses a desire for YHWH or another actor to act swiftly (e.g., deliver, save, bring relief). In legal or narrative texts, the term is less common, but when used, it underscores the need for urgency. Over time, it became a standard adverb for urging quick action, often coupled with verbs related to help, deliverance, or judgment. In post-biblical Hebrew, similar senses persist, though alternative adverbs become more common. English translations such as 'hastily,' 'quickly,' or 'speedily' capture the general sense, but may miss the emotive or imperative force present in many original contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of מַהֵר; properly, a hurry; hence (adverbially) promptly; hastily, quickly, shortly, soon, make (with) speed(-ily), swiftly.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
מהר (m-h-r) — to hurry, hasten, act with speed
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4106 | מָהִיר | quick, ready |
| H4116 | מָהַר | as making haste |
| H4117 | מָהַר | to hasten |
| H4118 | מַהֵר | Hurry! |
| H4119 | מֹהַר | with bride-price |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4120-01 |
מְהֵרָ֛ה | meherah | HNcfsa |
quickly | haste | quickly | 19 |
H4120-02 |
בִ/מְהֵרָ֖ה | vimeherah | HR/Ncfsa |
in haste | in haste | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
20 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4120-01 |
Numbers 17:11 | מְהֵרָ֛ה | meherah | HNcfsa |
quickly | haste | quickly |
H4120-01 |
Deuteronomy 11:17 | מְהֵרָ֗ה | meherah | HNcfsa |
quickly | haste | quickly |
H4120-01 |
Joshua 8:19 | מְהֵרָ֨ה | meherah | HNcfsa |
quickly | haste | quickly |
H4120-01 |
Joshua 10:6 | מְהֵרָ֗ה | meherah | HNcfsa |
quickly | haste | quickly |
H4120-01 |
Joshua 23:16 | מְהֵרָ֔ה | meherah | HNcfsa |
quickly | haste | quickly |
H4120-01 |
Judges 9:54 | מְהֵרָ֜ה | meherah | HNcfsa |
quickly | haste | in haste |
H4120-01 |
1 Samuel 20:38 | מְהֵרָ֥ה | meherah | HNcfsa |
Quickly | haste | quickly |
H4120-01 |
2 Samuel 17:16 | מְהֵרָה֩ | meherah | HNcfsa |
quickly | haste | haste |
H4120-01 |
2 Samuel 17:18 | מְהֵרָ֜ה | meherah | HNcfsa |
quickly | haste | with haste |
H4120-01 |
2 Samuel 17:21 | מְהֵרָה֙ | meherah | HNcfsa |
quickly | haste | quickly |