Topical Encyclopedia
The term "swiftly" in the Bible often conveys a sense of rapid movement or action, typically associated with divine intervention, judgment, or the execution of God's will. The concept of swiftness underscores the urgency and decisiveness with which God acts in the world, as well as the fleeting nature of human life and opportunities for repentance.
Divine Judgment and ActionIn the Scriptures, God's actions are frequently described as swift, emphasizing His power and the certainty of His judgments. For instance, in
Isaiah 5:26, it is written, "He lifts a banner for the distant nations and whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Behold—how swiftly and speedily they come!" . This passage illustrates how God can summon nations to execute His judgment with remarkable speed.
Similarly, in
Zephaniah 1:14, the prophet declares, "The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter." . Here, the swiftness of the Lord's day serves as a warning to the people to prepare for imminent judgment.
Human Life and OpportunitiesThe Bible also uses the concept of swiftness to describe the transient nature of human life and the urgency of seizing the opportunity for repentance and faith. In
Job 7:6, Job laments, "My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and they come to an end without hope." . This metaphor highlights the brevity of life and the importance of living with an awareness of its fleeting nature.
Psalm 90:10 echoes this sentiment: "The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we are strong—yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away." . The psalmist reflects on the rapid passage of time, urging believers to seek wisdom and live righteously.
Call to Repentance and FaithThe New Testament continues this theme, urging believers to respond swiftly to the call of the Gospel. In
2 Peter 3:9, the apostle Peter writes, "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." . While God's judgment is swift, His patience allows time for repentance, underscoring the urgency of responding to His call.
In
Revelation 22:12, Jesus declares, "Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done." . The promise of Christ's swift return serves as both a warning and an encouragement for believers to remain faithful and vigilant.
ConclusionThe biblical use of "swiftly" serves as a powerful reminder of God's sovereign control over time and events. It calls believers to live with a sense of urgency, recognizing the brevity of life and the importance of aligning with God's will. Through the lens of swiftness, the Scriptures convey the immediacy of divine action, the fleeting nature of human existence, and the critical need for repentance and faith.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
adv.) In a swift manner; with quick motion or velocity; fleetly.
Greek
5032. tachion -- more swiftly ... more
swiftly. Part of Speech: Adverb, Comparative Transliteration: tachion Phonetic
Spelling: (takh'-ee-on) Short Definition: more
swiftly Definition: more
... 5033. tachista -- quickly; quick
... quickly; quick. Part of Speech: Adverb, Superlative Transliteration: tachista Phonetic
Spelling: (takh'-is-tah) Short Definition: most swiftly Definition: most ...
Strong's Hebrew
1675. daah -- to fly swiftly, dart through the air... daah. 1676 . to fly
swiftly, dart through the air. Transliteration: daah Phonetic
Spelling: (daw-aw') Short Definition:
swiftly. Word Origin a prim.
... 4120. meherah -- haste, speed
... Word Origin from mahar Definition haste, speed NASB Word Usage hurry (1), quickly
(14), shortly (1), speed (1), speedily (2), swiftly (1). ...
7031. qal -- light, swift, fleet
... Word Origin from qalal Definition light, swift, fleet NASB Word Usage insignificant
(1), swift (7), swift man (1), swift-footed* (1), swifter (1), swiftly (2). ...
7430. ramas -- to creep, move lightly, move about
... creep, move. A primitive root; properly, to glide swiftly, ie To crawl or move with
short steps; by analogy to swarm -- creep, move. 7429, 7430. ramas. 7431 ...
2465. cheled -- duration, world
... From an unused root apparently meaning to glide swiftly; life (as a fleeting portion
of time); hence, the world (as transient) -- age, short time, world. ...
3966. meod -- muchness, force, abundance
... more (2), more* (1), most (1), much* (1), quickly (1), richly (1), serious* (1),
severely (1), so (2), so much (1), sorely (1), strongly (1), swiftly (1), too ...
Library
But, they Say, While we are Moving Swiftly Down Towards Our Mortal ...
... Book II. 16 But, they say, while we are moving swiftly down towards our
mortal bodies? But, they say, while we are moving swiftly ...
Marvellous Increase of the Church
... like chariots drawn by mighty horses, or flying like a fugitive army, when the swift
winds have pursued them, and ye have said, "See how swiftly the clouds ...
Preparing to Depart
... To others of us who are in the prime of life, it is not far off, for I suppose we
are all conscious that time flies more swiftly with us now than ever it did. ...
A Farewell.
... Flee, ere your destruction come: Swiftly speeds the dread avenger,. Swiftly
speeds the judgement hour; Speed we to the refuge swiftly,. ...
The Nineteenth Century. November 14.
... time? For swiftly as rushes matter, more swiftly rushes mind; more swiftly
still rushes the heavenly dawn up the eastern sky. "The ...
The Festival of Games, in Honor of Augustus, were About to Begin ...
... Swiftly it came into that ample space between the king and the great fountain. ... Swiftly
he sprang upon the Jew, striving to entangle him. Antipater pulled away. ...
Psalm XLV.
... But how swiftly soever the transcriber writes, still it is not comparable to that
swiftness of which another Psalm says, "His word runneth very swiftly." [1388 ...
The Righteousness of Christ, an Everlasting Righteousness
... my God; Yea, whiles I[[was] speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had
seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me ...
An Appendix to the Beatitudes
... The Greek word there for burden', signifies properly the ballast of a ship' which
glides through the waves as swiftly and easily as if the ship had no weight ...
Prosperity and Adversity are from the Lord
... Marvel not at the works of a sinner, but trust the Lord, and abide in thy labour;
for it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lord swiftly on the sudden to ...
Thesaurus
Swiftly (15 Occurrences)... velocity; fleetly. Multi-Version Concordance
Swiftly (15 Occurrences). Romans
3:15 "Their feet move
swiftly to shed blood. (WEY). 2
...Swift (35 Occurrences)
... 2. (vi) of short continuance; passing away quickly. 3. (adv.) Swiftly. 4. (n.) The
current of a stream. ... Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly. ...
Scour (2 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To pass swiftly over; to brush along; to traverse or search thoroughly;
as, to scour the coast. 5. (vi) To clean anything by rubbing. ...
Speed (22 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) The act or state of moving swiftly; swiftness; velocity; rapidly;
rate of motion; dispatch; as, the speed a horse or a vessel. ...
Move (113 Occurrences)
... violence of the waves. (Root in KJV ASV BBE DBY YLT NIV). Romans 3:15
"Their feet move swiftly to shed blood. (WEY). Romans 11:14 ...
Fly (33 Occurrences)
... 4. (vi) To move or pass swiftly; to hasten away; to circulate rapidly; as,
a ship flies on the deep; a top flies around; rumor flies. ...
Speedily (38 Occurrences)
... Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly. (WEB RSV NIV). ... And if you repay me,
I will swiftly and speedily return your repayment on your own head. ...
Testaments
... The whole history of Egypt in this period was therefore one of endless and swiftly
succeeding changes. ... In Greece things had been moving swiftly. ...
Between (2624 Occurrences)
... The whole history of Egypt in this period was therefore one of endless and swiftly
succeeding changes. ... In Greece things had been moving swiftly. ...
Dial (2 Occurrences)
... Should the shadow of death swallow him up; should his life be swiftly cut off in
darkness, and be hidden until a new day should dawn, and the light of a new ...
Resources
How do I convert to Christianity? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of the Greek Empire in biblical history? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of Moab in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgSwiftly: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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