The Hebrew chuwsh means to hasten or move with urgency. It appears in poetic contexts where the psalmist pleads with God to act quickly on his behalf. Psalm 71:12 cries: 'O God, do not be far from me; my God, hasten to help me.' The word captures the human cry for divine urgency β recognizing that delay can mean destruction.
The use of chuwsh in prayer reflects a raw, honest theology: God is not slow to act by nature, but from the human perspective under pressure, his timing feels urgent. When David writes 'Hasten, O God, to save me' (Psalm 70:1), he is not accusing God of tardiness but expressing complete dependence. The counterweight is that God's haste is always perfect β when Scripture says 'He will not delay' (Habakkuk 2:3), the same urgency applies to divine promise as to human petition.