### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Aramaic word **chătsaph**, represented by `{{H2685}}`, is a primitive root that properly means to shear or cut close. Figuratively, it is used to describe something as **severe**, **hasty**, or **urgent**. It appears only **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible, both within the book of Daniel, where it conveys a sense of critical and dangerous immediacy.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H2685}}` is used exclusively to describe the pressing nature of a king's commands. In one instance, Arioch, the king's captain, questions Daniel, "Why is the decree so **hasty** from the king?" [[Daniel 2:15]]. Later, the term is used to explain the lethal consequences of a royal order: "because the king's commandment was **urgent**, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego" [[Daniel 3:22]]. In both contexts, the word highlights the high-stakes pressure of a monarch's decree.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help contextualize the severe urgency of `{{H2685}}`:
* `{{H1882}}` **dâth** (a royal edict or statute): This word is the object of the "hastiness" in [[Daniel 2:15]]. It refers to a formal law that carries immense authority, whether it comes from an earthly king or from God [[Ezra 7:26]].
* `{{H4406}}` **millâh** (a word, command, discourse, or subject): This is the "commandment" described as urgent in [[Daniel 3:22]]. It can refer to a king's spoken word, which the faithful servants of God chose to change, or defy, in favor of their devotion to Him [[Daniel 3:28]].
* `{{H6903}}` **qᵉbêl** (on account of, so as, since, hence): This particle often provides the reason or cause for an event. In [[Daniel 3:22]], it is used in the phrase "Therefore because" to link the king's urgent commandment directly to the subsequent events, showing the consequential nature of the royal command.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H2685}}` is seen in the situations it creates.
* **The Peril of Absolute Authority:** The word underscores the volatile and dangerous nature of absolute human power. A king's "hasty" decree could mean immediate death for his wisest counselors [[Daniel 2:15]], demonstrating the severe stakes of serving an earthly monarch.
* **Catalyst for Divine Revelation:** The urgency described by `{{H2685}}` sets the stage for God's intervention. The hasty decree to kill the wise men creates the crisis that only God's wisdom, revealed to Daniel, can solve [[Daniel 2:15]]. Similarly, the urgent command regarding the furnace precedes the miraculous deliverance of the three Hebrews [[Daniel 3:22]].
* **Contrast with Divine Steadfastness:** The hastiness of the king's decree `{{H1882}}` stands in contrast to the eternal and unchanging law `{{H1882}}` of God, for which Daniel was willing to risk his life [[Daniel 6:5]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H2685}}`, while rare, is a potent word. It does not merely mean "fast"; it communicates a severe and dangerous urgency tied to the absolute power of a king. Its usage in the book of Daniel is pivotal, creating the high-pressure circumstances through which God's superior power, wisdom, and deliverance are ultimately revealed. It effectively captures the tense atmosphere of a life-or-death royal command.
TRV