🔼The name Hushah: Summary
- Meaning
- Haste
- Etymology
- From the verb חוש (hush), to hurry or hasten.
🔼The name Hushah in the Bible
The one and only Hushah in the Bible is a son of Ezer and descendant of Hur of Ephrathah, who also fathered Bethlehem (1 Chronicles 4:4). Since Ephrathah and Bethlehem are the names of established locations, it's reasonable to assume that Hushah is a town too. A citizen of that town would be known as a חשתי (Hushathite), and there are one or two mentioned in the Bible.
- Sibbecai the Hushathite, one of David's mighty-men, who killed Saph of Raphah the giant (also known as Sippai), at one of the battles of Gob against the Philistines (2 Samuel 21:18, 1 Chronicles 11:29, 20:4)
- Mebunnai the Hushathite, perhaps another one of the mighty-men of David, but more probably the same as the previous Hushathite (2 Samuel 23:27).
🔼Etymology of the name Hushah
The name Hushah comes from either of the verbs חוש (hush):
חשש
The verb חשש (hashash) means to hurry, or rather to be light-footed and hence quickly moved. Noun חשש (hashash) describes chaff, which proverbially is so light that a breath of wind carries it off swiftly.
Likewise, verb חוש (hush) means to hurry or hasten. Adverb חיש (hish) means quickly.
This verb חוש (hush) may also be used to mean to be agitated, worried or enjoyed. Although some dictionaries demand that this concerns a second, identical verb, it probably isn't and simply describes the situation that arises when people are "inspired" by either joy or fear, break composure and ride their emotions like chaff does wind.
🔼Hushah meaning
For a meaning of the name Hushah, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Haste. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads the same but adds "in being born," for no discernable reason. BDB Theological Dictionary doesn't interpret our name but does list it under the חוש root-group, and also confirms that a Hushathite comes from Hushah, who was a " 'son' of Hur = place in Judah".