Quick; Quicken
Understanding the Biblical Terms
In modern Bible reading, the terms 'quick' and 'quicken' can be confusing because their primary meaning has shifted in contemporary English. In the 17th century when the King James Version was translated, 'quick' commonly meant 'living' or 'alive.' This is preserved in the classic phrase 'the quick and the dead' (Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5), which simply means 'the living and the dead.' Similarly, 'to quicken' meant to make alive, revive, or restore to vitality.
Key Hebrew and Greek Words
The English terms translate several original biblical words. The Hebrew chayah (חָיָה) means 'to live,' 'have life,' 'remain alive,' or 'restore to life.' It appears in passages like Psalm 71:20, where the psalmist declares, 'You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive (quicken) me again.' The related noun michyah (מִחְיָה) refers to 'preservation of life' or 'sustenance.'
In the New Testament, the Greek verb zaō (ζάω) means 'to live' or 'be alive.' It's used extensively in discussions of resurrection and spiritual life. Another important Greek word is zōopoieō (ζῳοποιέω), which specifically means 'to make alive,' 'give life to,' or 'quicken.' This term carries significant theological weight in passages about spiritual regeneration and bodily resurrection.
Life, Revival, and Resurrection
The concept of 'quickening' appears throughout Scripture in three primary contexts: physical preservation, spiritual regeneration, and bodily resurrection.
Physical Preservation and Revival: Several psalms petition God to 'quicken' or revive the psalmist according to His word, mercy, or righteousness (Psalm 119:25, 37, 40, 88, 149, 154, 156, 159). This expresses a desire for renewed vitality, deliverance from trouble, or restoration from spiritual lethargy.
Spiritual Regeneration: The New Testament emphasizes that believers are spiritually 'quickened' or made alive with Christ. Ephesians 2:1-5 powerfully states that while humanity was 'dead in trespasses and sins,' God, 'who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.' This spiritual quickening is entirely God's work of grace (Colossians 2:13).
Bodily Resurrection: The term also describes resurrection from the dead. Jesus declares that 'the Son quickens whom He will' (John 5:21), referring to both spiritual and physical resurrection. Paul uses agricultural imagery in 1 Corinthians 15:36 to explain resurrection: 'What you sow is not made alive unless it dies.' The 'quickening' power of God's Spirit will raise believers' mortal bodies (Romans 8:11).
Notable Translation Issues
Some King James Version usages of 'quick' require clarification for modern readers. In Leviticus 13:10, 24, 'quick raw flesh' describes inflamed, possibly infected tissue in a skin disease (often understood as 'proud flesh'). In Isaiah 11:3, the KJV's 'quick understanding' meant 'acute perception' or 'discernment,' which modern translations typically render as 'delight in the fear of the Lord.'
The Living Word
Hebrews 4:12 famously describes God's word as 'quick and powerful' (KJV) — 'living and active' (ESV). This underscores that Scripture isn't a dead letter but possesses divine vitality to judge thoughts and intentions. The 'quick' (living) word corresponds to the 'quickening' work of the Spirit who inspired it.
Biblical Context
The concepts appear throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament, 'quicken' primarily appears in the Psalms as appeals for God to revive the psalmist (Psalm 71:20; 80:18; 119:25-159). Leviticus uses 'quick' to describe inflamed flesh in ritual purity laws (Leviticus 13:10, 24). In the New Testament, the terminology becomes central to describing spiritual regeneration: believers dead in sin are 'quickened together with Christ' (Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13). It also describes Christ's life-giving authority (John 5:21), the future resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:36; Romans 8:11), and the nature of Scripture (Hebrews 4:12). The phrase 'the quick and the dead' appears in apostolic preaching about Christ's judgment (Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5).
Theological Significance
The theology of 'quickening' highlights God as the sole source and giver of life. It underscores humanity's spiritual condition: apart from Christ, people are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). Spiritual regeneration is entirely God's monergistic work—He quickens sinners, making them alive in Christ through the Holy Spirit. This quickening is inseparable from union with Christ in His death and resurrection. The hope of bodily resurrection rests on God's quickening power over physical death. The concept also affirms the vitality of God's word (Hebrews 4:12) and the Spirit who gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6). Ultimately, 'quickening' points to the gospel's transformative power: God makes the dead live, fulfilling Ezekiel's vision of dry bones brought to life (Ezekiel 37).
Historical Background
The English word 'quick' derives from Old English 'cwic,' meaning 'alive' or 'living.' This meaning persisted through Early Modern English (as seen in Shakespeare and the 1611 KJV) but gradually narrowed to primarily mean 'fast' by the 19th century. This linguistic shift explains why modern readers misunderstand phrases like 'the quick and the dead.' Ancient Near Eastern cultures associated life with breath/spirit (Hebrew 'ruach'; Greek 'pneuma'). The concept of a deity reviving the dead appears in limited forms in surrounding cultures, but Israel's hope in Yahweh's power to resurrect became distinctive. Greek philosophical dualism often devalued the physical body, making the Christian hope of bodily resurrection through God's quickening power particularly counter-cultural.