THE FULL ARTICLE — from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), general editor James Orr — public domain, printed whole.

in'-stant, in'-stant-li: Derivative from Latin instare. Found in English with various meanings from the 15th century to the present time.

Instant is used once in Isa 29:5 in the sense of immediate time; elsewhere in the sense of urgent, pressing; Lu 23:23, where "were instant" is the King James Version translation of the verb epekeinto; Ro 12:12, where it is involved in the verb proskartereo; compare Ac 6:4. In 2Ti 4:2 it stands for the expressive verb epistethi, "stand to."

Instantly (urgently, steadfastly) is the King James Version rendering of two different Greek phrases, spoudaios, found in Lu 7:4; and en ekteneia, in Ac 26:7. In both cases the American Standard Revised Version renders "earnestly."

Russell Benjamin Miller