What Does "Godspeed" Mean? Definition & Religious Origin

"Goodbye, good luck, and Godspeed." It’s a phrase we rarely hear these days, and when we do, it’s usually ironically or in old movies. It was famously used to wish John Glenn luck in 1962, as he lifted off in the capsule Friendship 7, and also appears throughout classic literature. Uncover the meaning, origin, and Biblical usage of this timeless saying.

Generally, the word is used to wish someone luck or for a safe journey. But where did this phrase come from, when did it become popular, and does it have any connection to God? Uncover the meaning, origin, and Biblical usage of this timeless saying.

'Godspeed' Meaning

Godspeed is defined by Merriam Webster as “a prosperous journey, success.”

The term has evolved into a unique blend of well-wishing and deeper spiritual connotations. In its essence, "Godspeed" serves as a condensed invocation, a wish for success imbued with a subtle acknowledgment of a higher power's influence. Its historical roots make it a linguistic bridge, connecting contemporary usage with a rich tapestry of cultural and religious history.

'Godspeed' Origin

The first documented use of this expression is in the 1300s text, Lancelot of the Laik and Sir Tristrem. The excerpt reads, “He may bidde god me spede.”

The Canterbury Tales from 1385 contains the line “God spede yow go forth and ley on faste.”

"Godspeed" has been used throughout history and literature in classics such as Shakespeare's "Hamlet", ranging from expressions of goodwill and departure to more complex and nuanced situations. The phrase's enduring presence in literature reflects its ability to encapsulate a spectrum of sentiments and wishes across different epochs and genres.

Etymology of 'Godspeed'

The Middle English spelling “god speid” eventually gave way to our more modern spelling. Because of the evolution of the English language, “speid” (or sometimes spoed) doesn’t actually translate to our understanding of “fast.”

“The noun ‘speed’ … originally meant ‘success, prosperity, good fortune; profit, advancement, furtherance,’ according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The OED cites this early example from a glossary, written around 725, of Latin and Old English terms: ‘Successus, spoed,’” explain Patricia O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman in their blog.

The word did not come to be associated with moving quickly until roughly the year 1000. The Oxford English Dictionary estimates the word was first used in that context in a manuscript of Genesis, when God promises to give Abraham and Sarah a son.

Is 'Godspeed' About God?

The question of whether "Godspeed" is about God involves an exploration of both linguistic history and contemporary usage. Because the term originates from Middle English, where "God spede" translates to "God prosper" or "God succeed", its historical context inherently ties the phrase to divine blessings and good wishes. It can be argued that the essence of "Godspeed" carries a subtle acknowledgment of God's providence and a desire for His favor in one's endeavors.

In a contemporary context, the usage of "Godspeed" may vary. For many, it has become a conventional way of wishing someone success or a safe journey without necessarily invoking religious sentiment. The term's enduring usage underscores its capacity to be used across secular and religious contexts.

'Godspeed' in the Bible

According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, god'-sped is found in the Bible: "Godspeed" occurs only in 2 John 1:10-11 in the King James Version as the translation of chairein, the infinitive of chairo, and is rendered in the Revised Version (British and American) "greeting."

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If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

It means "rejoice," "be of good cheer," and "be it well with thee"; chaire, chairete, chairein, were common forms of greeting, expressive of good-will and desire for the person's prosperity, translated in the Gospels, "Hail!" "All Hail!" (Matthew 26:49; 27:29; 28:9, etc.); chairein is the Septuagint for shalom (Isaiah 48:22; 57:21; compare 2 Macc 1:10). "Godspeed" first appears in Tyndale's version; Wycliffe had "heil!" Rheims "God save you."

In the passage cited, Christians are forbidden thus to salute false teachers who might come to them. The injunction does not imply any breach of charity since it would not be right to wish anyone success in advocating what was believed to be false and harmful. We should be sincere in our greetings; formal courtesy must yield to truth, still courteously, and in the spirit of love. - W.L. Walker

'God' in Similar Phrases: Goodbye and So Help Me God

This contraction of God with other words or phrases was relatively common and is also seen in the word goodbye. Originally read “godbwye (1570s), a contraction of God be with ye (late 14c.),” spelling eventually shifted to what we currently use, according to the online etymology dictionary.

Another example is the phrase “so help me God,” often heard in courts of law or when taking an oath. Ray Soller writes that the oath is part of the longer phrase “So may God help me at the judgment day if I speak true, but if I speak false, then may He withdraw His help from me."

Is Godspeed a Religious Phrase?

While phrases relating to God can be found all throughout the English language, the above two are rather obviously petitioning God for safety of help. “Goodbye” hopes that God will give another person safety and protection, while “so help me God” asks Him for strength. What about Godspeed?

The online etymology dictionary explains that the word was likely part of the phrase “(I wish that) God (may) grant you success.” In this sense, it is indeed petitioning God. The speaker means to say they hope God will look after someone else.

That is not to say that any of the above phrases are considered religious. It has religious origins and may have been considered pious for 14th-century speakers, but any connection to God has since been stripped away. The way "godspeed" is used now appeals more to a sense of luck or general good fortune. Further, despite its association with astronauts, the phrase has nothing to do with how fast or slow the Almighty can move.

Bethany Pyle is the editor for BibleStudyTools.com and the design editor for Salem Web Network.

What Does 'Godspeed' Mean? Definition and Religious Origin