Forms: 1 behǽs, 2–3 bihese, biheaste, 2–6 bi-, byheste, 3–6 beheste, 4–5 be-, bi-, byheest(e, 4–6 bi-, byhest, 6–7 beheast, 4– behest. [OE. behǽs fem. (acc. behǽse) was the regular repr. of OTeut. *bihait-ti-, abst. sb. f. bihait-an, in OE. behátan to BEHIGHT (see Sievers, Ags. Gr., § 232); thence, early ME. bihese, soon altered to bihes-te, by form analogy with words in -te, OE. -t. For full phonetic history see HEST. The OE. bihǽs, like the vb. bihátan, occurs only in the sense of ‘promise, vow,’ but in ME. biheste acquired the sense of the simple hǽs, HEST, f. hátan ‘to command’; see HIGHT.] (Cf. the equivalent BEHOTE, OE. behát neut., with its ME. variants BEHETE, BEHIGHT.)
† 1. A vow, promise. Very common in the phr. Land of behest: land of promise. Obs.
a. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 61. But [we] lesten ure bihese.
c. 1205. Lay., 1263. He bi-heihte hire biheste.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 39. Ich habbe ihalden mine biheaste þruppe.
c. 1300. St. Brandan, 76. Bifore the ȝates of Paradys in the Lond of Biheste.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. Prol., 26. Breken his biheste.
1388. Wyclif, Heb. xi. 9. Bi feith he dwelte in the loond of biheest.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), IV. xxvi. 193. Why is this commaundement gyuen with a byhest of helthe.
1562. Foxe, A. & M., I. 454/1. He behight to him and to his Heirs the Land of behest.
1587. Turberv., Trag. T. (1837), 89. She made a large behest, Of gold that she would franklike give.
1634. Malory’s Arthur (1816), I. Prol. 13. Duke Joshua, which brought the children of Israel into the land of beheast.
2. A command, injunction, bidding.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 33. Þu scoldest halden cristes biheste.
1388. Wyclif, Ecclus. xxiv. 33. Moises comaundide a lawe in the comaundementis of riȝtfulnessis … and biheestis to Israel.
1528. More, Heresyes, I. Wks. 157/2. That thei should kepe his byhestes.
1591. Spenser, Ruines Time, 73. To fall before her feete at her beheast.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 238. Us he [God] sends upon his high behests.
1857. Buckle, Civiliz., iii. 140. We see the subtlest … of all forces … obeying even the most capricious behests of the human mind.
