Bible Dictionary: Chaff

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Smith's Bible Dictionary

Chaff

the husk of corn or wheat which was separated from the grain by being thrown into the air, the wind blowing away the chaff, while the grain was saved. The carrying away of chaff by the wind is an ordinary scriptural image of the destruction of the wicked and of their powerlessness to resist God's judgments. (Psalms 1:4; Isaiah 17:13; Hosea 13:3; Zephaniah 2:2)

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The refuse of winnowed corn. It was usually burned (Exodus 15:7; Isaiah 5:24; Matthew 3:12). This word sometimes, however, means dried grass or hay (Isaiah 5:24; 33:11). Chaff is used as a figure of abortive wickedness (Psalm 1:4; Matthew 3:12). False doctrines are also called chaff (Jeremiah 23:28), or more correctly rendered "chopped straw." The destruction of the wicked, and their powerlessness, are likened to the carrying away of chaff by the wind (Isaiah 17:13; Hosea 13:3; Zephaniah 2:2).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) The glumes or husks of grains and grasses separated from the seed by threshing and winnowing, etc.

2. (n.) Anything of a comparatively light and worthless character; the refuse part of anything.

3. (n.) Straw or hay cut up fine for the food of cattle.

4. (n.) Light jesting talk; banter; raillery.

5. (n.) The scales or bracts on the receptacle, which subtend each flower in the heads of many Compositae, as the sunflower.

6. (v. i.) To use light, idle language by way of fun or ridicule; to banter.

7. (v. t.) To make fun of; to turn into ridicule by addressing in ironical or bantering language; to quiz.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

CHAFF

chaf: Four different words have been translated "chaff" in the Old Testament:

(1) mots, is found in Job 21:18 Psalm 1:4; Psalm 35:5 Isaiah 17:13; Isaiah 29:5; Isaiah 41:15 Hosea 13:3 Zephaniah 2:2.

(2) chashash, occurs in two verses (Isaiah 5:24; Isaiah 33:11). Compare "chashish," an Arabic word which, as commonly used, denotes grass either standing or cut, green or dry, although, strictly speaking, dry or cut grass alone. In the Revised Version (British and American) Isaiah 5:24 the translation is "dry grass."

(3) tebhen, is translated "chaff" in the King James Version (Jeremiah 23:28). The same word is rendered "straw" in the Revised Version (British and American) (compare Arabic tibn).

(4) 'ur, a Chaldaic word, occurs in Daniel 2:35.

In the New Testament achuron, is found in Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17.

In the process of winnowing, as it has been carried on in the East for thousands of years, the grain is tossed into the air so that the wind may cause a separation of chaff and straw. The light husks from the wheat and fine particles of straw are dispersed by the wind in the form of a fine dust; the heavier straw which has been broken into short pieces by the threshing process falls near at hand on the edge of the threshing-floor, while the grain falls back upon the pile. In Syria and Palestine, that which falls near at hand as cut straw is called tibn. This word occurs in the Arabic translation of Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17. This straw is ordinarily saved and fed as "roughage" to the animals. It could easily be gathered and burned, as indicated in the above-mentioned verses, while the chaff is blown away beyond recovery, a strong figure to depict complete annihilation (Job 21:18 Isaiah 29:5; Isaiah 41:16 Hosea 13:3, Daniel 2:35).

See AGRICULTURE; STRAW; WINNOWING.

JAMES A. Patch

Greek

892. achuron -- chaff
... achuron. 893 . chaff. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: achuron Phonetic
Spelling: (akh'-oo-ron) Short Definition: chaff Definition: chaff. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/892.htm - 6k

3039. likmao -- to winnow, to scatter
... of Speech: Verb Transliteration: likmao Phonetic Spelling: (lik-mah'-o) Short
Definition: I crush to powder Definition: I crush to powder, scatter like chaff. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3039.htm - 6k

257. halon -- a threshing floor
... floor. Probably from the base of heilisso; a threshing-floor (as rolled hard), ie
(figuratively) the grain (and chaff, as just threshed) -- floor. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/257.htm - 6k

4917. sunthlao -- to crush together
... (3039 ). The verb was used of winnowing out the chaff and then of grinding to powder.
This is the fate of him on whom this Rejected Stone falls" (, 1, 172). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4917.htm - 7k

2595. karphos -- a small dry stalk
... Transliteration: karphos Phonetic Spelling: (kar'-fos) Short Definition: a dry stalk,
chip of wood Definition: a dry stalk, chip of wood, twig, splinter, chaff ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2595.htm - 6k

2919. krino -- to judge, decide
... court of law. 2919 () originally meant "." So Homer, of Ceres separating the
grain from the chaff (Iliad, v, 501). Thence, 'to distinguish ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2919.htm - 11k

Strong's Hebrew

5784. ur -- chaff
... 5783, 5784. ur. 5785 . chaff. Transliteration: ur Phonetic Spelling: (oor)
Short Definition: chaff. Word Origin (Aramaic) of uncertain ...
/hebrew/5784.htm - 5k

2842. chashash -- chaff
... 2841, 2842. chashash. 2843 . chaff. Transliteration: chashash Phonetic
Spelling: (khaw-shash') Short Definition: chaff. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/2842.htm - 6k

4671b. mots -- chaff
... chaff. Transliteration: mots or mots Short Definition: chaff. Word Origin of uncertain
derivation Definition chaff NASB Word Usage chaff (8). 4671a, 4671b. ...
/hebrew/4671b.htm - 5k

7179. qash -- stubble, chaff
... 7178, 7179. qash. 7180 . stubble, chaff. Transliteration: qash Phonetic
Spelling: (kash) Short Definition: stubble. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/7179.htm - 6k

4671. mots -- squeezer, extortioner
... 4670, 4671. mots. 4671a . squeezer, extortioner. Transliteration: mots
Phonetic Spelling: (motes) Short Definition: chaff. chaff ...
/hebrew/4671.htm - 5k

4214. mizreh -- a pitchfork
... Word Origin from zarah Definition a pitchfork NASB Word Usage fork (2). fan. From
zarah; a winnowing shovel (as scattering the chaff) -- fan. see HEBREW zarah. ...
/hebrew/4214.htm - 6k

8402. Tibni -- a rival of Omri
... Definition: Tibni. Word Origin from the same as teben Definition a rival of Omri
NASB Word Usage Tibni (3). chaff, straw, stubble. From teben ...
/hebrew/8402.htm - 6k

8401. teben -- straw
... Probably from banah; properly, material, ie (specifically) refuse haum or stalks
of grain (as chopped in threshing and used for fodder) -- chaff, straw, stubble ...
/hebrew/8401.htm - 6k

7371. rachath -- winnowing shovel
... shovel. From ruwach; a winnowing-fork (as blowing the chaff away) -- shovel. see
HEBREW ruwach. 7370, 7371. rachath. 7372 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7371.htm - 6k

4651. mappal -- refuse, hanging parts
... flake, refuse. From naphal; a falling off, ie Chaff; also something pendulous, ie
A flap -- flake, refuse. see HEBREW naphal. 4650, 4651. mappal. 4652 . ...
/hebrew/4651.htm - 6k

Library

The Chaff Driven Away
... The Chaff Driven Away. A Sermon (No.280). ... "The ungodly are not so: but are like the
chaff which the wind driveth away.""Psalm 1:4. AND WHO are the ungodly? ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the chaff driven away.htm

We See How the Husbandmen have a Method for Separating the Chaff.. ...
... II."Ascetic and Moral. Chapter XXII. We see how the husbandmen have a method
for separating the chaff� We see how the husbandmen ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/chapter xxii we see how.htm

Origin of Errors; a Simile Sought from the Foreskin of the ...
... Book III. Chapter 16."Origin of Errors; A Simile Sought from the Foreskin
of the Circumcised, and from the Chaff of Wheat. "But ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 16 origin of errors a.htm

Saint Isaac, the Monk, Predicts the Death of Valens. Valens in his ...
... Book VI. Chapter XL."Saint Isaac, the Monk, predicts the Death of Valens. Valens
in his Flight enters a Chaff-House, is consumed, and so yields up his Life. ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/chapter xl saint isaac the monk.htm

Answer to Another Objection, Showing that the Destruction of ...
... must also pass away, when the time of its disappearance has come, in order that
the fruit indeed may be gathered into the garner, but the chaff, left behind ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter iv answer to another objection.htm

Petilianus Said: "The Lord Christ Cries Again from Heaven to Paul. ...
... the more freedom from the whole field of the Lord, that is, from the world, and
say, Neither are we at all affected by what the tares and the chaff amongst us ...
/.../chapter 20 44 petilianus.htm

The Fan. Matthew iii. 12
... Because if so, Jesus Christ has two sides. There is the barn for the wheat,
and there is a fire for the chaff. ... The chaff is no good. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/liv the fan matthew iii.htm

Petilianus Said: "By this Sentence, Again, the Apostle Places in ...
... The former make themselves chaff, while they follow the barrenness of the
chaff; the latter are the grain. Let them wait for Christ ...
/.../chapter 108 244 petilianus.htm

On Earthly Things
... The chaff is sinners; in the Gospel: moreover, he burns the chaff in unextinguishable
fire; and in Jerimiah: the Lord says what is the chaff to the wheat? ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/iii on earthly things.htm

Its Course.
... always mixed with much chaff) oftenest either before or soon after birth.
The Reformed ... life. 4. The non-elect, or the chaff. Examining ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xx its course.htm

Thesaurus

Chaff (24 Occurrences)
... This word sometimes, however, means dried grass or hay (Isaiah 5:24; 33:11). Chaff
is used as a figure of abortive wickedness (Psalm 1:4; Matthew 3:12). ...CHAFF. ...
/c/chaff.htm - 18k

Fan (8 Occurrences)
... A winnowing shovel by which grain was thrown up against the wind that it might be
cleansed from broken straw and chaff (Isaiah 30:24; Jeremiah 15:7; Matthew 3 ...
/f/fan.htm - 12k

Unquenchable (5 Occurrences)
... ab'-l, pur asbestos): The phrase occurs in Matthew 3:12 and its parallel Luke
3:17 in the words of the Baptist on the Messianic judgment: "The chaff he will ...
/u/unquenchable.htm - 10k

Log (12 Occurrences)
... (See NAS RSV). Luke 6:41 Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother's
eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? (See NAS RSV). ...
/l/log.htm - 11k

Plank (5 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Luke 6:41 Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother's
eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? (See NIV). ...
/p/plank.htm - 9k

Brother's (46 Occurrences)
... Luke 6:41 Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother's
eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? ...
/b/brother's.htm - 23k

Speck (6 Occurrences)
... (WEB NAS RSV NIV). Luke 6:41 Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your
brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? ...
/s/speck.htm - 9k

Stubble (18 Occurrences)
... tebhen (Job 21:18), is a mixture of chopped straw and chaff produced in threshing,
which is winnowed out by the fan (compare Jeremiah 23:28 Isaiah 5:24 Matthew ...
/s/stubble.htm - 15k

Beam (17 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT). Luke 6:41 Why do you see the speck of chaff that
is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? ...
/b/beam.htm - 17k

Clear (641 Occurrences)
... is in His hand, and He will make a thorough clearance of His threshing-floor, gathering
His wheat into the storehouse, but burning up the chaff in unquenchable ...
/c/clear.htm - 39k

Bible Concordance

Chaff (24 Occurrences)

Matthew 3:12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 3:17 whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Luke 6:41 Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye?
(WEB)

Luke 6:42 Or how can you tell your brother,'Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,' when you yourself don't see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye.
(WEB)

Exodus 15:7 In the greatness of your excellency, you overthrow those who rise up against you. You send forth your wrath. It consumes them as stubble.
(See NAS)

Job 13:25 Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?
(See NAS RSV NIV)

Job 21:18 How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away?
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Job 41:28 The arrow can't make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.
(WEB NIV)

Psalms 1:4 The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 35:5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, Yahweh's angel driving them on.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 83:13 My God, make them like tumbleweed; like chaff before the wind.
(WEB NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 5:24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
(KJV JPS WBS)

Isaiah 17:13 The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters: but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far off, and will be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like the whirling dust before the storm.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 29:5 But the multitude of your foes will be like fine dust, and the multitude of the ruthless ones like chaff that blows away. Yes, it will be in an instant, suddenly.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 33:11 You will conceive chaff. You will bring forth stubble. Your breath is a fire that will devour you.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 40:24 They have only now been planted, and their seed put into the earth, and they have only now taken root, when he sends out his breath over them and they become dry, and the storm-wind takes them away like dry grass.
(See NIV)

Isaiah 41:2 Who sent out from the east one who is right wherever he goes? he gives the nations into his hands, and makes him ruler over kings; he gives them as the dust to his sword, as dry stems before the wind to his bow.
(See NAS NIV)

Isaiah 41:15 Behold, I have made you into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth. You will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and will make the hills like chaff.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 13:24 Therefore will I scatter them, as the stubble that passes away, by the wind of the wilderness.
(See RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 23:28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.
(KJV DBY WBS)

Daniel 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Hosea 13:3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist, and like the dew that passes away early, like the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing floor, and like the smoke out of the chimney.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Zephaniah 2:2 before the appointed time when the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Yahweh comes on you, before the day of Yahweh's anger comes on you.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Malachi 4:1 "For, behold, the day comes, it burns as a furnace; and all the proud, and all who work wickedness, will be stubble; and the day that comes will burn them up," says Yahweh of Armies, "that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
(See NAS)

Subtopics

Chaff

Chaff: Figurative

Chaff: General Scriptures Concerning

Related Terms

Fan (8 Occurrences)

Unquenchable (5 Occurrences)

Log (12 Occurrences)

Plank (5 Occurrences)

Brother's (46 Occurrences)

Speck (6 Occurrences)

Stubble (18 Occurrences)