Lexical Summary qash: Stubble, chaff Original Word: קשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance stubble From qashash; straw (as dry) -- stubble. see HEBREW qashash NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition stubble, chaff NASB Translation chaff (5), straw (1), stubble (10). Brown-Driver-Briggs קַר adjective cool; — construct (figurative) וְקַררֿוּחַ Proverbs 17:27 (Kt) cool of spirit, i.e. calm, self-possessed (Qr יְקַרֿ); plural קָרִים of water Jeremiah 18:14; Proverbs 25:25. קַשׁ noun masculineNahum 1:10 stubble, chaff; — absolute ׳ק Exodus 5:12 +, קַ֑שׁ Exodus 15:7; — literal as accusative of congnate meaning with verb ׳לְקשֵׁשׁ ק לַתֶּבֶן Exodus 5:12 (J); in simile, as inflammable, Exodus 15:7; Isaiah 5:24; Isaiah 47:14; Nahum 1:10; Joel 2:5, so in metaphor Isaiah 33:11; Obadiah 18; Malachi 3:19; in simile, as driven by wind Isaiah 40:24; Isaiah 41:2; Jeremiah 13:24; Psalm 83:14; figurative of the worthless Job 13:25, of harmless trifles Job 41:20; Job 41:21. Topical Lexicon Material reality in Israel’s agrarian world The noun קשׁ denotes the brittle stalks left after grain harvest. In Egypt the Israelites were forced to gather it as a binding agent for bricks (Exodus 5:12), illustrating its practical usefulness while simultaneously introducing the word in Scripture as a reminder of oppression and human frailty. Image of quick and total combustion Because straw ignites instantly, prophets employ קשׁ to portray the swiftness and completeness of divine judgment. “You send forth Your wrath; it consumes them like stubble” (Exodus 15:7). Isaiah repeats the picture: “As a tongue of fire consumes straw… so their root will be as rottenness” (Isaiah 5:24). Obadiah, Nahum and Malachi announce the same end for unrepentant nations and individuals (Obadiah 1:18; Nahum 1:10; Malachi 4:1). The metaphor is never partial; straw is wholly burned, underscoring the finality of God’s verdict. Symbol of powerlessness before God Wind-blown straw has no weight, direction or endurance. Job laments, “Will You chase after dry chaff?” (Job 13:25). The psalmist pleads, “Make them like chaff before the wind” (Psalm 83:13). Jeremiah warns Judah, “I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind” (Jeremiah 13:24). The emphasis is on utter helplessness when God’s breath or providential “wind” stirs. Contrast with divine invincibility Leviathan “regards a club as straw” (Job 41:29), yet even this fearsome creature becomes an object lesson: what mortals consider formidable is fragile before the Creator. The contrast intensifies in Isaiah 47:14, where Babylon’s astrologers are reduced to straw before a consuming flame—they cannot even warm themselves, much less save themselves. Straw thus serves as a foil, magnifying the unsurpassable might of the Lord. Prophetic assurances for God’s people Isaiah 40:24 pictures rulers “swept away like chaff,” immediately after promising comfort to Zion. The same chapter that declares the everlasting word of God (Isaiah 40:8) shows worldly power evaporating like straw, reassuring believers that no empire endures apart from the Lord’s sovereign will. Isaiah 41:2–3 develops the theme: a divinely raised conqueror turns nations “to windblown chaff with his bow,” advancing the redemptive plan despite geopolitical turmoil. Eschatological climax Malachi 4:1 gathers earlier images into a final Day-of-the-LORD panorama: “All the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff, and the day that is coming will set them ablaze.” The prophecy anticipates John the Baptist’s announcement that Messiah will “burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12, Greek parallel), bridging Old and New Testaments and pointing toward ultimate separation of righteous grain from worthless straw. Ministry reflections 1. Human achievements apart from God are combustible; ministry must labor for fruit that endures (1 Corinthians 3:12–15 echoes the straw motif). Summary Across sixteen occurrences, קשׁ functions as a vivid, consistent emblem of what is transient, weightless and combustible before the holy God. Whether illustrating Israel’s bondage, the overthrow of empires, or the final Day of the LORD, the word points to the same enduring truth: “The counsel of the LORD stands forever” (Psalm 33:11), everything else is straw. Forms and Transliterations כְּ֝קַ֗שׁ כְּ֭קַשׁ כְּקַ֥שׁ כְּקַשׁ־ כְקַשׁ֙ כַּקַּ֥שׁ כַּקַּֽשׁ׃ כקש כקש־ כקש׃ לְ֝קַ֗שׁ לְקַ֔שׁ לקש קַ֑שׁ קַ֔שׁ קַ֖שׁ קַ֜שׁ קָ֑שׁ קש cheKash kakKash kaq·qaš kaqqaš kash kə·qaš ḵə·qaš kə·qaš- Kekash kəqaš ḵəqaš kəqaš- lə·qaš leKash ləqaš qaš qāšLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 5:12 HEB: מִצְרָ֑יִם לְקֹשֵׁ֥שׁ קַ֖שׁ לַתֶּֽבֶן׃ NAS: of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. KJV: to gather stubble instead of straw. INT: of Egypt to gather stubble straw Exodus 15:7 Job 13:25 Job 41:28 Job 41:29 Psalm 83:13 Isaiah 5:24 Isaiah 33:11 Isaiah 40:24 Isaiah 41:2 Isaiah 47:14 Jeremiah 13:24 Joel 2:5 Obadiah 1:18 Nahum 1:10 Malachi 4:1 16 Occurrences |
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