| 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). Noah Webster's 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. Int. 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 |  | Multi-Version 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) |
