Job 13:25 — Word Study
WLCהֶעָלֶ֣ה נִדָּ֣ף תַּעֲר֑וֹץ וְאֶת־ קַ֖שׁ יָבֵ֣שׁ תִּרְדֹּֽף׃
BSAWould You frightenʻârats▸ [harass, terrify] a windblownnâdaph [driven to and fro] leafʻâleh [a leaf on a tree, foliage] Would You chase afterrâdaph▸ [pursue, hunt down] dryyâbêsh [worthless, without moisture] chaffqash [stubble, dry straw]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הֶעָלֶ֣ה | ¿ a leaf | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| נִדָּ֣ף | driven about | Verb, Niphal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| תַּעֲר֑וֹץ | will you terrify | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| קַ֖שׁ | chaff | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יָבֵ֣שׁ | dry | Adj |
| תִּרְדֹּֽף׃ | will you pursue? | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Would You frighten a windblown leaf? Would You chase after dry chaff? |
| KJV | Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble? |
| ASV | Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble? |
| YLT | A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue? |
| WEB | Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble? |
| BBE | Will you be hard on a leaf in flight before the wind? will you make a dry stem go more quickly on its way? |
Translations agree on the core meaning of the verse, emphasizing Job's feelings of fear and insignificance.
Two main questions, each questioning God's treatment of something deemed insignificant.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָדַף
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 13:25
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Job's Plea for Understandinggenerated
Job 13:25 presents Job's lament to God, questioning why He seems to treat him as an enemy and whether He would frighten something as insubstantial as a leaf. Job's words reflect his deep sense of injustice and confusion regarding his suffering, as he grapples with the silence of God in the face of his anguish. This passage is part of a larger discourse where Job seeks to understand his plight and God's role in it, echoing the themes of human frailty and divine oversight.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 14:3 | Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You? |
| 2 | 1 Samuel 24:14 | Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? |
| 3 | Isaiah 17:13 | The nations rage like the rush of many waters. He rebukes them, and they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweeds before a gale. |
| 4 | Matthew 12:20 | A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish, till He leads justice to victory. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תַּעֲר֑וֹץ, ta.'a.Rotzgenerated
The verb עָרַץ (arats) means to cause to tremble or to inspire dread. In this context, it conveys Job's feeling of terror in the face of God's power. The parsing indicates it is in the Qal form, suggesting a straightforward action of instilling fear.
Job's use of this word highlights his perception of God's might and the overwhelming nature of divine authority, as he wonders if God would truly concern Himself with something as trivial as a leaf.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of two main clauses, each beginning with a question. The finite verbs תַּעֲר֑וֹץ and תִּרְדֹּֽף frame Job's inquiries about God's actions, emphasizing his feelings of insignificance.
The structure places Job's questions front and center, highlighting his desperate plea for understanding and the weight of his rhetorical questions.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תַּעֲר֑וֹץ as εὐλαβηθήσῃ, suggesting a focus on the feeling of reverence or fear, which aligns with Job's intent to express his vulnerability before God.
This choice indicates a slight shift in emphasis from mere terror to a broader sense of awe, reflecting the translators' interpretation of Job's emotional state.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 13:25 questions whether God would frighten a leaf or chase after dry chaff. Job feels small and powerless, wondering if God pays attention to such insignificant things. His words express deep feelings of vulnerability and confusion about his suffering.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job uses the leaf as a metaphor for his fragility and insignificance, suggesting that he feels easily blown about by circumstances.
Chaff represents worthlessness; Job questions whether God would pursue something as trivial as him, highlighting his feelings of abandonment.
Job expresses feelings of fear, vulnerability, and a desire for understanding from God regarding his suffering.
This verse reflects Job's struggle with understanding his suffering and God's justice, a central theme throughout the Book of Job.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I feel vulnerable or insignificant in my own life?
- How can I seek understanding in my struggles, like Job did?
- What does it mean to me that God is aware of my fragility?
- How do I respond to feelings of abandonment or fear in my relationship with God?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers have commented on this verse, discussing Job's feelings of vulnerability and God's response to human suffering.
Why, Job says, do you not act clearly? Why do you not say, See, this is the reason why I punish you? It is no small consolation for those who are chastised to know the reason for their punishment.Early Church Fathers on Job 13 →
Wilt Thou shew Thy power against a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt Thou pursue the dry stubble? For what is man but a leaf, who fell in Paradise from the tree? what but a leaf is he, who is caught by the wind of temptation,Early Church Fathers on Job 13 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 13:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro?.... A leaf that falls from a tree in autumn, and withers and is rolled up, and driven about by the wind, which it cannot resist, to which Job here compares
Read John Gill on Job 13 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble? (Leviticus 26:36; Psalms 1:4). Job compares himself to a leaf already fallen, which the storm still chases here and there.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 13 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleDoth it become thy infinite and excellent majesty to use all thy might to crush such a poor, impotent, frail creature as I am, that can no more resist thy power than a leaf, or a little loose and dry straw can resist the fury of the wind or fire.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 13 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 13:25 Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?Ver. 25. Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? &c.] q.d. Egregiam vero laudem, Thinkest thou to get any honour by encountering and overturning me, who was at my best but as a leaf, or as stubble, weak and worthless; and am now, by reason of mine afflictions, but as a leaf blown off, and whirled up and down, Indignum est maiestate tua, ut misellum homuncionem, &c. (Jan.); or as stubble fully dried, which is soon scattered by the wind, Psalms 1:4, or quickly burnt by the fire, Nahum 1:10. David reasoneth in this manner with Saul, 1 Samuel 24:14, "After whom is the king of Israel come forth? after whom…
Read John Trapp on Job 13 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(25) Wilt thou break a leaf.—His confession of sin here approaches even to what the Psalmist describes as the condition of the ungodly (Psalms 1:4).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 13 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 25. Wilt thou break a leaf] Is it becoming thy dignity to concern thyself with a creature so contemptible?
Read AdamClarke on Job 13 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges25. Wilt thou break] Or, Wilt thou affright, that is, chase. The “driven leaf” and the “dry stubble” are figures for that which is so light and unsubstantial that it is the sport of every wind of circumstance. So Job describes himself, in contrast with God, and asks, Is thy determination to assail this kind of foe the explanation of my afflictions?
Read Cambridge on Job 13 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? - Job here means to say that the treatment of God in regard to him was like treading down a leaf that was driven about by the wind - an insigni ficant, unsettled, and worthless thing.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 13 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Would You frighten a windblown leaf? Would You chase after dry chaff?
Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?
Would You frighten a windblown leaf? Would You chase after dry chaff?
Do you wish to torment a windblown leaf and chase after dry chaff?
Tyndale line
Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
Wilt thou breake a leafe driuen to and from? and wilt thou pursue the drie stubble?
Strictly literal
Wilt thou terrify a driven leaf? and wilt thou pursue dry stubble?
A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue?
Do You terrify a leaf driven away? And do You pursue the dry stubble?
Wilt thou terrify a leaf driven about [by the wind]? and wilt thou pursue dry stubble?
Will you persecute a driven leaf? Will you pursue dry stubble?
From the Latin
Against a leaf, that is carried away with the wind, thou shewest thy power, and thou pursuest a dry straw.
Simplified
Would you frighten a leaf blown by the wind or hunt down a piece of straw?
Will you be hard on a leaf in flight before the wind? will you make a dry stem go more quickly on its way?
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is consistent with the Septuagint in its word choice, as all seven words match. The Dead Sea Scrolls also align closely with the MT, though some words are partially restored, indicating a degree of preservation despite the damage.
הֶעָלֶ֣ה נִדָּ֣ף תַּעֲר֑וֹץ וְאֶת־ קַ֖שׁ יָבֵ֣שׁ תִּרְדֹּֽף׃
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[העלה] [נדף] [תערוץ] [ואת] [קש] יבש תרדף
nothing on the leather here — 2 partly restored, 5 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 13:25
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
עָלֶה (aleh) refers to a leaf or foliage, emphasizing its role as something that comes up on a tree. The entries consistently define it as a leaf or leafage, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
עָלֶה n.m. leaf, leafage
base
H5929 עָלֶה leaf, leafage
5929 `aleh aw-leh'
from 5927; a leaf (as coming up on a tree); collectively,
foliage:--branch, leaf.
see HEBREW for 05927
עָלֶה (a.leh) — leaf.
leaf, leafage
Part | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTi/Ncmsa
Leaf
Of a tree. The olive-leaf mentioned Gen. 8:11. The barren fig-tree had nothing but leaves (Matt. 21:19; Mark 11:13). The oak-leaf is mentioned Isa. 1:30; 6:13. There are numerous allusions to leaves, their flourishing, their decay, and their restoration (Lev. 26:36; Isa. 34:4; Jer. 8:13; Dan. 4:12, 14, 21; Mark 11:13; 13:28). The fresh leaf is a symbol of prosperity (
נָדַף (nadaph) is a primitive root meaning to drive or disperse. It covers actions like driving away or being driven about, with forms in both the Qal and Niphal stems. The word suggests a sense of movement or force, as seen in its glosses from various lexicons.
[נָדַף] vb. drive, drive asunder
base
H5086 [נָדַף] drive, drive asunder
5086 nadaph naw-daf'
a primitive root; to shove asunder, i.e. disperse:--drive
(away, to and fro), thrust down, shaken, tossed to and fro.
נָדַף (na.daph) — to drive.
1) to drive, drive away, drive asunder
1a) (Qal) to drive about
1b)(Niphal) to be driven, be driven about
V-Niphal — Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine singularHVNrmsa
a-bout': The use of this word as a preposition, in the sense of "around," is confined to the Old Testament. In the New Testament, generally an adverb, for Greek hos or "hosei." The Revised Version (British and American) adopts it in several idiomatic translations of mello, referring to what is about to be, i.e. on the point of occurring, or immediately impending, amending the King James Version, in Ac 5:35; 27:2; Re 12:4, etc.
עָרַץ (arats) is a Hebrew verb meaning to cause to tremble or to feel dread. It encompasses a range of meanings, including inspiring awe, being terrified, and treating something with reverence. The word appears in various forms, such as intransitive and causative, indicating both the act of trembling and the ability to instill fear or awe in others.
[עָרַץ] vb. cause to tremble, tremble (in terror, or awe)
Qal
cause to tremble (i.e. strike with awe)
intrans. tremble, feel dread
Niph. terrible in the company of the holy ones
Hiph.
regard, or treat, with awe, as awful
inspire with awe
base
H6206 עָרַץ cause to tremble, tremble (in terror, or awe) .. cause to tremble (i.e. strike with awe)
. intrans. tremble, feel dread
. terrible in the company of the holy ones
. . regard, or treat, with awe, as awful
. inspire with awe
6206 `arats aw-rats'
a primitive root; to awe or (intransitive) to dread; hence,
to harass:--be affrighted (afraid, dread, feared, terrified),
break, dread, fear, oppress, prevail, shake terribly.
עָרַץ (a.rats) — to tremble.
1) to tremble, dread, fear, oppress, prevail, break, be terrified, cause to tremble
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to cause to tremble, terrify
1b2) to tremble, feel dread
1b) (Niphal) to be awesome, be terrible
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to regard or treat with awe, regard or treat as awful
1c2) to inspire with awe, terrify
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
קַשׁ (qash) refers to stubble or chaff, typically associated with dry straw. The entries indicate that it is derived from another Hebrew word, but they do not provide further details on its usage in specific verses.
קַשׁ n.m. stubble, chaff
base
H7179 קַשׁ stubble, chaff
7179 qash kash
from 7197; straw (as dry):--stubble.
see HEBREW for 07197
קַשׁ (qash) — stubble.
stubble, chaff
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
chaf: Four different words have been translated "chaff" in the Old Testament:
(1) mots, is found in Job 21:18; Ps 1:4; 35:5; Isa 17:13; 29:5; 41:15; Ho 13:3; Ze 2:2.
(2) chashash, occurs in two verses (Isa 5:24; 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) Isa 5:24 the translation is "dry grass."
Chaff
The refuse of winnowed corn. It was usually burned (Ex. 15:7; Isa. 5:24; Matt. 3:12). This word sometimes, however, means dried grass or hay (Isa. 5:24; 33:11). Chaff is used as a figure of abortive wickedness (Ps. 1:4; Matt. 3:12). False doctrines are also called chaff (Jer. 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 (Isa. 17:13;
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)
יָבֵשׁ (yabesh) means 'dry' or 'dried.' It is derived from the root word for 'dry' (H3001) and can function as both an adjective and a verb. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to dryness without significant disagreement.
יָבֵשׁ adj.verb. or pt. dry, dried
base
H3002 יָבֵשׁ dry, dried
3002 yabesh yaw-bashe'
from 3001; dry:--dried (away), dry.
see HEBREW for 03001
יָבֵשׁ (ya.vesh) — dry.
1) dry
2) dried
Adj — AdjHAamsa
רָדַף (radaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to pursue, chase, or persecute. It conveys the idea of running after something, often with hostile intent, and can also figuratively refer to following time or securing something. The word has various forms, including Qal, Niphal, Piel, Pual, and Hiphil, each indicating different nuances of pursuit or being pursued.
רָדַף 141 vb. pursue, chase, persecute
Qal 128
pursue
lit. put to flight, chase
lit., the pursuers
chase, hunt
pursue
fig. persecute, harass
pursue, dog
fig. follow after, aim to secure
Niph. upon the neck (i.e. closely) we are pursued
Pi. pursue ardently
Pu. it shall be chased away like chaff of the mountains
Hiph. usu. they chased him
base
H7291 רָדַף pursue, chase, persecute
7291 radaph raw-daf'
a primitive root; to run after (usually with hostile intent;
figuratively (of time) gone by):--chase, put to flight,
follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or),
pursue(-r).
רָדַף (ra.daph) — to pursue.
1) to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pursue, put to flight, chase, dog, attend closely upon
1a2) to persecute, harass (fig)
1a3) to follow after, aim to secure (fig)
1a4) to run after (a bribe) (fig)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be pursued
1b2) one pursued (participle)
1c) (Piel) to pursue ardently, aim eagerly to secure, pursue
1d) (Pual) to be pursued, be chased away
1e) (Hiphil) to pursue, chase
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms