Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  4000 Creation  »  4400 Vegetation and food  »  4426 chaff

Husks of wheat or other cereal. It was separated from the grain by threshing, whereupon it usually blew away, as it was lighter than the grain. Sometimes however, it was burned as fuel. The wicked are frequently likened to chaff in Scripture.

Grain was threshed on outdoor threshing-floors to separate the chaff

Daniel 2:31-35 See also Hosea 13:3

Characteristics of chaff

It is blown by the wind

Job 13:25

It is light

Job 41:28

It is useless

Isaiah 33:11

The wicked are compared to chaff

They will disappear as chaff is blown away

Psalm 1:1-6 See also Job 21:17-18; Psalm 35:4-6; Psalm 83:13-15; Isaiah 17:13; Isaiah 29:5; Isaiah 40:24-25; Jeremiah 13:24

Their punishment is compared to threshing

Isaiah 41:15-16 See also Isaiah 41:2

Their end will be like chaff which is burned

Matthew 3:11-12 pp Luke 3:16-17

See also

4456  grain
4522  threshing
4524  threshing-floor
4550  winnowing