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Sunday, September 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Job 21:18

They are as straw before wind, || And as chaff a windstorm has stolen away,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Chaff;   Death;   Stubble;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Chaff;   Righteous-Wicked;   Stubble;   Wicked, the;   The Topic Concordance - Wickedness;   Wrath;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Wicked, the, Are Compared to;   Wind, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Agriculture;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Numbers, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Wealth;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Chaff;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Agriculture;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Chaff;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Chaff;   Stubble;   Tempest;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Chaff;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Are they like straw before the wind,like chaff a storm sweeps away?
Hebrew Names Version
That they are as stubble before the wind, As chaff that the storm carries away?
King James Version
They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
English Standard Version
That they are like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away?
New Century Version
How often are they like straw in the wind or like chaff that is blown away by a storm?
New English Translation
How often are they like straw before the wind, and like chaff swept away by a whirlwind?
Amplified Bible
"Are they like straw before the wind, And like chaff that the storm steals and carries away?
New American Standard Bible
"Are they as straw before the wind, And like chaff which the storm carries away?
World English Bible
That they are as stubble before the wind, As chaff that the storm carries away?
Geneva Bible (1587)
They shall be as stubble before the winde, and as chaffe that the storme carieth away.
Legacy Standard Bible
Are they as straw before the wind,And like chaff which the storm steals away?
Berean Standard Bible
Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm?
Contemporary English Version
How often does he strike them like a windstorm that scatters straw?
Complete Jewish Bible
to make them like straw in the wind, like chaff carried off by a storm?
Darby Translation
Do they become as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away?
Easy-to-Read Version
Does God blow them away, as the wind blows straw or as strong winds blow the grain husks?
George Lamsa Translation
They are like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away.
Good News Translation
and blow them away like straw in the wind, or like dust carried away in a storm?
Lexham English Bible
How often are they like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away?
Literal Translation
they are as straw before the wind, and as chaff that the tempest steals away.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yee they shal be euen as chaffe before the wynde, and as dust that the storme carieth awaye.
American Standard Version
That they are as stubble before the wind, And as chaff that the storm carrieth away?
Bible in Basic English
How frequently are they as dry stems before the wind, or as grass taken away by the storm-wind?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
That they are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm stealeth away?
King James Version (1611)
They are as stubble before the winde, and as chaffe that the storme carieth away.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Yea, they shalbe euen as hay before the winde, and as chaffe that the storme carieth away.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they shall be as chaff before the wind, or as dust which the storm has taken up.
English Revised Version
That they are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thei schulen be as chaffis bifor the face of the wynd; and as a deed sparcle, whiche the whirlewynd scaterith abrood.
Update Bible Version
That they are as stubble before the wind, And as chaff that the storm carries away?
Webster's Bible Translation
They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
New King James Version
They are like straw before the wind, And like chaff that a storm carries away.
New Living Translation
Are they driven before the wind like straw? Are they carried away by the storm like chaff? Not at all!
New Life Bible
Are they like straw blown by the wind? Are they like straw that the storm carries away?
New Revised Standard
How often are they like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They become as straw before the wind, and as chaff, which the storm stealeth away.
Douay-Rheims Bible
They shall be as chaff before the face of the wind, and as ashes which the whirlwind scattereth.
Revised Standard Version
That they are like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away?
Young's Literal Translation
They are as straw before wind, And as chaff a hurricane hath stolen away,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Are they as straw before the wind, And like chaff which the storm carries away?

Contextual Overview

17How often is the lamp of the wicked extinguished, || And their calamity comes on them? He apportions pangs in His anger. 18They are as straw before wind, || And as chaff a windstorm has stolen away,19God lays up for his sons his sorrow, || He gives repayment to him—and he knows. 20His own eyes see his destruction, || And he drinks of the wrath of the Mighty. 21For what [is] his delight in his house after him, || And the number of his months cut off? 22Does [one] teach knowledge to God, || Since He judges [those] on high? 23This [one] dies in his perfect strength, || Wholly at ease and quiet. 24His breasts have been full of milk, || And marrow moistens his bones. 25And this [one] dies with a bitter soul, || And has not eaten with gladness. 26Together they lie down on the dust, || And the worm covers them over.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

as stubble: Job 13:25, Exodus 15:7, Psalms 1:4, Psalms 35:5, Psalms 83:13, Isaiah 5:24, Isaiah 17:13, Isaiah 29:5, Isaiah 40:24, Isaiah 41:15, Isaiah 41:16, Jeremiah 13:24, Hosea 13:3, Nahum 1:10, Matthew 3:12

carrieth: Heb. stealeth

Reciprocal: Job 27:20 - a tempest Job 30:22 - liftest me Ecclesiastes 8:10 - so Isaiah 57:13 - but the Zephaniah 2:2 - as

Cross-References

Genesis 16:10
and the Messenger of YHWH says to her, "Multiplying I multiply your seed, and it is not numbered from multitude";
Genesis 17:20
As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him, and made him fruitful, and multiplied him, very exceedingly; twelve princes does he beget, and I have made him become a great nation;
Genesis 21:12
and God says to Abraham, "Let it not be wrong in your eyes because of the youth, and because of your handmaid: all that Sarah says to you—listen to her voice, for in Isaac is a seed called to you.
Genesis 21:13
As for the son of the handmaid also, for a nation I set him, because he [is] your seed."
Genesis 21:18
rise, lift up the youth, and lay hold on him with your hand, for I set him for a great nation."
Genesis 21:29
And Abimelech says to Abraham, "What [are] they—these seven lambs which you have set by themselves?"
Genesis 21:31
therefore he has called that place "Beer-Sheba," for both of them have sworn there.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They are as stubble before the wind,.... Or how oft "are they as stubble?" c. or how oft does God do the above things, "so that they are", or "become, as stubble before the wind" u,

and as chaff that the storm carrieth, or "steals away" x? hastily, suddenly, at an unawares like a thief: wicked men are comparable to stubble and chaff for the vanity of their minds, their emptiness of all good things; for their lightness, the levity and inconstancy of their hearts, their principles and practices; for their uselessness and unprofitableness to God and men, to themselves and their fellow creatures; for their being fit fuel for everlasting burnings, their end like these being to be burned; and whose destruction is inevitable and irresistible, and can no more be withstood and prevented than stubble and chaff can stand before a strong wind and a stormy tempest: but is this their common case now? are they usually tossed to and fro with the wind of adversity, and the storms of desolating judgments? are they not, on the other hand, seen in great power, and spreading themselves like a green bay tree; taking root, increasing in outward prosperity, and bringing forth the fruit of it? see Psalms 37:35.

u יהיו כתבן "ut sint velut palea", Tigurine version; so Broughton, "quoties sunt", Junius Tremellius "quoties fiunt", Piscator, Michaelis. x גנבתו "furatus est eam", Montanus; "suffuratur", Vatablus; "furatur", Drusius, Cocceius, Schultens.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They are as stubble before the wind - According to the interpretation proposed of the previous verse, this may be read as a question, “How often is it that the wicked are made like stubble? You say that God deals with people exactly according to their characters, and that the wicked are certainly subjected to calamities; but how often does this, in fact, occur? Is it a uniform law? Do they not, in fact, live in prosperity, and arrive at a good old age?” It is not uncommon in the Scriptures to compare the wicked with stubble, and to affirm that they shall be driven away, as the chaff is driven by the wind; see the notes at Isaiah 17:13.

The storm carrieth away - Margin, “stealeth away.” This is a literal translation of the Hebrew. The idea is that of stealing away before one is aware, as a thief carries off spoil.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 21:18. They are as stubble before the wind — "His fan is in his hand; he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, but shall be like the chaff which the wind driveth away." Were not this a common thought, I should have supposed that the author of this book borrowed it from Psalms 1:4. The original signifies that they shall be carried away by a furious storm; and borne off as booty is by the swift-riding robbers of the desert, who make a sudden irruption, and then set off at full speed with their prey.


 
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