English · KJV
H5086

נָדַף

nâdaph /naw-daf'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto shove asunder, i.e. disperse
KJV usagedrive (away, to and fro), thrust down, shaken, tossed to and fro.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nâdaph — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word nâdaph, represented by H5086, is a primitive root used to describe the act of being shoved asunder, dispersed, or driven away. Its meaning extends to being thrust down, shaken, or tossed to and fro. It appears 9 times across 8 unique verses in the Bible, often illustrating a state of powerlessness and instability.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H5086 vividly portrays the fate of the wicked or the vulnerable. In Psalms, the ungodly are described as being "like the chaff which the wind driveth away" Psalms 1:4. The word also conveys a state of extreme fear and paranoia as a consequence of disobedience; in Leviticus, the sound of a shaken leaf is enough to make people flee Leviticus 26:36. In a context of divine judgment upon nations, their armies are rendered as insignificant as "driven stubble" before a conqueror's bow Isaiah 41:2. The term can also describe the instability of wealth gained dishonestly, which is a "vanity tossed to and fro" Proverbs 21:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context in which things are driven away:

  • H7291 râdaph (to run after; chase, pursue): This word often describes the action that follows being driven away. In Leviticus 26:36, the sound of a "shaken" H5086 leaf shall "chase" them.
  • H4671 môts (chaff): This word represents a common object that is "driven away" by the wind. It is used in Psalms 1:4 to describe the ungodly, who are like chaff driven by the wind.
  • H7179 qash (stubble): Similar to chaff, this word describes something dry and light. In Isaiah 41:2, defeated nations are compared to "driven stubble."
  • H7307 rûwach (wind; spirit): This is often the force responsible for the action of driving away. In Psalms 1:4, it is the wind that "driveth away" the chaff.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5086 is centered on themes of judgment, instability, and divine power.

  • The Instability of the Wicked: The word is consistently used to depict the lack of foundation and transience of the ungodly and their efforts. They are compared to worthless materials like chaff and stubble that are easily dispersed (Psalms 1:4, Isaiah 41:2).
  • Divine Judgment: God is portrayed as the ultimate agent who acts to disperse or overthrow. The psalmist prays for God to "drive them away" like smoke Psalms 68:2, and Elihu's friends suggest that God, not man, is the one who "thrusteth him down" Job 32:13.
  • The Consequence of Sin: The state of being "shaken" or "driven to and fro" is presented as a direct result of disobedience, leading to a life of fear and flight even when no one is pursuing (Leviticus 26:36, Job 13:25).

Summary

In summary, H5086 moves beyond a simple definition of physical dispersion. It serves as a powerful biblical metaphor for moral and spiritual instability. The word illustrates the ultimate fate of wickedness, the consequences of turning from God, and the overwhelming power of divine judgment to scatter and drive away all that is not firmly rooted in righteousness.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 9 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • נִדָּף
  • הִנְדֹּף
  • נִדַּף
  • תִּנְדֹּף
  • תִּדְּפֶ
  • יִדְּפֶ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H7291 רָדַף a primitive root; to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by); chase, put to flight, foll H4671 מֹץ or מוֹץ; (Zephaniah 2:2), from מוּץ; chaff (as pressed out, i.e. winnowed or (rather) threshed loose); chaff. H7179 קַשׁ from קָשַׁשׁ; straw (as dry); stubble. H7307 רוּחַ from רוּחַ; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubs

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 8 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job, Psalms, and Isaiah (2 verses each); never once in the other 34.

1
Leviticus
2
Job
2
Psalms
1
Proverbs
2
Isaiah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.