### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **qash**, represented by `{{H7179}}`, means **stubble** or dry straw. It is derived from the root `{{H7197}}` **qashash**, which means to forage for straw or stubble. Appearing **16 times** across **16 unique verses**, **qash** consistently depicts something dry, worthless, and easily consumed or scattered.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In scripture, `{{H7179}}` is overwhelmingly used as a metaphor for divine judgment and human frailty. The wicked are likened to **stubble** that will be completely burned up by the fire of the LORD's coming day [[Malachi 4:1]]. Similarly, the house of Esau is destined to become **stubble** before the fire of the house of Jacob [[Obadiah 1:18]]. The word also illustrates powerlessness, as God's enemies are scattered like **stubble** before the wind ([[Jeremiah 13:24]], [[Psalms 83:13]]). In a striking reversal, the mighty Leviathan regards man-made weapons such as slingstones and darts as mere **stubble** [[Job 41:28-29]]. A rare literal use is found in Exodus, where the Israelites are forced to gather **stubble** for making bricks [[Exodus 5:12]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the context and meaning of **stubble**:
* `{{H1197}}` **bâʻar** (to kindle, consume): This verb is often paired with stubble to describe its destruction by fire. God's judgment will **burn** the wicked, who are like stubble [[Malachi 4:1]].
* `{{H7307}}` **rûwach** (wind, spirit, breath): This word highlights the lightness and transience of stubble, which is easily dispersed. God scatters his enemies like stubble carried away by the **wind** of the wilderness [[Jeremiah 13:24]].
* `{{H398}}` **ʼâkal** (to eat, devour, consume): This term emphasizes complete destruction. The fire of God's wrath **consumed** the Egyptians like stubble [[Exodus 15:7]], and an invading army is described with a noise like a flame that **devoureth** the stubble [[Joel 2:5]].
* `{{H2842}}` **châshash** (chaff): A substance similar to stubble, it is used in parallel to describe what is worthless and flammable. In a prophecy of judgment, the people's plans are compared to conceiving **chaff** and bringing forth stubble [[Isaiah 33:11]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H7179}}` is primarily symbolic, illustrating key principles of divine justice and human weakness.
* **The Inevitability of Judgment:** Stubble is a potent symbol for the wicked, whose end is to be consumed by fire. This imagery leaves no doubt about the totality of God's judgment against evil ([[Malachi 4:1]], [[Isaiah 47:14]]).
* **The Frailty of Man:** The word depicts the weakness and helplessness of humanity, whether it is Job lamenting his own fragility as "dry **stubble**" [[Job 13:25]] or the powerful who "shall **wither**, and the whirlwind shall take them away as **stubble**" [[Isaiah 40:24]].
* **The Powerlessness of God's Enemies:** Those who oppose God or his people are likened to **stubble** driven by the wind or consumed by flame, signifying their ultimate inability to stand against divine power ([[Exodus 15:7]], [[Isaiah 41:2]]).
### Summary
In summary, **qash** `{{H7179}}` transcends its literal meaning of dry straw to become a powerful and recurring biblical metaphor. It vividly portrays the concepts of worthlessness, transience, and complete destruction. Whether being burned by fire or scattered by the wind, **stubble** serves as a stark image for the ultimate fate of the wicked and the powerlessness of those who stand in opposition to the will of God `{{H3068}}`.
TRV