נָדַף
to shove asunder, i.e. disperse
Definition
The Hebrew verb נָדַף (nâdaph) fundamentally means to drive, scatter, or disperse with force. It often describes the action of wind violently driving away chaff or stubble, as seen in the vivid imagery of Psalm 1:4, where the wicked are compared to chaff that the wind drives away. In other contexts, it conveys a sense of being thrust down or shaken, such as the panic-driven flight described in Leviticus 26:36. The word can also imply a sovereign, conquering drive, as when God 'drives away' enemies before a victorious king in Isaiah 41:2.
Biblical Usage
נָדַף is used eight times in the Old Testament, primarily in poetic and prophetic books (Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Isaiah). Its usage consistently involves forceful, often divinely orchestrated, dispersal or agitation. It describes agricultural scattering (Psalm 1:4; Isaiah 19:7), military panic and defeat (Leviticus 26:36; Isaiah 41:2), and metaphorical human instability (Job 13:25; Proverbs 21:6). The action is typically performed by God or an agent of His power, like the wind.
Etymology
נָדַף is a primitive root verb. Its core meaning relates to a pushing or driving motion. Cognates in other Semitic languages support the sense of blowing, scattering, or winnowing. The semantic development extends from the physical act of winnowing grain (separating chaff by wind) to broader metaphors of divine judgment and dispersal.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it powerfully illustrates God's judgment and sovereignty. The image in Psalm 1:4 contrasts the secure, rooted righteous with the wicked, who are utterly without substance and subject to God's dispersing judgment. In contexts like Leviticus 26:36 and Isaiah 41:2, it underscores God's control over human events, using panic and military defeat to fulfill His covenant promises or purposes. Understanding נָדַף enriches reading by highlighting the tangible, forceful nature of divine action against evil and instability.
The most immediate cultural context is agricultural: winnowing. After threshing, grain was tossed into the air so the wind could blow away the lighter chaff, leaving the valuable grain. This familiar process made נָדַף a potent metaphor for separation, judgment, and the removal of what is worthless or opposed to God's order. The modern reader may miss this visceral, agricultural connection to divine action.
זָרָה (zârâh, H2219) — to scatter, winnow, but often with a focus on the scattering action itself rather than the forceful drive. פּוּץ (pûts, H6327) — to scatter or disperse, frequently used for people being scattered abroad (e.g., Genesis 11:4). נָדַח (nâdach, H5080) — to thrust, drive away, or banish, with a stronger connotation of rejection or exile.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →