נְעֹרֶת
something shaken out, i.e. tow (as the refuse of flax)
Definition
נְעֹרֶת refers to 'tow,' the coarse, broken fibers of flax that are shaken out and discarded during the process of making linen. It represents the flammable, worthless refuse left after the valuable fibers have been extracted. In its two biblical occurrences, it is used metaphorically to depict something highly combustible and utterly vulnerable to destruction. In Judges 16:9, it illustrates the ease with which Samson's bonds could be broken, while in Isaiah 1:31, it symbolizes the complete and inevitable consumption of the wicked.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the Old Testament, both times in vivid metaphorical contexts. In Judges 16:9, Delilah says Samson's strength will leave him and he will become 'as weak as any other man,' with the Philistines comparing his potential bonds to 'new ropes that have never been used' being broken like 'a thread of tow (נְעֹרֶת) when it touches the fire.' In Isaiah 1:31, it describes the fate of idolaters and their works: 'The strong shall become like tow (נְעֹרֶת), and his work like a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them.' Both uses emphasize extreme flammability and total consumption.
Etymology
The noun נְעֹרֶת (nᵉʻôreth) is derived from the root verb נָעַר (nāʻar, H5287), which means 'to shake, shake out, or shake off.' This etymology directly informs its meaning, as tow is literally the material that is 'shaken out' from flax during processing. The semantic development moves from the action of shaking to the specific worthless byproduct that results from that action.
Semantic Range
Though a simple material, נְעֹרֶת carries significant theological weight in its metaphorical applications. It powerfully illustrates the concepts of human weakness and divine judgment. In Judges, it underscores the folly of trusting in frail, human-made restraints against God's empowered deliverance. In Isaiah, it becomes a stark image of eschatological judgment—the inherent combustibility of sin and rebellion against God. The word enriches Bible reading by providing a concrete, culturally understood image for the complete and swift destruction that awaits what is opposed to God's holiness, emphasizing that what seems strong is, without God, as vulnerable as flammable refuse.
In ancient Israelite culture, the process of turning flax into linen was common knowledge. After harvesting flax, the stalks were retted (soaked) to loosen the fibers. The valuable long fibers were then separated from the woody core and short, broken fibers by beating and 'shaking out.' This discarded, tangled mass of short fibers was the נְעֹרֶת (tow). It had little strength for weaving but was highly flammable, often used as tinder to start fires. This universal understanding of tow as worthless and easily ignited is crucial for grasping the force of the biblical metaphors.
פִּשְׁתָּה (pishtâ, H6593) — This is the word for 'flax' itself, the plant material before processing, whereas נְעֹרֶת is specifically the waste product. כַּרְפַּס (karpas, H3753) — A loanword for 'fine linen' or 'cotton,' representing the valuable finished product, in contrast to the worthless tow.
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.
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