Tow
What Is Tow?
Tow is the coarse, short-fibered waste product left over from processing flax into linen. When flax stalks are broken and combed to extract the long, fine fibers suitable for weaving, the shorter, tangled remnants are called tow. This material is extremely flammable and catches fire almost instantly when exposed to a flame or spark, making it a powerful biblical image for things that are easily and quickly consumed.
Samson and the Burning Ropes
The most dramatic biblical use of tow appears in the story of Samson. When Delilah bound Samson with seven fresh bowstrings at the Philistines' instruction, Samson snapped them "as a string of tow snaps when it touches the fire" (Judges 16:9). The comparison emphasizes the supernatural strength God gave Samson, for whom even strong bindings were no more substantial than the most flammable material imaginable.
This imagery would have been immediately understood by ancient readers, who were familiar with flax processing as a common household activity. The ease with which tow ignites made it the perfect comparison for something broken effortlessly.
The Wicked as Tow
Isaiah uses tow as a metaphor for divine judgment. In Isaiah 1:31, the prophet declares: "The strong shall become tow, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them." Here, the powerful person who relies on his own strength or on idols is compared to tow, the most combustible of materials. His own works become the spark that ignites his destruction.
This is a striking reversal: the one who considers himself strong is actually as fragile as waste fiber, and the very things he has built become the means of his undoing. The image underscores the prophetic theme that human power apart from God is illusory and ultimately self-destructive.
Tow as a Wick
In Isaiah 43:17, the Hebrew word for flax is used in a context that relates to a wick, the twisted fiber used in oil lamps. The connection between tow and wicks is natural since both are made from flax. This passage describes God's power over the armies of Egypt, declaring that they are "extinguished, quenched like a wick." The image of a snuffed-out wick, made from the same material as tow, reinforces the theme of God's ability to extinguish human power as easily as pinching out a lamp flame.
This imagery connects to the famous "smoking flax" passage in Isaiah 42:3, where the Servant of the Lord will not quench the dimly burning wick, showing that the same God who extinguishes the wicked in judgment tenderly sustains the weak in mercy.
Flax Processing in the Ancient World
Flax was one of the most important crops in the ancient Near East, cultivated for both its fiber (used to make linen) and its seeds (linseed). The processing of flax involved soaking, drying, breaking, and combing the stalks. Tow was the inevitable byproduct of this process, and its extreme flammability was common knowledge. Every household that processed flax knew how quickly tow could catch fire, making biblical references to it vivid and accessible to the original audience.
Biblical Context
Tow appears in Judges 16:9, where Samson's strength is illustrated by his breaking bonds like burning tow, and in Isaiah 1:31, where the wicked are compared to tow consumed by fire. The related concept of flax as a wick appears in Isaiah 43:17 and connects to the tender imagery of Isaiah 42:3. These passages use the same material to illustrate both God's judgment and His mercy.
Theological Significance
Tow serves as a biblical metaphor for the fragility of human power apart from God. The ease with which it burns illustrates how quickly God can consume those who oppose Him. At the same time, the related image of the smoking flax (Isaiah 42:3) shows God's gentle care for the weak. Together, these images reveal a God who is both powerful in judgment and tender in compassion.
Historical Background
Flax cultivation was widespread throughout the ancient Near East, with evidence of linen production dating back to the Neolithic period. Egypt was particularly famous for its fine linen, and Israel also cultivated flax extensively. Archaeological finds of loom weights, spindle whorls, and linen textile fragments confirm the importance of flax processing in Israelite society. The city of Jericho, where Rahab hid the spies under flax stalks on her roof (Joshua 2:6), illustrates how common flax drying and processing was in Canaanite and Israelite communities.