Job 21:18
They shall be as chaff before the face of the wind, and as ashes which the whirlwind scattereth.
Open Job 21:18 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Erunt sicut paleæ ante faciem venti, et sicut favilla quam turbo dispergit.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἔσονται δὲ ὥσπερ ἄχυρα ὑπὸ ἀνέμου, ἢ ὥσπερ κονιορτὸς ὃν ὑφείλατο λαῖλαψ.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- יִהְי֗וּ כְּתֶ֥בֶן לִפְנֵי ר֑וּחַ וּ֝כְמֹ֗ץ גְּנָבַ֥תּוּ סוּפָֽה
The Fathers on this verse
St Gregory Nazianzen In Defence of His Flight to Pontus, and His Return, After His Ordination to the Priesthood, with an Exposition of the Character of the Priestly Office
12. What does he mean by this? As I take it, that goodness can with difficulty gain a hold upon human nature, like fire upon green wood; while most men are ready and disposed to join in evil, like stubble, I mean, ready for a spark and a wind, which is easily kindled and consumed from its dryness. For more quickly would any one take part in evil with slight inducement to its full extent, than in good which is fully set before him to a slight degree. For indeed a little wormwood most quickly imparts its bitterness to honey; while not even double the quantity of honey can impart its sweetness to wormwood: and the withdrawal of a small pebble would draw headlong a whole river, though it would be difficult for the strongest dam to restrain or stay its course.