עָשׁ (ash)
ash
moth; grass
H:NQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun ‘ash carries two distinct meanings in Scripture: moth and vegetation. In most contexts, it refers to a moth, specifically one that destroys clothing or stored goods. This usage highlights the fragility of human wealth and the impermanence of material security. The word appears frequently in poetic books like Job and Isaiah, where it serves as a vivid image for things that are easily consumed or lost.
Less commonly, ‘ash functions as an Aramaic form meaning grass or herbage, related to the Hebrew ‘esev. This botanical sense underscores the transient nature of life itself, comparing human existence to fleeting plant growth. Both meanings converge on a single theological theme: the temporary state of earthly things compared to enduring divine reality.
Translators typically render this word as "moth" when discussing decay or loss, and as "grass" in contexts emphasizing mortality. The dual usage reflects the ancient Near Eastern understanding of how quickly organic matter breaks down, whether through insect damage or natural withering.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word ‘ash appears in Scripture with two distinct meanings: a destructive moth or fleeting grass. Both images point to the same quiet truth—earthly security is fragile. When Job describes being crushed before the moth, he speaks of how quickly human strength can fade against forces we cannot control. This is not meant to frighten us, but to ground our hope in something more stable than our own abilities or possessions.
In Isaiah, the prophet contrasts this impermanence with God’s enduring righteousness. While moths eat away at garments and grass withers under the sun, divine faithfulness remains for all generations. This word invites us to release our grip on temporary comforts and rest in the One who does not change. It is a reminder that our ultimate safety lies not in what we build or own, but in who God is.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- moth2×
- a moth2×
- like <the>/ moth1×
- [am] like <the>/ moth1×
- <the>/ grass1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עָֽשׁ\׃2×
- עָ֖שׁ1×
- עָ֔שׁ1×
- עִשְׂבָּ֤/א1×
- כָ/עָ֣שׁ1×
- כָ/עָ֖שׁ1×
Key Verses
-
Job 4:19
How much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth!
This verse uses the moth to illustrate how vulnerable human strength is compared to divine power.
-
Isaiah 51:8
For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.”
Here the word highlights the contrast between the temporary nature of earthly things and the eternal stability of God’s righteousness.
-
Daniel 5:21
He was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals’, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will.
In this Aramaic context, the meaning shifts to grass, showing how even human pride can be reduced to the basic sustenance of animals.