Original Word: תֶּבֶן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: teben
Pronunciation: TEH-ben
Phonetic Spelling: (teh'-ben)
KJV: chaff, straw, stubble
NASB: straw
Word Origin: [probably from H1129 (בָּנָה - built)]

1. (properly) material, i.e. (specifically) refuse haum or stalks of grain (as chopped in threshing and used for fodder)

blemish

Probably from banah; properly, material, i.e. (specifically) refuse haum or stalks of grain (as chopped in threshing and used for fodder) -- chaff, straw, stubble.

see HEBREW banah

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
straw
NASB Translation
straw (17).

תֶּ֫בֶן noun masculine^{Exodus 5:16} straw (√ unknown; Ges and others compare בנה (compare Thes¹⁴⁹²), but see Lag^{BN 138}; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Assyrian tibnu; Aramaic תִּיבְנָא, , whence Arabic as loan-word Frä¹²⁴); — absolute ׳ת Genesis 24:25 +, תֶּ֑בֶן Exodus 5:10 +; — straw, i.e. straw threshed fine: chaff Jeremiah 23:28 (opposed to בָּר), blown by wind Job 21:28 (in simile; "" מֹץ), yielding Job 41:19 (simile); food for camels Genesis 24:25,32 (J), asses Judges 19:19 (all + מִסְמּוֺא), בָּקָר Isaiah 11:7; Isaiah 65:25, horses 1 Kings 5:8 (+ שְׂעֹרִים); mixed with clay in brick-making Exodus 5:7 (twice in verse); Exodus 5:10,11,12 (opposed to קַשׂ), Exodus 5:13; Exodus 5:16; Exodus 5:18 (J); — see further Vogelst^{Landwirthsch. 67}.

Meaning and Significance

תֶּבֶן (teben) denotes the stalk residue of cereal plants—straw—left after threshing. In the Ancient Near East it was indispensable for fodder, fuel, bedding, and as a tempering agent in mud-brick construction. Scripture consistently treats straw as an everyday necessity, yet also employs it as a vivid metaphor for transience and worthlessness when set against the abiding word and work of God.

Agricultural Hospitality in the Patriarchal Era

In the patriarchal narratives straw symbolizes thoughtful provision for travelers and livestock. When Abraham’s servant arrives at Nahor, Rebekah assures him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to spend the night” (Genesis 24:25). Laban then “brought…straw and feed to the camels” (Genesis 24:32). Such references highlight Near-Eastern hospitality: caring for animals was integral to welcoming people. The detail authenticates the background of the Genesis account and underscores God’s providence in the mundane.

Straw, Bricks, and Bondage in Egypt

The most concentrated use of תֶּבֶן occurs in Exodus 5, where Pharaoh withholds straw from the Hebrews yet demands the same brick quota (Exodus 5:7–18). Archaeology confirms that chopped straw strengthened Nile mud bricks. Scripture uses this detail to expose Pharaoh’s cruelty and to set the stage for the LORD’s redemptive intervention. The episode also illustrates a perennial pastoral lesson: tyrannical systems often intensify oppression when deliverance is near, but God overrules for His people’s freedom.

Provision for Animals under the Monarchy

Straw surfaces again in the monarchy period. Barley and straw are supplied “to the required place” for Solomon’s royal stables (1 Kings 4:28), indicating the kingdom’s administrative efficiency and prosperity. In Judges 19:19 the hospitable Ephraimite likewise offers “both straw and feed for our donkeys,” mirroring the Genesis precedent and revealing continuity in Israelite social ethics.

Eschatological Peace in the Prophets

Isaiah envisions a restored creation where predators become herbivores: “the lion will eat straw like the ox” (Isaiah 11:7; 65:25). Straw, ordinarily fodder for domesticated beasts, exemplifies the shalom that will pervade nature when Messiah reigns. The image reassures believers of a future harmony in which even the curse on animal predation is lifted.

Straw as a Figure of Ephemerality and Judgment

Job likens the wicked to straw driven by the wind (Job 21:18), and even invincible Leviathan regards iron “as straw” (Job 41:27)—a poetic contrast between human strength and God’s creatures. Jeremiah employs straw to expose false prophecy: “For what does straw have in common with grain?” (Jeremiah 23:28). Grain nourishes; straw is inert. The analogy furnishes a canonical criterion: only God’s authentic word feeds the soul.

Theological Threads

1. Dependence: Human industry—whether tending livestock or molding bricks—rests on God’s provision of raw materials.
2. Oppression versus Deliverance: Straw withheld in Egypt dramatizes sin’s bondage; redemption entails both spiritual and material release.
3. Discernment: The contrast of straw and grain instructs believers to test teaching by Scripture’s sufficiency.
4. Eschatology: Straw in Isaiah pictures the reversal of the Fall, inviting hope in the coming kingdom.

Ministry Applications

• Pastoral care: Like Rebekah and Laban, congregations should meet practical needs, recognizing that hospitality often authenticates testimony.
• Preaching: Exodus 5 encourages oppressed believers; Pharaoh’s tactic of “same quota, no straw” still surfaces in legalistic religion, but the gospel liberates.
• Teaching: Jeremiah’s straw-versus-grain metaphor equips listeners to distinguish edifying doctrine from empty rhetoric.
• Worship and Hope: Isaiah’s vision redirects hearts from present disorder to Christ’s future reign where even lions browse on straw.

Summary

תֶּבֶן functions in Scripture as literal fodder and building material and as a theological symbol of frailty, falsehood, and future peace. Its appearances trace a narrative from patriarchal hospitality, through Egyptian bondage, royal administration, wisdom reflection, to prophetic promise—each thread weaving into the Bible’s unified testimony of God’s sovereignty, human need, and ultimate restoration in the Messiah.

הַתֶּֽבֶן׃ התבן׃ וְהַתֶּ֔בֶן וְתֶ֖בֶן והתבן ותבן כְּתֶ֥בֶן כתבן לְתֶ֣בֶן לַתֶּ֥בֶן לַתֶּֽבֶן׃ לתבן לתבן׃ תֶּ֔בֶן תֶּ֗בֶן תֶּ֤בֶן תֶּ֥בֶן תֶּ֧בֶן תֶּֽבֶן׃ תבן תבן׃ hat·te·ḇen hatteḇen hatTeven kə·ṯe·ḇen kəṯeḇen keTeven lat·te·ḇen latteḇen latTeven lə·ṯe·ḇen ləṯeḇen leTeven te·ḇen teḇen Teven vehatTeven veTeven wə·hat·te·ḇen wə·ṯe·ḇen wəhatteḇen wəṯeḇenInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts