Tow

Tow (Hebrew neoret) refers to the short, coarse fibers separated from flax during the process of hackling or combing, leaving behind the finer linen. In Judges 16:9, Delilah uses the image of tow to describe the ease with which Samson broke the seven fresh bowstrings she had bound him with: "And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire." Tow ignites instantly when touched by flame, making it a proverbial image of frailty and instantaneous destruction. Isaiah 1:31 uses a related image — "the strong shall be as tow" — to depict the coming judgment on the wicked in Israel. The ease with which tow burns made it a natural figure for anything that would be rapidly consumed under divine wrath or proved to be far weaker than it appeared.