خوض

Core meaning

To enter water until one is caught in it: to immerse oneself in talk, to let oneself be carried by it instead of holding it.

Uses

1. خَاضَ, يَخُوضُ, ٱلْخَآئِضِين → "to immerse oneself" : to enter a speech and let oneself be caught in it; the verb often goes with "to play".

   • «فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟» — "So let them be: let them immerse themselves and play" (43:83)
   • «وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلْخَآئِضِينَ» — "and we used to immerse ourselves with those who immersed themselves" (74:45)

2. خَوْض → "vain talk" : the speech one is immersed in, taken as a place.

   • «ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِى خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ» — "then forsake them to their vain talk, in which they play" (6:91)

Evidence from the text

The verb does not judge the speech: it names the entering. One leaves those who immerse themselves in the signs of God to disown and mock them, "until they immerse themselves in another discourse" (4:140): the immersion changes its object, it does not cease (also 6:68).

Most often it is joined to play: "We were only immersing ourselves and playing" (9:65), and the same pair returns in 43:83, 52:12 and 70:42. In 74:45, it counts among the failings that lead to punishment, beside the contact not made and the destitute left unfed.

Distinctions

• لغو — futility: worthless speech itself, whereas خوض names the immersion in a speech

See also

لعب (to play)