Something that causes stumbling or downfall, used both literally of ruins and metaphorically of obstacles to faithfulness. Isaiah 3:6 uses it for the 'ruin' (collapsed state) that might tempt someone to assume leadership in desperate times. Zephaniah 1:3 employs it for 'stumbling blocks'—probably idols that cause Israel to fall spiritually. The term bridges physical and moral/spiritual domains: actual ruins and metaphorical obstacles both cause falling. Some scholars question whether the Zephaniah reference is original or a later gloss, given its somewhat awkward fit.