Lexical Summary ptuon: Winnowing fork, fan Original Word: πτύον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fan. From ptuo; a winnowing-fork (as scattering like spittle) -- fan. see GREEK ptuo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition a winnowing shovel NASB Translation winnowing fork (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4425: πτύονπτύον, πτυου, τό, frequent in classical Greek from Homer down, Attic πτεον Winers Grammar, 24 ((perhaps from the root, pu, 'to cleanse'; cf. Curtius, p. 498f)), a winnowing-shovel (A. V. fan; cf. B. D. under the word Topical Lexicon Agricultural Background In first-century Palestine grain was first threshed under the weight of oxen-drawn sledges or by beating, breaking the husk from the kernel. The farmer then took a long wooden fork, curved like a shovel, and tossed the mixture into the evening breeze. Heavier kernels fell to the “threshing floor,” while chaff, straw, and dust were carried away by the wind or swept aside for burning. The tool that accomplished this critical separation was the πτύον, the winnowing fork. Occurrences in the New Testament Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17 record John the Baptist’s identical warning about the coming Messiah: “His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:12) In both contexts, the baptism of repentance is administered in view of imminent judgment and kingdom inauguration. The imagery belongs to the Messiah alone; John merely announces it. Symbolic Meaning 1. Separation: The fork signals a decisive distinction between genuine disciples (“wheat”) and those who only appear to belong (“chaff”). Connection to Old Testament Imagery John stands in continuity with prophetic use of chaff and wind: By adopting this familiar agricultural picture, John announces that what earlier prophets foretold will now be executed personally by the Messiah. Christological Perspective The Gospel writers portray Jesus not merely as a teacher but as the Lord of the harvest whose authority extends to eternal judgment. The winnowing fork in His grasp underscores: Eschatological Significance The imagery alludes to two sequential events: 1. The present age, in which proclamation of the Gospel separates believers from unbelievers (John 3:18-21). Ministry and Discipleship Implications • Call to Repentance: The imminent winnowing energizes evangelism; today’s response determines tomorrow’s standing. Historical Reception Early Christian art occasionally depicts Christ with a winnowing fork, linking Him to both the Good Shepherd and the righteous Judge. Church fathers used the passage to exhort catechumens to sincerity before baptism. Reformation preachers, emphasizing sola fide, pointed to the separation as illustrating justification by faith alone, yet never a faith that remains fruitless. Theological Summary The πτύον encapsulates the dual work of the Messiah: gracious preservation of the redeemed and righteous destruction of the unrepentant. By situating the image at the launch of Jesus’ public ministry, the Evangelists frame all subsequent teaching, miracles, cross, and resurrection within a single grand purpose—bringing God’s harvest to completion and ensuring that in the end, “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43). Forms and Transliterations πτυον πτύον ptuon ptyon ptýonLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 3:12 N-NNSGRK: οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ NAS: His winnowing fork is in His hand, KJV: Whose fan [is] in his INT: Of whom the winnowing fork [is] in the Luke 3:17 N-NNS |
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