892. achuron

Lexicon

achuron: Chaff

Original Word: ἄχυρον
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: achuron
Pronunciation: AH-khoo-ron
Phonetic Spelling: (akh'-oo-ron)
Definition: Chaff
Meaning: chaff.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

chaff.

Perhaps remotely from cheo (to shed forth); chaff (as diffusive) -- chaff.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain origin
Definition
chaff
NASB Translation
chaff (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 892: ἄχυρον

ἄχυρον, ἀχύρου, τό, "a stalk of grain from which the kernels have been beaten out; straw broken up by a threshing-machine, chaff": Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17. (In Greek writings from Herodotus 4, 72; Xenophon, oec. 18. 1, 2, 6 down; mostly in plural τά ἄχυρα; in Job 21:18 the Sept. also of the chaff accustomed to being driven away by the wind.)

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek word ἄχυρος (achyros), meaning "chaff" or "straw."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Greek ἄχυρον corresponds to several Hebrew terms that convey similar meanings, such as מֹץ (mots, Strong's H4671) and תֶּבֶן (teben, Strong's H8401), both of which refer to chaff or straw in the Old Testament. These terms are used in similar metaphorical contexts to describe the fate of the wicked or the futility of idolatry and rebellion against God.

Usage: The word ἄχυρον is used in the New Testament to illustrate the separation of the righteous from the wicked, where the chaff is burned, symbolizing judgment and purification.

Context: The Greek term ἄχυρον appears in the New Testament in contexts that emphasize the transient and worthless nature of chaff compared to the valuable grain. In Matthew 3:12, John the Baptist uses the imagery of a winnowing fork to describe the coming judgment: "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" (BSB). This metaphor highlights the separation of the righteous, who are gathered like wheat, from the wicked, who are discarded like chaff.

The imagery of chaff is rooted in agricultural practices familiar to the original audience, where grain was threshed and winnowed to remove the inedible parts. The process involved tossing the grain into the air so that the wind would blow away the lighter chaff, leaving the heavier grain to fall back to the ground. This vivid picture serves as a powerful symbol of divine judgment and the ultimate fate of those who do not bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

The use of ἄχυρον in the New Testament underscores the theme of eschatological judgment, where the separation of chaff from wheat represents the final sorting of humanity. It serves as a warning to heed the call to repentance and align oneself with the values of the Kingdom of God.

Forms and Transliterations

άχυρα αχύροις αχυρον άχυρον ἄχυρον achuron achyron áchyron

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 3:12 N-ANS
GRK: τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ
NAS: but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable
KJV: he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable
INT: and [the] chaff he will burn up with fire

Luke 3:17 N-ANS
GRK: τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ
NAS: but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable
KJV: but the chaff he will burn
INT: and [the] chaff he will burn with fire

Strong's Greek 892
2 Occurrences

ἄχυρον — 2 Occ.