Lexical Summary mizreh: Winnowing fork, winnowing shovel Original Word: מִזְרֶה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fan From zarah; a winnowing shovel (as scattering the chaff) -- fan. see HEBREW zarah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom zarah Definition a pitchfork NASB Translation fork (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs מִזְרֶה noun [masculine] pitch-fork, with six prongs (=  ) used in winnowing, compare WetzstZPV 1891, xiv. 2; for winnowing provender ׳זֹרֶה בָרַחַת וּבְמ Isaiah 30:24; figurative for winnowing, i.e. chastising the people ׳וָאֶזְרֵם בְּמ Jeremiah 15:7. Topical Lexicon Agricultural Function in Ancient IsraelThe מִזְרֶה was an elongated wooden fork or fan used at the threshing floor after grain had been beaten free of its husk. Standing where the summer breeze could sweep across the hilltop, workers would toss the mixture skyward. The heavier kernels fell back to the ground while the lighter chaff drifted away. This simple implement, paired with a shovel (Isaiah 30:24), ensured a harvest that was usable for food and offerings, underscoring the practical wisdom embodied in Israel’s agrarian laws (Deuteronomy 24:19). Literal Occurrences in the Old Testament Isaiah 30:24 portrays an era of divine blessing so abundant that even draft animals enjoy “fodder, winnowed with shovel and pitchfork [מִזְרֶה].” The image evokes peace, order, and meticulous care for all God’s creatures when Judah rests under His favor. Jeremiah 15:7 reverses the picture: “I will winnow them with a winnowing fork [מִזְרֶה] at the gates of the land”. The same tool that preserves grain now becomes a metaphor for national judgment. The people, like useless chaff, are exposed to the wind of divine displeasure because they have refused repentance. Symbolic Significance: Separation and Judgment 1. Separation of the Righteous and the Wicked Psalm 1:4—“The wicked are like chaff that the wind drives away”—draws on the same threshing floor imagery. The מִזְרֶה highlights the necessary division between what is fruitful and what is empty. 2. Purification and Discernment The prophet’s use of the implement announces Yahweh’s commitment to purify His covenant people. The process is not indiscriminate; it is an act of discerning love (Malachi 3:3), removing impurity so that genuine faith shines. 3. Covenant Accountability Jeremiah 15:7 places the winnowing at “the gates of the land,” the traditional seat of legal judgment. The picture is one of national court, where God Himself wields the fork to uphold the statutes He gave. Prophetic and Eschatological Echoes The imagery anticipates ultimate judgment when God “will thoroughly clear His threshing floor” (Matthew 3:12). John the Baptist’s proclamation alludes directly to the מִזְרֶה: “His winnowing fork is in His hand.” The prophetic chain moves from Isaiah’s promise, through Jeremiah’s warning, to the Messiah’s decisive separation of repentant and unrepentant humanity. Connections with New Testament Teaching Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17 portray Jesus as the One who both gathers wheat into the barn and burns chaff with unquenchable fire. The ancient fork becomes a christological symbol of sovereign evaluation. Believers are assured that their enduring fruitfulness will be kept, while empty profession will be exposed. Implications for Discipleship and Corporate Worship • Personal Holiness: Followers of Christ invite the Spirit’s wind to carry away attitudes and habits that cannot coexist with authentic faith (Galatians 5:16-25). Historical Insight Threshing floors were communal spaces, often circular, elevated, and hardened. Evening breezes typically favored winnowing, aligning labor with daily rhythms ordained by the Creator (Genesis 8:22). The presence of the מִזְרֶה at these sites underscores Scripture’s seamless weaving of everyday work and spiritual truth. Summary The מִזְרֶה bridges agriculture and theology: a humble fork that feeds livestock in Isaiah’s vision, yet serves as an agent of covenant judgment in Jeremiah’s oracle. It prefigures the Messiah’s gathering and cleansing work, urging every generation to live as fruitful grain rather than perishable chaff. Forms and Transliterations בְּמִזְרֶ֖ה במזרה וּבַמִּזְרֶֽה׃ ובמזרה׃ bə·miz·reh bemizReh bəmizreh ū·ḇam·miz·reh ūḇammizreh uvammizRehLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 30:24 HEB: זֹרֶ֥ה בָרַ֖חַת וּבַמִּזְרֶֽה׃ NAS: with shovel and fork. KJV: with the shovel and with the fan. INT: has been winnowed shovel and fork Jeremiah 15:7 2 Occurrences |
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