Luke 3:17

Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

Whose {G3739} fan {G4425} is in {G1722} his {G846} hand {G5495}, and {G2532} he will throughly purge {G1245} his {G846} floor {G257}, and {G2532} will gather {G4863} the wheat {G4621} into {G1519} his {G846} garner {G596}; but {G1161} the chaff {G892} he will burn {G2618} with fire {G4442} unquenchable {G762}.

He has with him his winnowing fork to clear out his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the straw with unquenchable fire!"

His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

whose fan is in his hand, thoroughly to cleanse his threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.

Commentary

Luke 3:17 is a powerful declaration by John the Baptist concerning the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. It uses vivid agricultural imagery to describe the Messiah's role as a divine judge who will separate the righteous from the unrighteous, bringing salvation to some and judgment to others.

Historical and Cultural Context

This verse is part of John the Baptist's impassioned preaching to the crowds who came to be baptized in the Jordan River. His message was one of repentance and preparation for the arrival of the Messiah. The imagery of the "fan" (or winnowing fork) and the "threshing floor" would have been immediately understood by his audience. In ancient Israel, after grain was threshed to separate it from the stalks, it was brought to a threshing floor—often a flat, open area exposed to the wind. A winnowing fork was used to toss the mixture of grain and chaff into the air. The heavier "wheat" (the valuable grain) would fall back down, while the lighter "chaff" (the worthless husks and debris) would be blown away by the wind, typically to be burned. This process perfectly illustrates the separation and purification John describes.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Judgment and Separation: The central theme is the Messiah's absolute authority to discern and separate humanity. Just as a farmer separates wheat from chaff, Christ will separate those who genuinely follow Him from those who do not. This separation is ultimate and irreversible.
  • Messiah's Authority: John emphasizes that the Messiah holds the "fan" – the tool of judgment and discernment – in His hand, signifying His supreme power and authority over all people.
  • Eternal Consequences: The verse clearly outlines two distinct destinies: the "wheat" gathered into the "garner" (a barn or storehouse, symbolizing safety and eternal life), and the "chaff" burned with "fire unquenchable" (symbolizing eternal punishment). This highlights the seriousness of one's response to God.
  • Purity and Purification: The act of "throughly purging his floor" implies a complete and decisive cleansing process, where all impurities are removed.

Linguistic Insights

  • The word translated "fan" is the Greek ptyon (πτύον), which refers specifically to a winnowing shovel or fork, a tool for tossing grain.
  • "Purge" comes from the Greek diakathairō (διακαθαίρω), meaning "to cleanse thoroughly" or "to clear away completely," emphasizing the decisive nature of the separation.
  • "Unquenchable" is from the Greek asbestos (ἄσβεστος), literally meaning "unextinguishable" or "not to be put out." This term stresses the eternal and inescapable nature of the judgment for the unrighteous.

Related Scriptures

This prophecy by John the Baptist finds direct parallels and elaborations throughout the New Testament:

Practical Application

Luke 3:17 serves as both a warning and a comfort. For those who hear John's call to repentance and bear fruit worthy of it, it offers the assurance of salvation and inclusion in God's eternal "garner." For those who remain unrepentant and reject Christ, it is a stark reminder of the inevitable and severe consequences. This verse encourages believers to examine their lives and ensure they are truly "wheat" – living in genuine faith and obedience to Christ – rather than "chaff" that will be swept away in judgment. It underscores the urgency of choosing Christ and living a life transformed by His grace, knowing that a day of ultimate reckoning is coming.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Matthew 13:30

    Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

  • Micah 4:12

    But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.

  • Jeremiah 15:7

    And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave [them] of children, I will destroy my people, [since] they return not from their ways.

  • Psalms 1:4

    ¶ The ungodly [are] not so: but [are] like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

  • Psalms 21:9

    Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

  • Psalms 21:10

    Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.

  • Matthew 3:12

    Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
← Back