Matthew 3:12
What does Matthew 3:12 mean?
A plain-English look at Matthew 3:12 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Matthew 3:12 means
This verse vividly portrays the coming Messiah as a separator and judge. Using the agricultural imagery of a winnowing fork ("fan") and threshing-floor, John explains that the Messiah will perfectly distinguish between the "wheat" (true believers) and the "chaff" (unbelievers). The wheat will be gathered into His spiritual barn, signifying salvation and eternal security, while the chaff will be consumed by "unquenchable fire," signifying eternal damnation. This signifies the finality and thoroughness of Christ's judgment.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Whose 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.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949In whose hand is the instrument with which he will make clean his grain; he will put the good grain in his store, but the waste will be burned up in the fire which will never be put out.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862whose fan <FI>is<Fi> in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will gather his wheat to the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890whose winnowing fan [is] in his hand, and he shall thoroughly purge his threshing-floor, and shall gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
Context
This verse continues the description of the powerful one introduced in verse 11, elaborating on his role as a divine judge. It uses an agricultural metaphor to clearly explain the ultimate outcome for those who repent and those who do not, reinforcing the seriousness of John's earlier calls to repentance and setting the stage for the dramatic arrival of Jesus in the next verse.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Malachi 4:1
For, behold, the day cometh, it burneth as a furnace; and all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith Jehovah of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
- Isaiah 1:31
And the strong shall be as tow, and his work as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.
- Jeremiah 7:20
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, mine anger and my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
- Matthew 13:43
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear.
- Jeremiah 15:7
And I have winnowed them with a fan in the gates of the land; I have bereaved them of children, I have destroyed my people; they returned not from their ways.
- John 15:2
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit.
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