3:12

Verse 3:12 is an extended metaphor. In this metaphor, John the Baptist compared the actions of Jesus the Messiah to the actions of a farmer at harvest time.

Here are some ways that the Messiah and a farmer are similar:

(a) They are both ready to perform their tasks.

(b) Their task is to separate what is good/useful from that which is not good/useful. Their task is then to store or destroy them accordingly.

In that culture, after a farmer harvested grain, he “threshed” it by rolling something heavy over the grain. This caused the seeds to separate from the stalk and the husks. He did this on an area of ground called the “threshing floor.”

Then the farmer “winnowed” the grain by using a large fork to throw the mixture of straw, seeds, and husks into the air. The wind would blow away the lightweight straw and husks so that only the grain seed was left. The farmer would then put the grain seed into bags. Finally, he would gather the straw and husks to burn them as fuel in the ovens where the women baked bread.

John used the images of a farmer threshing and winnowing grain to figuratively describe that the Messiah will separate those who repented from those who refused to repent. He used the image of a farmer storing grain to figuratively describe that the Messiah will receive those who repent into his kingdom. He used the image of a farmer burning chaff to figuratively describe that the Messiah will destroy those who do not repent.

In some languages, a literal translation of this metaphor may be difficult to understand.

Here are some other ways to translate the metaphor:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

12aHe ⌊is like a farmer who⌋ already has his winnowing fork in his hand.

• Add a footnote to explain the metaphor. Here is a sample footnote:

Verse 3:12 compares Jesus to a farmer. A farmer separates the grain from the chaff. He stores the grain and burns the chaff. When Jesus comes, he will separate the people who have truly repented from those who have not repented. He will receive all those who have repented into his kingdom, but he will destroy those who have not repented.

3:12a

His winnowing fork is in His hand: This phrase begins the extended metaphor which compares the Messiah to a farmer. It means “he is holding a winnowing fork.” It indicates that the Messiah is ready to act.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

He has picked up his winnowing fork and is ready
-or-
He ⌊is like a farmer who⌋ is already holding his winnowing fork.

winnowing fork: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as winnowing fork refers to a big shovel-like tool that looked something like a fork. People used it to throw the mixture of seeds, chaff, and straw into the air so that the wind would separate the good grain from the useless chaff.

The winnowing fork represents the Messiah’s ability and authority to separate those who repented from those who refused to repent.

Here are some other ways to translate the term winnowing fork:

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

The tool for separating the seed/grain from the chaff is in his hand.

• Describe the function. For example:

He will come ready to clean the grain (New Century Version)
-or-
He is ready to separate the good grain from the chaff.

man holding a winnowing fork

3:12b

to clear His threshing floor: There are two ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to clear His threshing floor:

(1) It means to clear/clean the threshing floor. This refers to what is done after the grain has been threshed. For example:

he will clean out his threshing floor (NET Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), English Standard Version)

(2) It means to thresh out all the grain. For example:

he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. (Contemporary English Version)

(Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The farmer would clear or clean his threshing floor by putting the good grain in the barn and burning the chaff. However, since the farmer first threshed the grain before clearing the threshing floor, some languages may need to include both steps. So you may need to include parts of both interpretations.

threshing floor: A threshing floor is a flat area outdoors where the farmer “threshes” the grain. He “threshes” it by rolling something heavy over the grain. This causes the seeds to separate from the stalk and the husks. The threshing floor is also the area where the grain is winnowed.

Here are some other ways to translate the phrase threshing floor:

place on the ground for separating grain from the chaff
-or-
area where the seed is beaten/removed ⌊from the chaff⌋

3:12c

to gather His wheat into the barn: The farmer put the good seed or grain in a safe place where he kept his grain. This represents the Messiah saving people who believe in him.

wheat: The word wheat refers to a certain type of grain plant and to the grain that the plant produces. Wheat plants have a stalk. On top of the stalk there are clusters of seeds, which are the wheat grains.

head of a wheat plant

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

• Use a more general term. For example:

grain (New Century Version)

• Use a different type of grain that is grown in your area and is similar to wheat. For example:

rice
-or-
millet

barn: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as barn refers to a storage area for grain. Here are some other ways to translate this word:

granary (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
storehouse (NET Bible)

3:12d

but: There is a contrast between 3:12b–c and 3:12d. The contrast is between what will happen to the wheat (3:12c), which will be saved, and the chaff (3:12d), which will be burned. Many English versions indicate this contrast by translating the Greek conjunction here with the English conjunction “But.”

He will burn up the chaff: The chaff was the husk and the stalk (or straw). People burned all of this because it was not good to eat. This represents the Messiah punishing those who refused to repent.

unquenchable fire: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as unquenchable fire refers to a fire that people cannot put out. It is also a fire that never stops burning.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

a fire that never goes out (Good News Translation)

-or-

never ending fire (New Living Translation (2004))

© 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.