Matthew 3:12
Matthew 3:12 is the twelfth verse of Matthew’s third chapter in the New Testament, and it appears in the section relating to John the Baptist’s preachings, in which he uses the imagery of harvesting wheat to describe God’s judgment.
Content
It is translated as “Hou to ptyon en tu0113 cheiri autou, kai diakathariei tu0113n alu014dna autou” in Koine Greek, and “He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire” in the King James Version of the Bible.
Analysis
This verse describes wind winnowing, which was the standard method for separating wheat from chaff at the time. Winnowing forks, which were usually made of wood, were widely used. John the Baptist is thought to be speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Textual witnesses
Papyrus 101 (3rd century), Codex Sinaiticus (330u2013360), Codex Washingtonianus (400), Codex Bezae (400), and Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (450) are some early manuscripts that contain the text of this verse.
Commentary from the Church Fathers
The separation of a just trial is symbolized by the fan; that it is in the Lord’s hand means ‘in His power,’ as it is written, The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son. Pseudo-Chrysostom: The floor represents the Church, the barn represents the Kingdom of Heaven, and the field represents the world.
The faithful are mixed up in one Church with the unfaithful; but persecution comes as a wind, tossed by Christ’s fan, that they whose hearts were separate before, may now be separated in place. Saint Remigius: The unquenchable fire is the punishment of eternal damnation; or to distinguish it from purgatorial fire, which is the punishment of eternal torment.
References
The Oxyrhynchus Papyri LXIV (London: 1997), pp.2u20134. Matthew’s Gospel: an Introduction and Commentary, Oxford: Parker, 1874. The Catena Aurea: commentary on the four Gospels; collected from the Fathers’ works.
What did Jesus say about wheat?
Narrative. Verily, verily, I say unto you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abideth alone; but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit; and he who loves his life in this world shall lose it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
What does the Bible say about separating the wheat from the chaff?
Gregory the Great: When the threshing is finished in this life, when the grain is groaning under the weight of the chaff, the fan of the last judgment will separate them so that no chaff will enter the granary, and no grain will fall into the chaff-burning fire.
Where in the Bible does it talk about wheat?
1. High quality wheat is mentioned in Deuteronomy 32:14, Psalm 81:16, and Psalm 147:14. 2. Wheat species, varieties, and cultivars are numerous.
What does the Bible say about building barns?
“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you.’ I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods, telling my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”
What does wheat symbolize in the Bible?
Wheat is a symbol of charity and love in the Bible, with the harvesting of wheat representing advanced love and charity, and the wheat field representing the church. Wheat is also a symbol for those who believe in Christ.
What is a kernel of wheat?
The wheat kernel, also known as the wheat berry, is the seed from which the wheat plant grows. Each tiny seed contains three distinct parts, which are separated during the milling process to produce flour. Endosperm accounts for approximately 83% of the kernel weight and is the source of white endosperm flour.
What is the biblical definition of chaff?
2: the husks of grains and grasses that are separated from the seed during threshing.
What does threshing floor mean in the Bible?
Threshing (thrashing) was originally defined as “to tramp or stamp heavily with the feet,” and later came to refer to the process of separating grain with the feet of people or oxen, and later still with the use of a flail.
What is the difference between the wheat and the chaff?
The difference between chaff and wheat as nouns is that chaff refers to the inedible parts of a grain-producing plant, whereas wheat refers to any of several cereal grains of the genus triticum that produce flour for use in baking.
What are wheat and tares in the Bible?
In Matthew 13, Jesus told the parable of the wheat and the tares, in which a wheat field had been purposefully polluted by an enemy who sowed the seeds of the weeds intermixed with the wheat. Nay, lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
What does the parable of wheat and tares mean?
The Parable of the Tares or Weeds (KJV: tares, WNT: darnel, DRB: cockle) is a parable told by Jesus in Matthew 13:24u201343, in which he warns servants who are eager to pull up weeds that they will also pull up wheat, and tells them to let both grow together until the harvest.
How do farmers separate wheat from tares?
The hull of some harvest-ready grains is thin and papery, making it easy to remove; this wind-assisted process of separating the wheat from the chaff is known as winnowing, and grains with almost no hull are known as “naked” grains.
Do not store up in barns?
19: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Where does it say the love of money is the root of all evil?
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (The full verse is shown but Bold added being the subject of this page.)
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world?
[36] For what good will it be for a man to gain the whole world but lose his own soul?