Lexical Summary achuron: Chaff Original Word: ἄχυρον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance chaff. Perhaps remotely from cheo (to shed forth); chaff (as diffusive) -- chaff. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain origin Definition chaff NASB Translation chaff (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 892: ἄχυρονἄχυρον, ἀχύρου, τό, "a stalk of grain from which the kernels have been beaten out; straw broken up by a threshing-machine, chaff": Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17. (In Greek writings from Herodotus 4, 72; Xenophon, oec. 18. 1, 2, 6 down; mostly in plural τά ἄχυρα; in Job 21:18 the Sept. also of the chaff accustomed to being driven away by the wind.) Topical Lexicon Literal and Agricultural Background In first-century Palestine, winnowing separated edible kernels from worthless husks. After threshing, farmers tossed grain into the evening breeze; the heavy wheat fell at their feet, but the dry, weightless chaff (ἄχυρον) blew away or collected for burning. Listeners in Judea understood chaff as valueless refuse, fit only for fire. Symbolic Usage in Scripture Both Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17 employ ἄχυρον in identical preaching by John the Baptist: “His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:12) ἄχυρον here pictures those who remain unrepentant when Messiah inaugurates His kingdom. The imagery distinguishes between authentic fruit (wheat) and superficial religiosity (chaff). Connections with Old Testament Imagery The prophets had already used chaff as a metaphor for the ungodly: “Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.” (Psalm 1:4). Isaiah likened hostile nations to chaff consumed “in an instant” (Isaiah 29:5). John’s use therefore bridges Old Testament warning and New Covenant fulfillment, declaring that the long-awaited Judge stands ready to act. Christological Significance John’s proclamation assigns to Jesus the divine prerogative of final separation. While John baptizes with water, Jesus wields the winnowing fork, gathers the righteous, and consigns chaff to “unquenchable fire.” The metaphor underscores both His saving authority and His judicial severity, uniting the twin themes of grace and judgment present throughout the Gospels. Eschatological Dimension ἄχυρον anticipates the ultimate sifting at Christ’s return (Matthew 13:30; Revelation 14:14-16). The image teaches: 1. Inevitability—no portion of the threshing floor escapes examination. Implications for Personal Holiness Believers are called to self-examination (2 Corinthians 13:5), ensuring that professed faith bears genuine fruit. The epistle imagery of works tested by fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) echoes the fate of chaff: only what is grounded in Christ endures. Thus, ἄχυρον warns against nominal discipleship and urges Spirit-wrought transformation. Preaching and Teaching Applications • Emphasize repentance: John’s message confronts complacency in religious heritage (Matthew 3:9). Historical Interpretation in Church Tradition Early fathers such as Chrysostom expounded these verses to refute antinomianism, asserting that orthodoxy without obedience is chaff. Reformers appealed to the passage when distinguishing invisible church (wheat) from visible mixed multitude. Contemporary evangelical missions employ the metaphor to stress both evangelism and discipleship, maintaining that numerical growth without conversion merely multiplies chaff. Pastoral Exhortation The twin occurrences of ἄχυρον call the Church to fearless proclamation of both gospel invitation and impending reckoning. Shepherds are to nurture wheat through Word and sacrament, while lovingly warning that the Judge already holds the fork. Forms and Transliterations άχυρα αχύροις αχυρον άχυρον ἄχυρον achuron achyron áchyronLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 3:12 N-ANSGRK: τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ NAS: but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable KJV: he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable INT: and [the] chaff he will burn up with fire Luke 3:17 N-ANS |
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