SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:12
Su aventador en su mano est, y aventar su era; y allegar su trigo en el alfolí, y quemar la paja en fuego que nunca se apagar.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:12
Verse 12. Whose fan is in his hand] The Romans are here termed God's fan, as, in ver. 10, they were called his axe, and, in chap. xxii. 7, they are termed his troops or armies. The winnowing fan of the Hindoos is square, made of split bamboo; and the corn is winnowed by waving the fan backwards with both hands-"Whose fan is in his hand." His floor] Does not this mean the land of Judea, which had been long, as it were, the threshing-floor of the Lord? God says, he will now, by the winnowing fan (viz. the Romans) thoroughly cleanse this floor-the wheat, those who believe in the Lord Jesus, he will gather into his garner, either take to heaven from the evil to come, or put in a place of safety, as he did the Christians, by sending them to Pella, in Coelosyria, previously to the destruction of Jerusalem. But he will burn up the chaff-the disobedient and rebellions Jews, who would not come unto Christ, that they might have life.
Unquenchable fire.] That cannot be extinguished by man.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. Whose fan is in his hand , etc.] The Jews had their hand fans, and which were like a mans hand; their names were bwgm hrwm rb[m ; which, as Maimonides says f181 , were three sorts of instruments used in the floor, in form of a mans hand; with which they cleansed the wheat and barley from the straw; and their names differ according to their form: some have many teeth, and with them they cleanse the wheat at the end of the work; and there are others that have few teeth, no more than three, and with these they purge the wheat at first, from the thick straw. By the fan, here is meant, either the Gospel which Christ was just ready to publish; by which he would effectually call his chosen people among the Jews, and so distinguish and separate them from others, as well as purify and cleanse them, or rather the awful judgment of God, which Christ was ready to execute, and in a short time would execute on the unbelieving and impenitent Jews: hence it is said to be in his hand; being put there by his Father, who hath committed all judgment to the Son. That this is the meaning of the Baptist, seems evident, since fanning is always, when figuratively taken, used for judgments, ( Isaiah 41:16 Jeremiah 15:7 Jeremiah 51:2). By his floor, is meant the land of Israel, where he was born, brought up, and lived; of which the Lord says, O my threshing, and the corn of my floor! ( Isaiah 21:10). This, he says, he will thoroughly purge of all his refuse and chaff, that is, by fanning: so fanning and cleansing, or purging, are joined together, ( Jeremiah 4:11) so rrb is used for purging by fanning, in the Misnic writings f182 . By his wheat, are meant his elect among the Jews, the chosen of God and precious; so called because of their excellency, purity, usefulness, solidity, and constancy: these he will gather into his garner; meaning either some place of protection, where he would direct his people to for safety from that wrath, ruin, and destruction; which should fall upon the Jewish nation; or else the kingdom of heaven, into which he would bring them, by taking them out of the world from the evil to come. By the chaff, are meant wicked and ungodly persons, such as are destitute of the grace of God, whether professors, or profane; being empty, barren, and unfruitful; and so good for nothing but the fire, which therefore he will burn with unquenchable fire, of divine wrath and vengeance: an allusion to a custom among the Jews, who, when they purified the increase of their unclean fields, gathered it together in an area or floor, in the midst of them, and then sifted it with sieves; one sort with two sieves, another with three, that they might thoroughly purge it, and burnt the chaff and stalks f183 ; (see Isaiah 5:24).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-12 - To make application to the souls of the hearers, is the life of preaching; so it was of John's preaching. The Pharisees laid their chief stress on outward observances, neglecting the weightier matter of the moral law, and the spiritual meaning of their legal ceremonies Others of them were detestable hypocrites, making their pretences to holiness a cloak for iniquity. The Sadducees ran into the opposit extreme, denying the existence of spirits, and a future state. The were the scornful infidels of that time and country. There is a wrat to come. It is the great concern of every one to flee from that wrath God, who delights not in our ruin, has warned us; he warns by the written word, by ministers, by conscience. And those are not worthy of the name of penitents, or their privileges, who say they are sorry for their sins, yet persist in them. It becomes penitents to be humble an low in their own eyes, to be thankful for the least mercy, patien under the greatest affliction, to be watchful against all appearance of sin, to abound in every duty, and to be charitable in judgin others. Here is a word of caution, not to trust in outward privileges There is a great deal which carnal hearts are apt to say withi themselves, to put aside the convincing, commanding power of the wor of God. Multitudes, by resting in the honours and mere advantages of their being members of an outward church, come short of heaven. Here in a word of terror to the careless and secure. Our corrupt hearts cannot be made to produce good fruit, unless the regenerating Spirit of Chris graft the good word of God upon them. And every tree, however high i gifts and honours, however green in outward professions an performances, if it bring not forth good fruit, the fruits meet for repentance, is hewn down and cast into the fire of God's wrath, the fittest place for barren trees: what else are they good for? If not fi for fruit, they are fit for fuel. John shows the design and intentio of Christ's appearing, which they were now speedily to expect. N outward forms can make us clean. No ordinances, by whomsoeve administered, or after whatever mode, can supply the want of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire. The purifying and cleansin power of the Holy Spirit alone can produce that purity of heart, an those holy affections, which accompany salvation. It is Christ wh baptizes with the Holy Ghost. This he did in the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit sent upon the apostles, Ac 2:4. This he does in the grace and comforts of the Spirit, given to those that ask him, Lu 11:13; Jo 7:38, 39; see Ac 11:16. Observe here, the outward church is Christ' floor, Isa 21:10. True believers are as wheat, substantial, useful, an valuable; hypocrites are as chaff, light and empty, useless an worthless, carried about with every wind; these are mixed, good an bad, in the same outward communion. There is a day coming when the wheat and chaff shall be separated. The last judgment will be the distinguishing day, when saints and sinners shall be parted for ever In heaven the saints are brought together, and no longer scattered they are safe, and no longer exposed; separated from corrupt neighbour without, and corrupt affections within, and there is no chaff amon them. Hell is the unquenchable fire, which will certainly be the portion and punishment of hypocrites and unbelievers. Here life an death, good and evil, are set before us: according as we now are in the field, we shall be then in the floor.
Greek Textus Receptus
ου 3739 R-GSM το 3588 T-NSN πτυον 4425 N-NSN εν 1722 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF χειρι 5495 N-DSF αυτου 846 P-GSM και 2532 CONJ διακαθαριει 1245 5692 V-FAI-3S-ATT την 3588 T-ASF αλωνα 257 N-ASF αυτου 846 P-GSM και 2532 CONJ συναξει 4863 5692 V-FAI-3S τον 3588 T-ASM σιτον 4621 N-ASM αυτου 846 P-GSM εις 1519 PREP την 3588 T-ASF αποθηκην 596 N-ASF το 3588 T-ASN δε 1161 CONJ αχυρον 892 N-ASN κατακαυσει 2618 5692 V-FAI-3S πυρι 4442 N-DSN ασβεστω 762 A-DSN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. Fan, floor (Wyc. has corn-floor). The picture is of a farmer at his threshing-floor, the area of hard-beaten earth on which the sheaves are spread and the grain trodden out by animals. His fan, that is his winnowing-shovel or fork, is in his hand, and with it he throws up the mingled wheat and chaff against the wind in order to separate the grain. 3Throughly cleanse (diakaqariei). Throughly (retained by Rev.) obsolete form of thoroughly, is the force of the preposition dia (through). In that preposition lies the picture of the farmer beginning at one side of the floor, and working through to the other, cleansing as he goes.
The whole metaphor represents the Messiah as separating the evil from the good, according to the tests of his kingdom and Gospel, receiving the worthy into his kingdom and consigning the unworthy to destruction (compare Matt. xiii. 30; 39-43; 48-50).
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:12 {Will burn up with unquenchable fire} (katakausei puri asbestwi). Note perfective use of kata. The threshing floor, the fan, the wheat, the garner, the chaff (achuron, chaff, straw, stubble), the fire furnish a life-like picture. The "fire" here is probably judgment by and at the coming of the Messiah just as in verse #11. The Messiah "will thoroughly cleanse" (diakathariei, Attic future of -izw and note dia-). He will sweep from side to side to make it clean.
