Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and ProcessWinnowing is an agricultural process used to separate grain from chaff. It involves throwing the harvested grain into the air so that the wind can blow away the lighter chaff, leaving the heavier grain to fall back to the ground. This method has been used since ancient times and is frequently mentioned in the Bible as a metaphor for judgment and purification.
Biblical ReferencesThe concept of winnowing is used both literally and metaphorically throughout the Scriptures. In the Old Testament, winnowing is often associated with God's judgment and the separation of the righteous from the wicked. For example, in
Isaiah 41:16 , it is written, "You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel."
In the New Testament, John the Baptist uses the imagery of winnowing to describe the coming judgment by the Messiah. In
Matthew 3:12 , John declares, "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." This passage emphasizes the role of Jesus as the one who will separate the faithful from the unfaithful.
Symbolism and ThemesWinnowing symbolizes the process of divine judgment and purification. It reflects the idea that God discerns and separates those who are true to His commandments from those who are not. The imagery of winnowing highlights the thoroughness and inevitability of God's judgment, as well as His ability to purify and refine His people.
The process also underscores themes of repentance and readiness. Just as grain must be prepared for winnowing, individuals are called to prepare their hearts and lives for God's judgment. The separation of wheat from chaff serves as a reminder of the ultimate accountability before God and the importance of living a life aligned with His will.
Cultural and Historical ContextIn ancient Israel, winnowing was a common practice during the harvest season. Farmers would use a winnowing fork or shovel to toss the grain into the air, often on a threshing floor located on a hilltop or an open area where the wind could assist in the separation process. This agricultural practice was well understood by the people of biblical times, making it a powerful and relatable metaphor for spiritual truths.
Theological ImplicationsThe use of winnowing as a metaphor for judgment emphasizes God's sovereignty and justice. It reassures believers of the ultimate triumph of righteousness and the removal of evil. The imagery also serves as a call to self-examination and spiritual readiness, encouraging individuals to align themselves with God's purposes and to seek His righteousness.
In summary, winnowing in the Bible is a rich symbol of judgment, purification, and the separation of good from evil. It reflects the biblical themes of divine justice, repentance, and the call to live a life pleasing to God.
ATS Bible Dictionary
WinnowSeeFAN, andTHRESHING.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Corn was winnowed,
(1.) By being thrown up by a shovel against the wind. As a rule this was done in the evening or during the night, when the west wind from the sea was blowing, which was a moderate breeze and fitted for the purpose. The north wind was too strong, and the east wind came in gusts.
(2.) By the use of a fan or van, by which the chaff was blown away (Ruth 3:2;Isaiah 30:24;Jeremiah 4:11, 12;Matthew 3:12).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
v. i.) To separate chaff from grain.
Greek
1287. diaskorpizo -- generally to separate, spec. towinnow, fig....... diaskorpizo. 1288 . generally to separate, spec. to
winnow, fig.
... Word Origin from
dia and skorpizo Definition generally to separate, spec. to
winnow, fig.
...3039. likmao -- towinnow, to scatter
... towinnow, to scatter. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: likmao Phonetic Spelling:
(lik-mah'-o) Short Definition: I crush to powder Definition: I crush to...
4617. siniazo -- to sift
... Speech: Verb Transliteration: siniazo Phonetic Spelling: (sin-ee-ad'-zo) Short
Definition: I sift, prove by trials Definition: I sift, prove by trials,winnow....
1245. diakatharizo -- to cleanse thoroughly
... thoroughly purge. From dia and katharizo; to cleanse perfectly, ie (specially)
winnow -- thoroughly purge. see GREEK dia. see GREEK katharizo....
Strong's Hebrew
2219. zarah -- to scatter, fan,winnow... 2218, 2219. zarah. 2220 . to scatter, fan,
winnow. Transliteration: zarah Phonetic
Spelling: (zaw-raw') Short Definition: scatter. Word Origin a prim.
...Library
Psalm XLIV.
... Nay indeed, it is still to be hoped for. "Through Thee will wewinnow away [1330]
our enemies" (ver.5). Our fathers then have declared to us a work that Thou...
"Art Thou He?"
... them, and they saw.". "Is that all? Has He not used the fan towinnow the
wheat, and the fire to burn up the chaff? This is what I...
The Manifestation of the Messiah
... conceived of the coming King, as we have seen, as the Woodman, laying his axe at
the root of the trees; as the Husbandman, fan in hand towinnow the threshing...
The Prophet --His Youth and his Call.
... her? Wind off the glow of the bare desert heights, Direct on my people,
Neither towinnow nor to sift, In full blast it meets me....
The Holy Spirit and the one Church
... On the other hand, he would not sowinnow his wheat as to drive away any of the
good grain, and so make the quantity less than it need to be....
The vision
... a destroying wind; and I will send out upon Babel winnowers, and they shallwinnow
her, and shall make empty her land." And likewise, c. xviii. v.17....
That Christ is the Hand and Arm of God.
... back upon themselves;" [3952] and thou shalt thrash the mountains, and shalt beat
the hills small, and shalt make them as chaff, and shallwinnow them; and the...
Oracles on the Scythians. (With Some Others: iv. 5-vi. 29. )
... A wind off the blaze of the bare desert heights, Straight on the Daughter of my
people, Neither towinnow nor to sift, In full blast it meets me....
John's Doubts of Jesus, and Jesus' Praise of John
... Where is the axe that was to be laid at the root of the trees, or the fan that was
towinnow out the chaff? Where is the fiery spirit which he had foretold?...
A Caution to the Presumptuous
... The fanning must begin with the floor; the winnowing must try the wheat. So we are
towinnow the church this morning to discover the presumptuous....
Thesaurus
Winnow (5 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Winnow (5 Occurrences).
... Isaiah 41:16 You will
winnow them,
and the wind will carry them away, and the whirlwind will scatter them.
...Fan (8 Occurrences)
... put in motion. 12. (n.) Towinnow; to separate chaff from, and drive it
away by a current of air; as, to fan wheat. 13. (n.) To...
Cleanse (75 Occurrences)
... not towinnow, nor to cleanse" (barar, Jeremiah 4:11); "Straightway his leprosy
was cleansed" (katharizo, Matthew 8:3). 2. Ceremonial: In the ceremonial sense...
Winning (3 Occurrences)
Winnowers (1 Occurrence)
... Jeremiah 51:2 I will send to Babylon strangers, who shallwinnow her; and they shall
empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her around...
Winnowed (5 Occurrences)
Willow (1 Occurrence)
... similar spikes; -- probably so called from having been originally a cylindrical
cage made of willow rods, though some derive the term fromwinnow, as denoting...
Wind (180 Occurrences)
... 18. (n.) Mere breath or talk; empty effort; idle words. 19. (n.) The dotterel.
20. (vt) To expose to the wind; towinnow; to ventilate. 21....
Fanner
... called. In Isaiah 41:16 Jeremiah 4:11; Jeremiah 15:7, the verb zarah is rendered
"winnow" in the American Standard Revised Version. In...
Try (84 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To divide or separate, as one sort from another; towinnow; to sift; to
pick out; -- frequently followed by out; as, to try out the wild corn from the...
Resources
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