"a fan, winnowing fork, Mt. 3:12; Lk. 3:17*"
Definition and meaning
a fan, winnowing fork, Mt. 3:12; Lk. 3:17*
In the original Greek the word is written: πτύον
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of ptyon (G4425) across the King James Bible.
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
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Common questions
Strong's G4425 (ptyon) is a Greek word that means: a fan, winnowing fork, Mt. 3:12; Lk. 3:17* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word ptyon (G4425) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4425 is ptyon, a Greek word defined as: a fan, winnowing fork, Mt. 3:12; Lk. 3:17*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
ptyon is a Greek word found in the New Testament.