Biblical Types, Symbols & Patterns
Fan
Claim-level biblical evidence review with contextual controls, canonical relationships, and preserved interpretive history.
How to read this entry
Evidence grades apply to individual claims, not to the headword as a whole. Strong biblical identification is kept separate from plausible or traditional interpretations, and unsupported proposals remain visible as negative evidence rather than being silently removed.
Winnowing fan/fork as literal agricultural implement
Greek ptyon denotes a winnowing fork/shovel used in threshing to separate grain from chaff.
Context control: Preserve the literal winnowing implement as the image-source.
The legacy fan must first be reclassified as a literal winnowing implement before its figurative function is assessed.
Grade 1: Explicit biblical interpretationScope: Preserve the literal winnowing implement as the image-source.
Residual uncertainty: No material residual uncertainty beyond the stated scope limitation.
Scripture
Evidence sources
- Canonical Scripture: MT/LXX/NA28 with NET/ESV comparison — Text loci verified for TSP-S0F Batch 1
- BibleHub lexical summary — Greek ptyon: winnowing fork / fan — Accessed/verified 2026-09-20
Winnowing-fork image of separation and judgment
John the Baptist uses the winnowing-fork/threshing-floor image to portray the Messiah separating wheat from chaff, gathering the wheat, and burning the chaff.
Context control: Retain separation/judgment as the explicit Matt 3/Luke 3 image-function.
Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17 strongly establish the winnowing fan/fork as an image of messianic separation and judgment in that preaching context.
Grade 1: Explicit biblical interpretationScope: Retain separation/judgment as the explicit Matt 3/Luke 3 image-function.
Residual uncertainty: No material residual uncertainty beyond the stated scope limitation.
Scripture
Evidence sources
- Canonical Scripture: MT/LXX/NA28 with NET/ESV comparison — Text loci verified for TSP-S0F Batch 1
- BibleHub lexical summary — Greek ptyon: winnowing fork / fan — Accessed/verified 2026-09-20
Canonical relationships
- Fan: Confirmed in the source-supported contextual sense: Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17 strongly establish the winnowing fan/fork as an image of messianic separation and judgment in that preaching context.
Lexical mappings
These are cross-tier mappings only; lexical definitions remain owned by the site’s lexical resources.
- GREEK: πτύον ptyon — G4425
Study-aid notice
This page is part of an AI-assisted conservative evangelical Bible-study project. It has passed structured research, review, and QA gates, but it is not inspired or infallible and does not replace Scripture, prayer, pastors, teachers, or local church discernment.
Claims should be tested against Scripture in context. Corrections and Review Policy.