ἄχυρον
chaff
Definition
ἄχυρον refers to the husks, straw, or chaff separated from grain during threshing. In the New Testament, it consistently symbolizes what is worthless, temporary, and destined for destruction. This imagery is used exclusively in the parallel accounts of John the Baptist's preaching (Matthew 3:12, Luke 3:17), where he contrasts the valuable wheat (the saved) with the chaff, which will be burned with unquenchable fire. The word captures the complete separation and ultimate fate of that which lacks spiritual substance.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the New Testament, in identical metaphorical contexts within the Synoptic Gospels. In both Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17, John the Baptist uses 'chaff' (ἄχυρον) to describe people who are unrepentant and opposed to God's coming judgment. It is part of an agricultural metaphor for divine judgment, where the Messiah will thoroughly separate the valuable grain from the worthless chaff, which is then destroyed by fire.
Etymology
The etymology of ἄχυρον is uncertain, but it is likely derived from an ancient root related to 'point' or 'sharp,' possibly referring to the prickly, worthless nature of husks and straw. It is a purely Greek word with no clear Semitic loan origin, used in secular Greek literature to denote the waste byproduct of threshing.
Semantic Range
ἄχυρον is theologically significant as a powerful metaphor for divine judgment and the separation of the righteous from the wicked. It underscores the completeness of Christ's winnowing work and the ultimate, irreversible destruction of evil and unrepentance. Understanding this Greek term enriches the reading of John the Baptist's warning by highlighting the absolute worthlessness and combustibility of a life not founded on repentance and faith, contrasted with the gathered and preserved 'wheat.'
In an agrarian society, the process of winnowing—tossing threshed grain into the air so the wind blows away the lighter chaff—was a universal image of separation. The chaff was utterly useless, often burned as fuel or simply discarded. This cultural reality made it a potent and immediately understandable symbol for Jesus' audience of something without value and destined for destruction.
κάρφος (karphos, G2595) — a 'dry twig' or 'speck,' often used for a small, insignificant piece of chaff or straw (as in Matthew 7:3-5).
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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