Matthew 3:12

“Whose fan is in his hand, etc.] The Jews had their hand fans, and which were like a man’s 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 man’s 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…”

“Whose fan--winnowing fan. is in his hand--ready for use. This is no other than the preaching of the Gospel, even now beginning, the effect of which would be to separate the solid from the spiritually worthless, as wheat, by the winnowing fan, from the chaff. (Compare the similar representation in Mal 3:1-3). and he will throughly purge his floor--threshing-floor; that is, the visible Church. and gather his wheat--His true-hearted saints; so called for their solid worth (compare Amo 9:9; Luk 22:31). into the garner--"the kingdom of their Father," as this "garner" or "barn" is beautifully explained by our Lord in the parable of the wheat and the tares (Mat 13:30, Mat 13:43). but he will burn…”

“His fan - The word used here and rendered “fan” means a winnowing shovel instead. It was used for throwing the grain, after it was threshed, into the air, so that the chaff might be driven away by the wind. This mode of separating the grain from the chaff is still practiced in the East. It is not probable that the fan, as the term is now used, was known to the Orientals as an instrument for cleaning grain. See the notes at Isaiah 30:24. His floor - The threshing-floor was an open space, or area, in the field, usually on an elevated part of the land, Genesis 50:10. It had no covering or walls. It was a space of ground 30 or 40 paces in diameter, and made smooth by rolling it or treading it…”

“Whose fan - That is, the word of the Gospel. His floor - That is, his Church, which is now covered with a mixture of wheat and chaff. He will gather the wheat into the garner - Will lay up those who are truly good in heaven. Matthew 3:13”

“3:12 Farmers would use a winnowing fork to toss harvested grain into the air, allowing the useless husks (chaff) to blow away. The Messiah’s ministry divides all humanity into two groups: (1) the wheat, that is, those who respond, forming the new people of God; and (2) the chaff, the unrepentant (see 3:8).”

“fan: Isa 30:24, Isa 41:16; Jer 4:11, Jer 15:7, Jer 51:2; Luk 3:17 he will thoroughly: Mat 13:41, Mat 13:49, Mat 13:50; Mal 3:2, Mal 3:3, Mal 4:1; Joh 15:2 and gather: Mat 13:30, Mat 13:43; Amo 9:9 but: Job 21:18; Psa 1:4, Psa 35:5; Isa 5:24, Isa 17:13; Hos 13:3; Mal 4:1; Luk 3:17 with: Isa 1:31, Isa 66:24; Jer 7:20, Jer 17:27; Eze 20:47, Eze 20:48; Mar 9:43-48 Matthew 3:13”