International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

FAN, FANNER

fan'-er: The word "fan" occurs 3 times only in the American Standard Revised Version (Jeremiah 15:7 Matthew 3:12 Luke 3:17). In Isaiah 30:24 mizreh is translated "fork," which is a much better translation if the instrument referred to was shaped like the winnowing fork used by the Syrian farmer today and still so called. In Isaiah 41:16 Jeremiah 4:11; Jeremiah 15:7, the verb zarah is rendered "winnow" in the American Standard Revised Version. In Jeremiah 51:2, the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "strangers" for "fanners."