The process of separating different substances, especially grain and chaff, normally by passing them through sieves. It is used as a symbol of judgment in which the good are separated from the evil.
Sifting as an act of separation
Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
Sifting as a symbol of judgment
Isaiah 30:28 See also Amos 9:9; Luke 22:31
His breath is like a rushing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction; He bridles the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.