Verse 17 Fan; an agricultural instrument, by which the chaff was separated from the wheat.--Garner; granary. Luke 3:19,20. This event took place some time afterwards. It is inserted here in order to complete what Luke had to say of the bold and fearless character of John, as a preacher, and to show how his public ministrations were brought to a close. Luke 3:23-38. In comparing this genealogical table with those contained in the Old Testament and in Matthew 1:1-17, extensive discrepancies are found, many of which are explained by the following considerations: 1. Between Jesus and David, Matthew is supposed to follow the line of Joseph, and Luke, on leaving the name of Joseph, to ascend in the line of Mary's ancestors. 2. Matthew begins the line with Abraham, Luke carries it back to Adam. 3. In the Old Testament, the spelling of the names corresponds with the Hebrew orthography; in the New, it follows the Greek. 4. In some cases, intermediate names are omitted in one table, while they are inserted in the other. Besides the discrepancies which these principles will account for, there are others which the research and ingenuity of learned men have yet been unable to explain.