Luke 13:7

Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Then	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
said he	εἶπεν eipen	G2036	to speak or say (by word or writing) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
unto	πρὸς pros	G4314	a preposition of direction · preposition
the dresser of his vineyard	ἀμπελουργόν· ampelourgon	G289	a vine-worker · noun — accusative singular masculine
Behold	ἰδοὺ idou	G2400	used as imperative lo! · interjection
these three	τρία tria	G5140	"three" · adjective — accusative plural neuter
years	ἔτη etē	G2094	a year · noun — accusative plural neuter
I come	ἔρχομαι erchomai	G2064	to come or go (in a great variety of applications · verb — present middle or passive deponent indicative, 1st person singular
seeking	ζητῶν zētōn	G2212	to seek (literally or figuratively) · verb — present active participle, nominative singular masculine
fruit	καρπὸν karpon	G2590	fruit (as plucked) · noun — accusative singular masculine
on	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
this	ταύτῃ tautē	G3778	the he (she or it) · demonstrative pronoun — dative singular feminine
fig tree	συκῇ sukēa	G4808	a fig-tree · noun — dative singular feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
find	εὑρίσκω· heuriskō	G2147	to find (literally or figuratively) · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
none	οὐχ ouch	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
cut	ἔκκοψον ekkopson	G1581	to exscind · verb — aorist active imperative, 2nd person singular
it	αὐτήν· autēn	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular feminine
down	ἐκκόπτω ekkóptō	G1581	to exscind
why	ἱνατί hinatí	G2444	for what reason ?
cumbereth	καταργεῖ;¶ katargei	G2673	to be (render) entirely idle (useless) · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
it	τὸν ton	G3588	the (sometimes to be supplied · article — accusative singular masculine
the ground	γῆν gēn	G1093	soil · noun — accusative singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Matthew 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Luke 3:9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast int…
John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burn…
John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more f…
Romans 2:4-5 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repenta…
Exodus 32:10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
Leviticus 19:23 And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircum…
Matthew 3:9-10 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up chil…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 13:6-9

This parable is intended to enforce that word of warning immediately going before, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish; except you be reformed, you will be ruined, as the barren tree, except it bring forth fruit, will be cut down." I. This parable primarily refers to the nation and people of the Jews. God chose them for his own, made them a people near to him, gave them advantages for knowing and serving him above any other people, and expected answerable returns of duty and obedience from them, which, turning to his praise and honour, he would have accounted fruit; but they disappointed his expectations: they did not do their duty; they were a reproach instead of being a credit…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 13:7

three years--a long enough trial for a fig tree, and so denoting probably just a sufficient period of culture for spiritual fruit. The supposed allusion to the duration of our Lord's ministry is precarious. cut it down--indignant language. cumbereth--not only doing no good, but wasting ground.

Adam Clarke on Luke 13:7

Behold these three years - From this circumstance in the parable, it may be reasonably concluded that Jesus had been, at the time of saying this, exercising his ministry for three years past; and, from what is said in Luk 13:8, of letting it alone this year also, it may be concluded likewise that this parable was spoken about a year before Christ's crucifixion; and, if both these conclusions are reasonable, we may thence infer that this parable was not spoken at the time which appears to be assigned to it, and that the whole time of Christ's public ministry was about four years. See Bishop Pearce. But it has already been remarked that St. Luke never studies chronological arrangement. See the…

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John Gill on Luke 13:7

Then said he unto the dresser of the vineyard,.... If by the owner of the vineyard is meant God the Father, then by the dresser of the vineyard Jesus Christ is intended; but as he seems rather designed by the owner, the vinedresser, or "the gardeners", as the Persic version reads, in the plural number, may signify the ministers of the word, to whom Christ, who is Solomon's antitype, lets out his vineyard to dress and cultivate it, and to keep the fruit of it; see Sol 8:11, behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none; or "behold, there are three years since I came"; so read the Vulgate Latin and Persic versions, and Beza's most ancient copy. Some think Chri…

The Church Fathers

Which indeed came to pass under the Romans, by whom the Jewish nation was cut off, and thrust out from the land of promise.
— Bede ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(ubi. sup.) But with great fear and trembling should we hear the word which follows, Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground. For every one according to his measure, in whatsoever station of life he is, except he show forth the fruits of good works, like an unfruitful tree, cumbereth the ground; for wherever he is himself placed, he there denies to another the opportunity of working.
— Gregory the Dialogist ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(Hom. 31. in Evang.) But our Lord came three times to the fig tree, because He sought after man's nature before the law, under the law, and under grace, by waiting, admonishing, visiting; but yet He complains that for three years he found no fruit, for there are some wicked men whose hearts are neither corrected by the law of nature breathed into them, nor instructed by precepts, nor converted by the miracles of His incarnation.
— Gregory the Dialogist ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Fig Tree · Barren, parable of — Barren, parable of
Fig Tree, The · Often unfruitful — Often unfruitful
Judgment · ACCORDING TO OPPORTUNITY AND WORKS — ACCORDING TO OPPORTUNITY AND WORKS
Parables · Barren fig-tree — Barren fig-tree
Probation · The fig tree — The fig tree
Responsibility · ACCORDING TO PRIVILEGE — ACCORDING TO PRIVILEGE
Unfaithfulness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Unfruitfulness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Vineyard · Parables of — Parables of
Works · .The barren fig tree — .The barren fig tree

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Luke 13:7

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 13:6-9

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 13:7

Adam Clarke on Luke 13:7

John Gill on Luke 13:7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Luke 13:7

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 13:6-9

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 13:7

Adam Clarke on Luke 13:7

John Gill on Luke 13:7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Luke 13:1-9

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Luke 13:6-9