Matthew 21:19

And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
And	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
saw	ἰδὼν idōn	G1492	used only in certain past tenses · verb — second aorist active participle, nominative singular masculine
a	μίαν mian	G1520	one · adjective — accusative singular feminine
tree	συκῆν sukēn	G4808	a fig-tree · noun — accusative singular feminine
in	ἐπὶ epi	G1909	properly · preposition
way	ὁδοῦ hodou	G3598	a road · noun — genitive singular feminine
came	ἦλθεν ēlthen	G2064	to come or go (in a great variety of applications · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
to	ἐπ᾽ ep᾽	G1909	properly · preposition
it	αὐτὴν autēn	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
found	εὗρεν heuren	G2147	to find (literally or figuratively) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
nothing	οὐδὲν ouden	G3762	not even one (man · adjective — accusative singular neuter
thereon	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
but	εἰ ei	G1487	if · conditional particle
leaves	φύλλα phulla	G5444	a sprout · noun — accusative plural neuter
only	μόνον mónon	G3440	merely
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
said	λέγει legei	G3004	properly · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
it	αὐτῇ autēa	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative singular feminine
Let	γένηται genētai	G1096	to cause to be ("gen"-erate) · verb — second aorist middle deponent subjunctive, 3rd person singular
no	μηκέτι mēketi	G3371	no further · adverb — negative
fruit	καρπὸς karpos	G2590	fruit (as plucked) · noun — nominative singular masculine
grow	γίνομαι gínomai	G1096	to cause to be ("gen"-erate)
on	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
thee	σοῦ soû	G4675	of thee
henceforward for	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
ever	αἰῶνα. aiōna	G165	properly · noun — accusative singular masculine
And	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
presently	παραχρῆμα parachrēma	G3916	at the thing itself · adverb
tree	συκῆ. sukē	G4808	a fig-tree · noun — nominative singular feminine
away	ἐξηράνθη exēranthē	G3583	to desiccate · verb — aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular

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

Mark 11:14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
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…
Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
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…
Luke 13:6-9 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
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…
Isaiah 5:4-5 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, broug…
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

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

Commentary

John Gill on Matthew 21:19

And when he saw a fig tree,.... In the Greek text it is "one fig tree", one remarkable fig tree: he must see a great many, as he went along; for a large tract of the Mount Of Olives was full of fig trees, and therefore called "Bethphage": and notice has been taken already of the figs of Bethany: but he saw none that had such large and spreading leaves as this; for it was the time when the fig tree was just budding, and putting forth its leaves: wherefore he took notice of it; and though it was "afar off", as Mark says, yet being hungry, he made up to it, expecting, from its promising appearance, to find fruit on it. This fig tree was "in the way"; by the road side, and probably had no owner;…

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John Calvin on Matthew 21:10-22

Matthew 21:10-22 Matthew 21:10-22 Mark 11:11-24 Luke 19:39-48 10. And when he entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11. And the multitudes said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth in Galilee. 12. And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all that sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of those who sold doves; 13. And said to them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers. 14. And the blind and lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. 15. When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful works which he did, and th…

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Tyndale Open Study Notes on Matthew 21:19

there were only leaves: Mark observes that “it was too early in the season for fruit” (see Mark 11:13). It was spring (just before Passover); figs form in the spring but ripen in the fall. • immediately the fig tree withered: Matthew has apparently compressed the story (cp. Matt 21:18-22; Mark 11:13-14, 20-23). The cursing of the fig tree is a symbolic gesture depicting God’s judgment on Israel for rejecting the Messiah (see Matt 3:9; 8:11-12). Like a fig tree that shows promise but no fruit, the Israelites (especially the hypocritical leaders) did not bear the fruit of receiving the Messiah (see 21:33-46).

The Church Fathers

Also the fig in respect of the multitude of seeds under one skin is as it were an assembly of the faithful. But He finds nothing on it but leaves only, that is, pharisaical traditions, an outward show of the Law without the fruits of truth.
— Pseudo-Chrysostom ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The Lord about to suffer among the nations, and to take upon Him the offence of the Cross, sought to strengthen the minds of His disciples by a previous miracle; whence it follows, And seeing a fig-tree by the wayside, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only. For ever, (in sempiternum,) or, To the end of the world, (in sæculum,) for the Greek word αἰῶγ signifies both. The tree which He saw by the wayside we understand as the synagogue, which was nigh to the way inasmuch as it had the Law, but yet believed not on the way, that is, on Christ.
— Jerome ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Herein also we find proof of the Lord's goodness; where He was minded to show forth an instance of the salvation procured by His means, He exerted the power of His might on the persons of men; by healing their present sicknesses, encouraging them to hope for the future, and to look for the healing of their soul. But now when He would exhibit a type of His judgments on the rebellious, He represents the future by the destruction of a tree; Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And that is compared to a fig tree, because the Apostles being the first believers out of Israel, like green figs shall in the glory, and the time, of their resurrection, be before the rest.
— Hilary of Poitiers ((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

Leaf — Of a tree. The olive-leaf mentioned Gen. 8:11. The barren fig-tree had nothing but leaves (Matt. 21:19; Mark 11:13). The oak-leaf is mentioned Isa. 1:30; 6:13. There are numerous allusions to leaves,…
Ecclesiasticism · Jewish, to be overthrown — Jewish, to be overthrown
Fig Tree, The · Fruit of: Eaten fresh from the tree — Fruit of: Eaten fresh from the tree
Miracles Of Christ, The · Fig tree blighted — Fig tree blighted
Trees · Parts of mentioned: The leaves — Parts of mentioned: The leaves
Unfaithfulness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Unfruitfulness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

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).