SEV Biblia, Chapter 13:7
Y dijo al viero: He aquí tres aos ha que vengo a buscar fruto en esta higuera, y no lo hallo; crtala, ¿por qu ocupar an la tierra?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 13:7
Verse 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 ver. 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 Preface to this Gospel. Why cumbereth it the ground?] Or, in other words, Why should the ground be also useless? The tree itself brings forth no fruit; let it be cut down that a more profitable one may be planted in its place. Cut it down.
The Codex Bezae has added here, fere thn axinhn, Bring the axe and cut it down. If this reading be genuine, it is doubtless an allusion to Matt. iii. 10: Now the axe lieth at the root of the trees. If the writer has added it on his own authority, he probably referred to the place above mentioned. See the note on the above text.
There is something very like this in the gewponika, or Deuteronomy Revelation Rustica of the ancient Greek writers on agriculture. I refer to cap. 83 of lib. x., p. 773; edit. Niclas, entitled, dendron akarpon karpoforein, How to make a barren tree fruitful. Having girded yourself, and tied up your garments, take a bipen or axe, and with an angry mind approach the tree as if about to cut it down. Then let some person come forward and deprecate the cutting down of the tree, making himself responsible for its future fertility. Then, seem to be appeased, and so spare the tree, and afterwards it will yield fruit in abundance. "Bean straw (manure of that material,) scattered about the roots of the tree, will make it fruitful." That a similar superstition prevailed among the Asiatics, Michaelis proves from the Cosmographer Ibn Alvardi, who prescribes the following as the mode to render a sterile palm tree fruitful: "The owner, armed with an axe, having an attendant with him, approaches the tree, and says, I must cut this tree down, because it is unfruitful. Let it alone, I beseech thee, says the other, and this year it will bring forth fruit. The owner immediately strikes it thrice with the back of his axe; but the other preventing him says, I beseech thee to spare it, and I will be answerable for its fertility. Then the tree becomes abundantly fruitful." Does not our Lord refer to such a custom?
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 7. Then said he unto the dresser of the vineyard , etc.] 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 Song of Solomon 8:11,12), 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 Christ here refers to the three years of his public ministry, which he had now gone through among the Jews with little success; but he seems rather to allude to the nature of fig trees, which, if fruitful, bear in three years time; for even jw twnb , a sort of white figs, which are the longest before they bring forth fruit to perfection, yet their fruit is ripe in three years time.
These trees bear fruit once in three years; they bear fruit indeed every year, but their fruit does not come to maturity till after three years f417 ; and this may be the reason why this number is fixed upon; for if such fig trees do not bring forth ripe fruit in three years time, there is little reason to expect any from them: and thus it was time after time with the Jewish nation; and so it is with carnal professors: hence it follows, cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground ? or that it may not cumber; or render the ground useless, as read the Arabic version, and one of Beza's copies; for unfruitful trees suck up the juices of the earth, and draw away nourishment from other trees that are near them, and so make the earth barren, and not only hurt other trees, but stand in the way and place of fruitful ones; and therefore it is best to cut them down. So barren professors, as were the Jews, are not only useless and unprofitable themselves, being fruitless, but make churches barren, and stand in the way of others, who are stumbled by them; they are grieving to God, to Christ, and to the blessed Spirit, and are troublesome and burdensome to churches, ministers, and true believers: and the cutting them down may regard the judgment of God upon the nation of the Jews, which Christ would not have his apostles and ministers interpose for the averting of; or the excommunication of such worthless and hurtful professors out of the churches by them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 6-9 - This parable of the barren fig-tree is intended to enforce the warnin given just before: the barren tree, except it brings forth fruit, wil be cut down. This parable in the first place refers to the nation an people of the Jews. Yet it is, without doubt, for awakening all tha enjoy the means of grace, and the privileges of the visible church When God has borne long, we may hope that he will bear with us yet little longer, but we cannot expect that he will bear always.
Greek Textus Receptus
ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S δε 1161 CONJ προς 4314 PREP τον 3588 T-ASM αμπελουργον 289 A-ASM ιδου 2400 5628 V-2AAM-2S τρια 5140 A-APN ετη 2094 N-APN ερχομαι 2064 5736 V-PNI-1S ζητων 2212 5723 V-PAP-NSM καρπον 2590 N-ASM εν 1722 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF συκη 4808 N-DSF ταυτη 3778 D-DSF και 2532 CONJ ουχ 3756 PRT-N ευρισκω 2147 5719 V-PAI-1S εκκοψον 1581 5657 V-AAM-2S αυτην 846 P-ASF ινα τι 2444 ADV-I και 2532 CONJ την 3588 T-ASF γην 1093 N-ASF καταργει 2673 5719 V-PAI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
7. These three years I come. The best texts insert ajf ou=, from which, or since. "It is three years from the time at which I came."Cut it down (ekkoyon). Rather, "cut it out" (ek) from among the other trees and the vines.
Why cumbereth it. The A.V. omits the very important kai, also (Rev.), which, as Trench observes, is the key-word of the sentence. Besides being barren in itself, it also injures the soil. "Not only is it unfruitful, but it draws away the juices which the vines would extract from the earth, intercepts the sun, and occupies room" (Bengel). The verb cumbereth (katargei) means to make of no effect. So Rom. iii. 3, 31; Galatians iii. 17. Cumbereth expresses the meaning in a very general and comprehensive way. The specific elements included in it are expressed by Bengel above. De Wette, makes the land unfruitful. See on barren and unfruitful, 2 Pet. i. 8.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
13:7 {The vinedresser} (ton ampelourgon). Old word, but here only in the N.T., from ampelos, vine, and ergon, work. {These three years I come} (tria ete af' hou ercomai). Literally, "three years since (from which time) I come." These three years, of course, have nothing to do with the three years of Christ's public ministry. The three years are counted from the time when the fig tree would normally be expected to bear, not from the time of planting. The Jewish nation is meant by this parable of the barren fig tree. In the withering of the barren fig tree later at Jerusalem we see parable changed to object lesson or fact (#Mr 11:12-14; Mt 21:18f.). {Cut it down} (ekkoyon). "Cut it out," the Greek has it, out of the vineyard, perfective use of ek with the effective aorist active imperative of koptw, where we prefer "down." {Why?} (hina ti). Ellipsis here of genetai of which ti is subject (Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 739,916). {Also} (kai). Besides bearing no fruit. {Doth cumber the ground} (ten gen katargei). Makes the ground completely idle, of no use (kata, argew, from argos, a privative and ergon, work). Late verb, here only in the N.T. except in Paul's Epistles.
