SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:13
Y viendo de lejos una higuera que tenía hojas, vino a ver si quiz hallaría en ella algo; pero cuando lleg a ella, nada hall sino hojas; porque no era tiempo de higos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Mark 11:13
Verse 13. For the time of figs was not yet.] Rather, For it was not the season of gathering figs yet. This I am fully persuaded is the true sense of this passage, ou gar hn kairov sukwn. For a proof that kairov here signifies the time of gathering the figs, see the LXX. in Psa. i. 3. He bringeth forth his fruit, en kairw autou, in his season; i.e. in the time in which fruit should be ripe, and fit for gathering. See also chap. xii. 2: -And at the season, tw kairw, the time of gathering the fruits of the vineyard. Matt. xxi. xxxiv. - When the time of the fruit drew near; o kairov twn karpwn, the time in which the fruits were to be gathered, for it was then that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servants to receive the fruits; i.e. so much of them as the holder of the vineyard was to pay to the owner by way of rent; for in those times rent was paid in kind.
To the above may be added, Job v. xxvi. - Thou shalt come to thy grave in FULL AGE, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season; kata kairon, in the time in which it should be reaped.
When our Lord saw this fig tree by the way-side, apparently flourishing, he went to it to gather some of the figs: being on the way-side, it was not private, but public property; and any traveler had an equal right to its fruit. As it was not as yet the time for gathering in the fruits, and yet about the time when they were ready to be gathered, our Lord with propriety expected to find some. But as this happened about five days before that passover on which Christ suffered, and the passover that year fell on the beginning of April, it has been asked, "How could our Lord expect to find ripe figs in the end of March?" Answer, Because figs were ripe in Judea as early as the passover. Besides, the fig tree puts forth its fruit first, and afterwards its leaves. Indeed, this tree, in the climate which is proper for it, has fruit on it all the year round, as I have often seen. All the difficulty in the text may be easily removed by considering that the climate of Judea is widely different from that of Great Britain. The summer begins there in March, and the harvest at the passover, as all travelers into those countries testify; therefore, as our Lord met with this tree five days before the passover, it is evident,-1st. That it was the time of ripe figs: and, 2ndly.
That it was not the time of gathering them, because this did not begin till the passover, and the transaction here mentioned took place five days before.
For farther satisfaction on this point, let us suppose:-I. That this tree was intended to point out the state of the Jewish people. 1. They made a profession of the true religion. 2. They considered themselves the peculiar people of God, and despised and reprobated all others. 3. They were only hypocrites, having nothing of religion but the profession-leaves, and no fruit.
II. That our Lord's conduct towards this tree is to be considered as emblematical of the treatment and final perdition which was to come upon this hypocritical and ungodly nation. 1. It was a proper time for them to have borne fruit: Jesus had been preaching the doctrine of repentance and salvation among them for more than three years; the choicest influences of Heaven had descended upon them; and every thing was done in this vineyard that ought to be done, in order to make it fruitful. 2. The time was now at hand in which God would require fruit, good fruit; and, if it did not produce such, the tree should be hewn down by the Roman axe.
Therefore, 1. The tree is properly the Jewish nation. 2. Christ's curse the sentence of destruction which had now gone out against it; and, 3. Its withering away, the final and total ruin of the Jewish state by the Romans.
His cursing the fig tree was not occasioned by any resentment at being disappointed at not finding fruit on it, but to point out unto his disciples the wrath which was coming upon a people who had now nearly filled up the measure of their iniquity.
A fruitless soul, that has had much cultivation bestowed on it, may expect to be dealt with as God did with this unrighteous nation. See on Matt. xxi. 19, &c.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 13. And seeing a fig tree afar off , etc..] By the wayside, at some distance from him: having leaves ; very large and spreading, which made a great show, as if there might be fruit on it: he came ; unto it; either he went out of his way to it, or having seen it before him a good way off, at length came up to it if haply he might find any thing thereon ; that is, any fruit; for he saw at a distance, there were leaves upon it; and which was the more remarkable, since it was the time of the fig tree just putting forth its tender branches, leaves, and fruit: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves ; no fruit at all upon it, contrary to his expectation as man, and the promising appearance the tree made: for the time of figs was not [yet] ; or, for it was not the time of figs; for the word yet, is not in the text: and the words seem rather to be a reason, why Christ should not have expected fruit on it, than that he should: but the sense is, either because the time of gathering figs was not come; and since therefore they were not gathered, he might the rather hope to find some on it; or because it was not a kind season for figs, a good fig year; and this tree appearing in such a flourishing condition, might raise his expectation of finding fruit, yet he found none but leaves only; because it was so bad a season for figs, that even the most promising trees had none upon them: or this, tree being of an uncommon sort, though Christ expected to find no fruit on other trees, because the time of common: figs was not come, yet he might hope to, find some on this. Some critics neglecting the accents, render the words, where he was, it was the season of figs; (see Gill on Matthew 21:19).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-18 - Christ looked to find some fruit, for the time of gathering figs though it was near, was not yet come; but he found none. He made thi fig-tree an example, not to the trees, but to the men of tha generation. It was a figure of the doom upon the Jewish church, to which he came seeking fruit, but found none. Christ went to the temple and began to reform the abuses in its courts, to show that when the Redeemer came to Zion, it was to turn away ungodliness from Jacob. The scribes and the chief priests sought, not how they might make their peace with him, but how they might destroy him. A desperate attempt which they could not but fear was fighting against God.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ιδων 1492 5631 V-2AAP-NSM συκην 4808 N-ASF μακροθεν 3113 ADV εχουσαν 2192 5723 V-PAP-ASF φυλλα 5444 N-APN ηλθεν 2064 5627 V-2AAI-3S ει 1487 COND αρα 686 PRT ευρησει 2147 5692 V-FAI-3S τι 5100 X-ASN εν 1722 PREP αυτη 846 P-DSF και 2532 CONJ ελθων 2064 5631 V-2AAP-NSM επ 1909 PREP αυτην 846 P-ASF ουδεν 3762 A-ASN ευρεν 2147 5627 V-2AAI-3S ει 1487 COND μη 3361 PRT-N φυλλα 5444 N-APN ου 3756 PRT-N γαρ 1063 CONJ ην 2258 5713 V-IXI-3S καιρος 2540 N-NSM συκων 4810 N-GPN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
13. Afar off. Peculiar to Mark.Having leaves. An unusual thing at that early season. If haply (ei ara). If, such being the case, i.e., the tree having leaves - he might find fruit, which, in the fig, precedes the leaf. Mark alone adds, "for the time of figs was not yet."
Robertson's NT Word Studies
11:13 {If haply he might find anything thereon} (ei ara ti heuresei en autei). this use of ei and the future indicative for purpose (to see if, a sort of indirect question) as in #Ac 8:22; 17:27. Jesus was hungry as if he had had no food on the night before after the excitement and strain of the Triumphal Entry. The early figs in Palestine do not get ripe before May or June, the later crop in August. It was not the season of figs, Mark notes. But this precocious tree in a sheltered spot had put out leaves as a sign of fruit. It had promise without performance.
