SEV Biblia, Chapter 21:19
Y viendo una higuera sobre el camino, vino a ella, y no hall nada en ella, sino hojas solamente, y le dijo: Nunca ms para siempre nazca de ti fruto. Y luego se sec la higuera.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 21:19
Verse 19. He saw a fig tree in the way] epi thv odou, By the road side. As this fig tree was by the way side, it was no private property; and on this account our Lord, or any other traveler, had a right to take of its fruit.
For a full explanation of this difficult passage, relative to this emblematic fig tree, see on Mark xi. 13, &c.
Let no fruit grow on thee] Can a professor, who affords Christ nothing but barren words and wishes, expect any thing but his malediction? When the soul continues in unfruitfulness, the influences of grace are removed, and then the tree speedily withers from the very root.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 19. And when he saw a fig tree , etc.] 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; was common to anybody, and so no injury was done to any person by losing it: he came to it, and found nothing thereon but leaves only : Mark says, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon; which must be understood of him as man; for as he hungered as man, so he judged and expected as man, from the appearance of this fig tree, that he might find fruit upon it; and which is no contradiction to his deity, and his having the Spirit of God, as the Jew f1132 objects; and especially since, as Bishop Kidder observes, such an expectation is attributed to God himself, in ( Isaiah 5:2,4) and it may be added, and with regard to that people, of which this fig tree was an emblem, and designed by Christ to be considered as such in what he did to it. The same evangelist further observes, and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for the time of figs was not yet. The word yet is not in the original text; which last clause is a reason, either why he found no fruit, or nothing but leaves upon it, because it was not a time, or season of figs: it was not a good fig year, so Dr. Hammond interprets it; and yet though it was not, since this tree was so very flourishing, fruit might have been expected on it: and also, it furnishes out a reason why Christ took so much pains to go to it, seeing there were very few figs to be had elsewhere, and this bid very fair to supply him with some in this time of scarcity: or else, as a reason why, besides its promising appearance, he expected fruit upon it, because the time of figs, that is, of the gathering of the figs, was not come: in which sense the phrase is used in ( Matthew 21:34); and is Bishop Kidders interpretation of the passage: and since therefore the time was not come for the ingathering of the figs, none had been taken off of it, the more might be expected on it. This sense would be very probable, did it appear that figs were usually ripe about this time; but the contrary seems manifest, both from Scripture, which represents the fig tree putting forth its leaves, as a sign the summer is nigh, ( Matthew 24:32) and from the Talmudists, who say f1134 , that the beginning of leaves, or putting forth of the leaves of trees, is in the month Nisan, the month in which the passover was kept, and so the then present time of the year; and who, from this time, reckon three times fifty days, or five full months before the figs are ripe f1135 : so that these words are rather a reason why Christ did not expect to find figs on other trees, which he saw in great abundance as he passed along, because the time of common, ordinary figs being ripe, was not come; and why he particularly expected to find some on this tree, because it being full of leaves, appeared to be of a different kind from other fig trees: and was either of that sort which they call jw twnb , Benoth Shuach, as Dr. Lightfoot conjectures which were a kind of white figs that were not ripe till the third year f1136 . This tree put forth its fruit the first year, which hung on it the second, and were brought to perfection on the third: so that when it was three years old, it had fruit of the first, second, and third year on it: this being such a tree, by its being full of leaves, when others had none, or were just putting out, fruit, of one year, or more might have been expected on it, when it had none at all, and therefore was cursed: or it might be one of that sort which brought forth fruit twice a year; for of such sort of fig trees we read in the Jewish writings f1137 : and therefore though it was not the time of the common figs being ripe, yet this being one of the seasons, in which this tree bore ripe fruit, and being so very flourishing, might reasonably be expected from it: but there being none, he said unto it, let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever ; or, as it is expressed in Mark, no man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever: for if none grew on it henceforward, no man could hereafter eat of it. Both expressions design the same thing, the perpetual barrenness of the fig tree: and presently the fig tree withered away : immediately, upon Christs saying these words, its sap was dried up, it lost its verdure; its leaves were shrivelled and shrunk up, and dropped off, and the whole was blasted. This tree was an emblem of the Jews: Christ being hungry, and very desirous of the salvation of men, came first to them, from whom, on account of their large profession of religion, and great pretensions to holiness, and the many advantages they enjoyed, humanly speaking, much fruit of righteousness might have been expected; but, alas! he found nothing but mere words, empty boasts, an outward show of religion, an external profession, and a bare performance of trifling ceremonies, and oral traditions; wherefore Christ rejected them, and in a little time after, the kingdom of God, the Gospel, was taken away from them, and their temple, city, and nation, entirely destroyed.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 18-22 - This cursing of the barren fig-tree represents the state of hypocrite in general, and so teaches us that Christ looks for the power of religion in those who profess it, and the savour of it from those tha have the show of it. His just expectations from flourishing professor are often disappointed; he comes to many, seeking fruit, and find leaves only. A false profession commonly withers in this world, and it is the effect of Christ's curse. The fig-tree that had no fruit, soo lost its leaves. This represents the state of the nation and people of the Jews in particular. Our Lord Jesus found among them nothing but leaves. And after they rejected Christ, blindness and hardness gre upon them, till they were undone, and their place and nation rooted up The Lord was righteous in it. Let us greatly fear the doom denounced of the barren fig-tree.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ιδων 1492 5631 V-2AAP-NSM συκην 4808 N-ASF μιαν 1520 A-ASF επι 1909 PREP της 3588 T-GSF οδου 3598 N-GSF ηλθεν 2064 5627 V-2AAI-3S επ 1909 PREP αυτην 846 P-ASF και 2532 CONJ ουδεν 3762 A-ASN ευρεν 2147 5627 V-2AAI-3S εν 1722 PREP αυτη 846 P-DSF ει 1487 COND μη 3361 PRT-N φυλλα 5444 N-APN μονον 3440 ADV και 2532 CONJ λεγει 3004 5719 V-PAI-3S αυτη 846 P-DSF μηκετι 3371 ADV εκ 1537 PREP σου 4675 P-2GS καρπος 2590 N-NSM γενηται 1096 5638 V-2ADS-3S εις 1519 PREP τον 3588 T-ASM αιωνα 165 N-ASM και 2532 CONJ εξηρανθη 3583 5681 V-API-3S παραχρημα 3916 ADV η 3588 T-NSF συκη 4808 N-NSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
19. A fig-tree (sukhn mian). Lit., one single fig-tree. Rev., in margin.Presently (paracrhma). Presently, in popular speech, has acquired something of a future force. I will do such a thing presently means, I will do it, not immediately, but soon. The rendering here was correct in the older English sense of instantly. So constantly in Shakspeare:
"PROSPERO. Go, bring the rabble,
O'er whom I gave thee pow'r, here, to this place.
ARIEL. Presently?
PROS. Ay, with a twink.
AR. Before you can say 'come,' and 'go,' And breathe twice; and cry 'so so;' Each one tripping on his toe Will be here."
Tempest, iv. 1.
Compare ver. 20. "How did the fig-tree immediately wither away?" Rev.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
21:19 {A fig tree} (suken mian). "A single fig tree" (Margin of Rev. Version). But heis was often used = tis or like our indefinite article. See #Mt 8:10; 26:69. The Greek has strictly no indefinite article as the Latin has no definite article. {Let there be no fruit from thee henceforward for ever} (ou meketi sou karpos genetai eis ton aiwna). Strictly speaking this is a prediction, not a prohibition or wish as in #Mr 11:14 (optative fagoi). "On you no fruit shall ever grow again" (Weymouth). The double negative ou me with the aorist subjunctive (or future indicative) is the strongest kind of negative prediction. It sometimes amounts to a prohibition like ou and the future indicative (Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 926f.). The early figs start in spring before the leaves and develop after the leaves. The main fig crop was early autumn (#Mr 11:14). There should have been figs on the tree with the crop of leaves. It was a vivid object lesson. Matthew does not distinguish between the two mornings as Mark does (#Mr 11:13,20), but says "immediately" (paracrema) twice (#21:19,20). this word is really para to crema like our "on the spot" (Thayer). It occurs in the papyri in monetary transactions for immediate cash payment.
