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New Century Version

Luke 13:6

Jesus told this story: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for some fruit on the tree, but he found none.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Fig Tree;   God Continued...;   Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Judgment;   Probation;   Reproof;   Responsibility;   Unfaithfulness;   Unfruitfulness;   Vineyard;   Wicked (People);   Works;   Scofield Reference Index - Parables;   Thompson Chain Reference - Fig-Trees;   Fruitfulness-Unfruitfulness;   Parables;   Trees;   Truth;   Unfruitfulness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fig-Tree, the;   Long-Suffering of God, the;   Parables;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Barrenness;   Parable;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Fig;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Ethics;   Suffering;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Patience of God;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Parables;   Vine;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Anger (Wrath) of God;   Matthew, Gospel According to;   Parable;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Condemnation (2);   Discourse;   Fig-Tree ;   Husbandman ;   Indolence;   Mustard;   Poet;   Quotations (2);   Retribution (2);   Saying and Doing;   Science (2);   Self-Control;   Vine, Vineyard ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Fig, Fig-Tree;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Certain;   Fig tree;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Fig;   Fig tree;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fig (tree);   Fruit;   Vineyard;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Fig Tree;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fig;   Jesus Christ (Part 2 of 2);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none.
King James Version (1611)
Hee spake also this parable, A certaine man had a figtree planted in his Uineyard, and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.
New American Standard Bible
And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.
Amplified Bible
Then He began telling them this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree that had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, but did not find any;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.
Legacy Standard Bible
And He was telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and did not find any.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Jesus told this parable: "A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any.
Contemporary English Version
Jesus then told them this story: A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. One day he went out to pick some figs, but he didn't find any.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then Yeshua gave this illustration: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit but didn't find any.
Darby Translation
And he spoke this parable: A certain [man] had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit upon it and did not find [any].
Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus told this story: "A man had a fig tree. He planted it in his garden. He came looking for some fruit on it, but he found none.
Geneva Bible (1587)
He spake also this parable, A certaine man had a figge tree planted in his vineyard: and he came & sought fruite thereon, & found none.
George Lamsa Translation
And he spoke this parable; A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit on it, and he did not find any.
Good News Translation
Then Jesus told them this parable: "There was once a man who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went looking for figs on it but found none.
Lexham English Bible
And he told this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.
Literal Translation
And He spoke this parable: A certain one had planted a fig tree in his vineyard. And he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any .
American Standard Version
And he spake this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none.
Bible in Basic English
And he made up this story for them: A certain man had a fig-tree in his garden, and he came to get fruit from it, and there was no fruit.
Hebrew Names Version
He spoke this parable. "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none.
International Standard Version
Then Jesushe
">[fn] told them this parable: "A man had a fig tree that had been planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but didn't find any.Isaiah 5:2; Matthew 21:19;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And he spake this parable: A man had a fig-tree which was planted in his vinery: and he came and sought fruits on it, but did not find.
Murdock Translation
And he spoke this similitude: A man had a fig-tree that was planted in his vineyard: and he came, seeking fruits upon it, and found none.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He tolde also this similitude. A certaine man had a figge tree planted in his vineyarde, and he came, and sought fruite theron, and founde none.
English Revised Version
And he spake this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none.
World English Bible
He spoke this parable. "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
He spake also this parable.
Weymouth's New Testament
And He gave them the following parable. "A man," He said, "who had a fig-tree growing in his garden came to look for fruit on it and could find none.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide this liknesse, A man hadde a fige tre plauntid in his vynyerd, and he cam sekynge fruyt in it, and foond noon.
Update Bible Version
And he spoke this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none.
Webster's Bible Translation
He spoke also this parable: A certain [man] had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit on it, and found none.
New English Translation
Then Jesus told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.
New King James Version
He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.
New Living Translation
Then Jesus told this story: "A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed.
New Life Bible
Then He told them this picture-story: "A man had a fig tree in his grape-field. He looked for fruit on it but found none.
New Revised Standard
Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he went on to speak this parable: - A certain man had, a fig-tree, planted in his vineyard, and he canto seeking fruit therein, and found none.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He spoke also this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard: and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.
Revised Standard Version
And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
He put forthe this similiiude A certayne man had a fygge tree planted in his veneyarde and he came and sought frute theron and founde none.
Young's Literal Translation
And he spake this simile: `A certain one had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit in it, and he did not find;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he tolde them this symilitude: A certayne ma had a fygge tre, which was planted in his vynyarde, & he came and sought frute theron, and founde none.
Mace New Testament (1729)
He proposed likewise this parable: a certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came expecting it should have had fruit, but he found none.
THE MESSAGE
Then he told them a story: "A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. He came to it expecting to find apples, but there weren't any. He said to his gardener, ‘What's going on here? For three years now I've come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple have I found. Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?'
Simplified Cowboy Version
Then Jesus told 'em this tale, "A rancher had a cow in his herd that hadn't calved in three years.

Contextual Overview

6 Jesus told this story: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for some fruit on the tree, but he found none. 7 So the man said to his gardener, ‘I have been looking for fruit on this tree for three years, but I never find any. Cut it down. Why should it waste the ground?' 8 But the servant answered, ‘Master, let the tree have one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and put on some fertilizer. 9 If the tree produces fruit next year, good. But if not, you can cut it down.'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

fig tree: Psalms 80:8-13, Isaiah 5:1-4, Jeremiah 2:21, Matthew 21:19, Matthew 21:20, Mark 11:12-14

and he came: Luke 20:10-14, Matthew 21:34-40, John 15:16, Galatians 5:22, Philippians 4:17

Reciprocal: Judges 9:11 - General Song of Solomon 2:13 - fig tree Jeremiah 8:13 - there Matthew 3:10 - is hewn Matthew 7:17 - every Matthew 7:19 - bringeth Mark 11:13 - seeing Mark 12:1 - planted Luke 8:14 - and bring John 15:5 - same Philippians 1:11 - filled Titus 3:14 - that

Cross-References

Genesis 13:6
Abram and Lot had so many animals that the land could not support both of them together,
Genesis 13:7
so Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen began to argue. The Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at this time.
Genesis 13:10
Lot looked all around and saw the whole Jordan Valley and that there was much water there. It was like the Lord 's garden, like the land of Egypt in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
Genesis 13:11
So Lot chose to move east and live in the Jordan Valley. In this way Abram and Lot separated.
Genesis 13:17
Get up! Walk through all this land because I am now giving it to you."
Genesis 13:18
So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at the city of Hebron. There he built an altar to the Lord .
1 Timothy 6:9
Those who want to become rich bring temptation to themselves and are caught in a trap. They want many foolish and harmful things that ruin and destroy people.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He spoke also this parable,.... That is, Jesus spake, as the Persic version expresses it, that which follows; and at the same time, and upon the above occasion; setting forth the patience of God towards the Jewish nation, their unfruitfulness, and the danger of their being destroyed, in case of non-amendment:

a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. This was not at all contrary to the law in Deuteronomy 22:9 "thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds": for according to the Jewish canons e,

"the prohibition on account of divers seeds in a vineyard, concerned divers sorts of corn, (as wheat, barley, c.) and divers sorts of herbs only: but it was lawful to sow other sorts of seeds in a vineyard, and there is no need to say other trees.''

And there are cases put, and instances given, which express, or suppose fig trees, particularly, to have been planted in vineyards for it is said f,

"if a man carries a vine over part of a tree for meat, he may sow seed under the other part of it--it happened that R. Joshua went to R. Ishmael to Cephar Aziz, and he showed him a "vine", carried over, מקצה תאנה, "part of a fig tree".''

Again, more than once it is said in a parabolical way g,

"this is like unto a king that has a paradise, or orchard planted, שורה של תאנים ושל גפנים, "a row of fig trees, and of vines", and of pomegranates, and of apples, c.''

By the "certain man" may be meant, either God the Father, who is sometimes called an husbandman or rather the Lord Jesus Christ, who is truly man, as well as properly God; and "by his vineyard" may be meant, the Jewish nation; see Isaiah 5:1 which were his own nation and people, from whence he sprung, and to whom he was particularly sent, and among whom he had a special property; and may also be applied to the church of God in any age or nation, which is often compared to a vineyard, consisting of persons separated from the world, and planted with various plants, some fruitful, pleasant, profitable, and valuable, and are Christ's by his Father's gift, and his own purchase. And by "the fig tree planted" in it, may be principally meant the Scribes and Pharisees, and the generality of the Jewish people; who were plants, but not of Christ's Father's planting, and therefore to be cut down, or rooted up: and may be accommodated to professors of religion; some of which are true and real, and may be compared to the fig tree, because of its large and green leaves, expressive of their profession; and become fruitful, as they are, being filled with the fruits of the Spirit, of righteousness, and of grace; and because it puts forth its fruit before its leaves, as there should be the fruit of grace before a profession of faith is made. Others are only nominal professors; and are like a fig tree, of which sort was this in the parable, that has large leaves, but no fruit; make a large profession, but bring forth no fruit to the glory of God; and though they are planted in the house of God, yet not by God the Father, nor by Christ, only at best by ministers and churches hoping well of them, but mistaken in them:

and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. This, if understood of God the Father, designs his coming to the Jewish people by his servants and prophets, time after time, and at last by John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ, and his apostles, seeking and requiring fruits of holiness, righteousness, and judgment, but found instead thereof the wild grapes of wickedness, oppression, and violence: but if of Christ, which sense is rather to be chosen, it denotes his incarnation, or his coming into the world in human nature, and seeking by his ministry, the fruits of faith in himself, and repentance towards God among the people of the Jews, but found none; at least instances of faith in Israel were very rare, and few repented of their evil works; and hence he upbraided many with their impenitence and unbelief; see Matthew 11:20.

e Maimon. Hilchot Celaim, c. 5. sect. 6. f Misn. Celaim, c. 6. sect. 4. g Vajikra Rabba, sect. 23. fol. 164. 3. Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 9. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This parable - See the notes at Matthew 13:3.

Vineyard - A place where vines were planted. It was not common to plant fig-trees in them, but our Lord represents it as having been sometimes done.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 13:6. A certain man] Many meanings are given to this parable, and divines may abound in them; the sense which our Lord designed to convey by it appears to be the following: -

1. A person, τις, God Almighty.

2. Had a fig tree, the Jewish Church.

3. Planted in his vineyard - established in the land of Judea.

4. He came seeking fruit - he required that the Jewish people should walk in righteousness, in proportion to the spiritual culture he bestowed on them.

5. The vine-dresser - the Lord Jesus, for God hath committed all judgment to the Son, John 5:22.

John 5:6. Cut it down - let the Roman sword be unsheathed against it.

7. Let it alone - Christ is represented as intercessor for sinners, for whose sake the day of their probation is often lengthened; during which time he is constantly employed in doing every thing that has a tendency to promote their salvation.

8. Thou shalt cut it down - a time will come, that those who have not turned at God's invitations and reproofs shall be cut off, and numbered with the transgressors.


 
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