תאגה, Gen. iii, 7; Num. xiii, 23; συκῆ, Matthew vii, 16; xxi,
19; xxiv, 32; Mark xi, 13, 20, 21; xiii, 28; Luke vi, 44; xiii, 6, 7;
xxi, 29; John i, 48; James iii, 12; Rev. vi, 13. This tree was very
common in Palestine. It becomes large, dividing into many branches,
which are furnished with leaves shaped like those of the mulberry, and
affords a friendly shade. Accordingly, we read, in the Old Testament, of
Juda and Israel dwelling, or sitting securely, every man under his fig
tree, 1 Kings iv, 25; Micah iv, 4; Zech. iii, 10; 1 Mac. xiv, 12. And,
in the New Testament, we find Nathanael under a fig tree, probably for
the purposes of devotional retirement, John i, 49–51. Hasselquist, in
his journey from Nazareth to Tiberias, says, “We refreshed ourselves
under the shade of a fig tree, where a shepherd and his herd had their
rendezvous; but without either house or hut.” The fruit which it bears
is produced from the trunk and large branches, and not from the smaller
shoots, as in most other trees. It is soft, sweet, and very nourishing.
Milton is of opinion that the banian tree was that with the leaves of
which our first parents made themselves aprons. But his account, as to
the matter of fact, wants even probability to countenance it; for the
leaves of this are so far from being, as he has described them, of the
bigness of an Amazonian target, that they seldom or never exceed five
inches in length, and three in breadth. Therefore, we must look for
another of the fig kind, that better answers the purpose referred to by
Moses, Gen. iii, 7; and as the fruit of the banana tree, is often, by
the most ancient authors, called a fig, may we not suppose this to have
been the fig tree of paradise? Pliny, describing this tree, says that
its leaves were the greatest and most shady of all others; and as the
leaves of these are often six feet long, and about two broad, are thin,
smooth, and very flexible, they may be deemed more proper than any other
for the covering spoken of, especially since they may be easily joined
together with the numerous threadlike filaments, which may, without
labour, be peeled from the body of the tree. The first ripe fig is still
called _boccôre_ in the Levant, which is nearly its Hebrew name, בכורה,
Jer. xxiv, 2. Thus Dr. Shaw, in giving an account of the fruits in
Barbary, mentions “the black and white _boccôre_, or ‘early fig,’ which
is produced in June, though the _kermes_, or _kermouse_, the ‘fig,’
probably so called, which they preserve and make up into cakes, is
rarely ripe before August.” And on Nahum iii, 12, he observes, that “the
_boccôres_ drop as soon as they are ripe, and, according to the
beautiful allusion of the prophet, fall into the mouth of the eater upon
being shaken.” Farther, “It frequently falls out in Barbary,” says he;
“and we need not doubt of the like in this hotter climate of Judea,
that, according to the quality of the preceding season, some of the more
forward and vigorous trees will now and then yield a few ripe figs six
weeks or more before the full season. Something like this may be alluded
to by the Prophet Hosea, when he says, ‘I saw your fathers as בכורה,
_the first ripe_, in the fig tree, at her first time,’ Hosea ix, 10.
Such figs were reckoned a great dainty.” See Isaiah xxviii, 4. The
Prophet Isaiah gave orders to apply a lump of figs to Hezekiah’s boil;
and immediately after it was cured. God, in effecting this miraculous
cure, was pleased to order the use of means not improper for that end.
2. The account of our Saviour’s denunciation against the barren fig
tree, Matt. xxi, 19; Mark xi, 13, has occasioned some of the boldest
cavils of infidelity; and the vindication of it has exercised the
ingenuity of several of the most learned critics and commentators. The
whole difficulty arises from the circumstance of his disappointment in
not finding fruit on the tree, when it is expressly said, that “the time
of figs was not yet.” While it was supposed that this expression
signified, that the time for such trees to bring forth fruit was not yet
come, it looked very unaccountable that Christ should reckon a tree
barren, though it had leaves, and curse it as such, when he knew that
the time of bearing figs was not come; and that he should come to seek
figs on this tree, when he knew that figs were not used to be ripe so
soon in the year. But the expression does not signify the time of the
coming forth of figs, but the time of the gathering in of ripe figs, as
is plain from the parallel expressions. Thus, “the time of the fruit,”
Matt. xxi, 34, most plainly signifies the time of gathering in ripe
fruits, since the servants were sent to receive those fruits for their
master’s use. St. Mark and St. Luke express the same by the word _time_,
or _season_: “At the _season_ he sent a servant,” &c; that is, at the
season or time of gathering in ripe fruit, Mark xii, 2; Luke xx, 10. In
like manner, if any one should say in our language, the season of fruit,
the season of apples, the season of figs, every one would understand him
to speak of the season or time of gathering in these fruits. When,
therefore, St. Mark says, that “the time or season of figs was not yet,”
he evidently means that the time of gathering ripe figs was not yet
past; and, if so, it was natural to expect figs upon all those trees
that were not barren; whereas, after the time of gathering figs, no one
would expect to find them on a fig tree, and its having none then would
be no sign of barrenness. St. Mark, by saying, “For the time of figs was
not yet,” does not design to give a reason for “his finding nothing but
leaves;” but he gives a reason for what he said in the clause before:
“He came, if haply he might find any thereon;” and it was a good reason
for our Saviour’s coming and seeking figs on the tree, because the time
for their being gathered was not come. We have other like instances in
the Gospels, and, indeed, in the writings of all mankind, of another
clause coming in between the assertion and the proof. Thus, in this very
evangelist: “They said among themselves, Who shall roll away the stone
from the door of the sepulchre? and when they looked, they saw the stone
was rolled away; for it was very great,” Mark xvi, 3, 4; where its being
very great is not assigned as a reason of its being rolled away, but of
the women’s wishing for some one to roll it away for them. St. Matthew
informs us that the tree was “in the way,” that is, in the common road,
and therefore, probably, no particular person’s property; but if it was,
being barren, the timber might be as serviceable to the owner as before.
So that here was no real injury; but Jesus was pleased to make use of
this innocent miracle to prefigure the speedy ruin of the Jewish nation
on account of its unfruitfulness under greater advantages than any other
people enjoyed at that day; and, like all the rest of his miracles, it
was done with a gracious intention, namely, to alarm his countrymen, and
induce them to repent. In the blasting of this barren fig tree, the
distant appearance of which was so fair and promising, he delivered one
more awful lesson to a degenerate nation, of whose hypocritical exterior
and flattering but delusive pretensions it was a just and striking
emblem.
19; xxiv, 32; Mark xi, 13, 20, 21; xiii, 28; Luke vi, 44; xiii, 6, 7;
xxi, 29; John i, 48; James iii, 12; Rev. vi, 13. This tree was very
common in Palestine. It becomes large, dividing into many branches,
which are furnished with leaves shaped like those of the mulberry, and
affords a friendly shade. Accordingly, we read, in the Old Testament, of
Juda and Israel dwelling, or sitting securely, every man under his fig
tree, 1 Kings iv, 25; Micah iv, 4; Zech. iii, 10; 1 Mac. xiv, 12. And,
in the New Testament, we find Nathanael under a fig tree, probably for
the purposes of devotional retirement, John i, 49–51. Hasselquist, in
his journey from Nazareth to Tiberias, says, “We refreshed ourselves
under the shade of a fig tree, where a shepherd and his herd had their
rendezvous; but without either house or hut.” The fruit which it bears
is produced from the trunk and large branches, and not from the smaller
shoots, as in most other trees. It is soft, sweet, and very nourishing.
Milton is of opinion that the banian tree was that with the leaves of
which our first parents made themselves aprons. But his account, as to
the matter of fact, wants even probability to countenance it; for the
leaves of this are so far from being, as he has described them, of the
bigness of an Amazonian target, that they seldom or never exceed five
inches in length, and three in breadth. Therefore, we must look for
another of the fig kind, that better answers the purpose referred to by
Moses, Gen. iii, 7; and as the fruit of the banana tree, is often, by
the most ancient authors, called a fig, may we not suppose this to have
been the fig tree of paradise? Pliny, describing this tree, says that
its leaves were the greatest and most shady of all others; and as the
leaves of these are often six feet long, and about two broad, are thin,
smooth, and very flexible, they may be deemed more proper than any other
for the covering spoken of, especially since they may be easily joined
together with the numerous threadlike filaments, which may, without
labour, be peeled from the body of the tree. The first ripe fig is still
called _boccôre_ in the Levant, which is nearly its Hebrew name, בכורה,
Jer. xxiv, 2. Thus Dr. Shaw, in giving an account of the fruits in
Barbary, mentions “the black and white _boccôre_, or ‘early fig,’ which
is produced in June, though the _kermes_, or _kermouse_, the ‘fig,’
probably so called, which they preserve and make up into cakes, is
rarely ripe before August.” And on Nahum iii, 12, he observes, that “the
_boccôres_ drop as soon as they are ripe, and, according to the
beautiful allusion of the prophet, fall into the mouth of the eater upon
being shaken.” Farther, “It frequently falls out in Barbary,” says he;
“and we need not doubt of the like in this hotter climate of Judea,
that, according to the quality of the preceding season, some of the more
forward and vigorous trees will now and then yield a few ripe figs six
weeks or more before the full season. Something like this may be alluded
to by the Prophet Hosea, when he says, ‘I saw your fathers as בכורה,
_the first ripe_, in the fig tree, at her first time,’ Hosea ix, 10.
Such figs were reckoned a great dainty.” See Isaiah xxviii, 4. The
Prophet Isaiah gave orders to apply a lump of figs to Hezekiah’s boil;
and immediately after it was cured. God, in effecting this miraculous
cure, was pleased to order the use of means not improper for that end.
2. The account of our Saviour’s denunciation against the barren fig
tree, Matt. xxi, 19; Mark xi, 13, has occasioned some of the boldest
cavils of infidelity; and the vindication of it has exercised the
ingenuity of several of the most learned critics and commentators. The
whole difficulty arises from the circumstance of his disappointment in
not finding fruit on the tree, when it is expressly said, that “the time
of figs was not yet.” While it was supposed that this expression
signified, that the time for such trees to bring forth fruit was not yet
come, it looked very unaccountable that Christ should reckon a tree
barren, though it had leaves, and curse it as such, when he knew that
the time of bearing figs was not come; and that he should come to seek
figs on this tree, when he knew that figs were not used to be ripe so
soon in the year. But the expression does not signify the time of the
coming forth of figs, but the time of the gathering in of ripe figs, as
is plain from the parallel expressions. Thus, “the time of the fruit,”
Matt. xxi, 34, most plainly signifies the time of gathering in ripe
fruits, since the servants were sent to receive those fruits for their
master’s use. St. Mark and St. Luke express the same by the word _time_,
or _season_: “At the _season_ he sent a servant,” &c; that is, at the
season or time of gathering in ripe fruit, Mark xii, 2; Luke xx, 10. In
like manner, if any one should say in our language, the season of fruit,
the season of apples, the season of figs, every one would understand him
to speak of the season or time of gathering in these fruits. When,
therefore, St. Mark says, that “the time or season of figs was not yet,”
he evidently means that the time of gathering ripe figs was not yet
past; and, if so, it was natural to expect figs upon all those trees
that were not barren; whereas, after the time of gathering figs, no one
would expect to find them on a fig tree, and its having none then would
be no sign of barrenness. St. Mark, by saying, “For the time of figs was
not yet,” does not design to give a reason for “his finding nothing but
leaves;” but he gives a reason for what he said in the clause before:
“He came, if haply he might find any thereon;” and it was a good reason
for our Saviour’s coming and seeking figs on the tree, because the time
for their being gathered was not come. We have other like instances in
the Gospels, and, indeed, in the writings of all mankind, of another
clause coming in between the assertion and the proof. Thus, in this very
evangelist: “They said among themselves, Who shall roll away the stone
from the door of the sepulchre? and when they looked, they saw the stone
was rolled away; for it was very great,” Mark xvi, 3, 4; where its being
very great is not assigned as a reason of its being rolled away, but of
the women’s wishing for some one to roll it away for them. St. Matthew
informs us that the tree was “in the way,” that is, in the common road,
and therefore, probably, no particular person’s property; but if it was,
being barren, the timber might be as serviceable to the owner as before.
So that here was no real injury; but Jesus was pleased to make use of
this innocent miracle to prefigure the speedy ruin of the Jewish nation
on account of its unfruitfulness under greater advantages than any other
people enjoyed at that day; and, like all the rest of his miracles, it
was done with a gracious intention, namely, to alarm his countrymen, and
induce them to repent. In the blasting of this barren fig tree, the
distant appearance of which was so fair and promising, he delivered one
more awful lesson to a degenerate nation, of whose hypocritical exterior
and flattering but delusive pretensions it was a just and striking
emblem.