Ripe figs at a market in Jericho.
The fig was the first fruit-tree to be specified by name in the OT, having its leaves sewn together as coverings for the guilty pair immediately after their fall (Gen3:7). It was also listed as one of the seven great gifts of the Promised Land, the "good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey" into which Yahweh was bringing Israel (Deut 8:8).
The sweetness of the fig is almost proverbial:
Next, the trees said to the fig tree, "Come and be our king." But the fig tree replied, 'Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?' (Judg 9:10-11)
It also contains a natural ## that lends it well to preservation; when dried it serves as a precious source of food for travellers on the go, a commodity that Abigail was quick to supply David:
She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys.
The fig is also reputed for its healing power: when Hezekiah was ill and at the point of death, Isaiah had sent instructions for the king to "prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover" (Isa 38:21).
A fig tree in Samaria.
For all Israelites, however, the fig-tree was a symbol of contentment as is evident in the common expression "every man under his own vine and fig tree" (1 Ki 4:25; Mic 4:4). As part of his propaganda to entice the Judeans to desert their king, the Assyrian commander called out to them, "Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern . . ." (2 Ki 18:31; Isa 36:16). Zechariah prophesied a coming day of Yahweh's restoration when, "'In that day each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree,' declares the Lord Almighty" (Zec 3:10). Anyone who has ever spent a summer in Israel surrounded by fig trees very quickly understands why sitting under a fig tree was such a delight. The shade of the leaves provides welcomed refuge from the sapping heat, while the tree gives off a gentle caressing aroma that quickly lulls a person into restful calm. Nathanael, whom Jesus saw sitting under the fig tree, knew a good thing doing what he did (Jn 1:48).
So important and delightful was the fig to the ancient Israelite, it naturally found its way their religious life. Just as it was a symbol of joy and delight, it became also the perfect vehicle of depicting divine judgment and displeasure:
He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land; he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country. He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil." (Psm 105:32-35)
O house of Israel," declares the Lord, "I am bringing a distant nation against you—an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand. Their quivers are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors. They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust. (Jer 5:15-17)
"I will ruin her vines and her fig trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers; I will make them a thicket, and wild animals will devour them. I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot," declares the Lord. (Hos 2:12-13)
A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white. Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving for the husband of her youth. Grain offerings and drink offerings are cut off from the house of the Lord. The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the Lord. (Joel 1:6-9)
Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, I struck them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me," declares the Lord (Amos 4:9)
The figurative use of the fig was also common in Jesus's teachings. Warning his audience to repent and live right by God, he told this parable (Lk 13:7-9):
A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, "For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?"
"Sir," the man replied, "leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down."
Of all the occurrences of the fig in the Bible, probably the most puzzling must be Jesus' cursing of the fig tree when "it was not the season for figs" (Matt 21:18-22; Mk 11:12-14). Click on the link on the left for a discussion of this incident.
Words for Fig
The fig tree sheds its leaves in autumn and blooms in the spring (late March), during which time the early figs begin to form. These figs ripen in May. Another crop of fruits, the late fig, soon develops and ripens in late summer (late August-October).
Reflecting both its biology and its importance in ancient Israelite life, there are more words for figs than is often found for other fruits. The most common Hebrew word for fig is te'ena, which is usually translated 'fig' or 'fig tree' depending on the context. Another word is pag, which occurs only in Song 2:13; it is translated variously as "early fruit" (NIV), "green figs" (KJV, NKJ), but also not distinguished from "fig" (RSV, NRS, NASB). Both Hebrew words are preserved in the names of the two villages associated with Jesus whenever he visited Jerusalem: Bethany, "house of fig (beth-te'ena)" and Bethphage, "house of green-fig (beth-pagga)." Both villages were located on the eastern side of Mount Olive.
Two other Hebrew words are also thought to refer to the fig. The word bikkura ordinarily means "firstfruit," but is thought to refer to the "early fig" in Isa 28:4 (thus NIV, NASB, RSV & NRS) and Nah 3:12. The word debela refers to figs that have been pressed flat and dried (1 Sam 25:18; 1 Sam 30:12; 1 Chron 12:40) and was the ingredient used for the preparation of poultrice for wounds and boils (2 Ki 20:7; Isa 38:21).
The Greek word used in the NT and translated 'fig' is suke. In Rev 6:13 we also find the word—the sole occurrence in the NT—olunthous, traslated variously as 'late fig' (NIV, NKJ), 'winter fig' (RSV, NRSV, ESV), 'unripe fig' (NASB), and 'untimely fig' (KJV); perhaps it should be identified with the Hebrew pag.
The fig tree mentioned in the Bible—Ficus carica—is, in fact, only one of about 1800 species found all over the world, all of them of commercial or ecological importance. They also differ greatly in form; there are species that at creepers, shrubs, as well as huge trees. In the tropical forests their fruits provide a major source of food for the countless birds and herbivorous mammals. Many of them are also of important medicinal significance. Figs used in as ornamental houseplants and bonsai include Ficus benjamina, F. microcarpa, and the Indian Rubber tree (Ficus elastica). The huge Banyan trees strangling ancient ruins in places like India, Bali and Angkor Wat include F. benghalensis and F. microcarpa. In some parts of the world their prop roots are trained to form bridges and walls. One of the most amazing trees to behold is the specimen of F. benghalensis in the Calcutta Botanical Gardens, a single tree whose thousands of prop roots have become tree-trunks in their own right, with its canopy covering an area equivalent to three football fields! The Bodhi tree under which Buddha was believed to have gained his enlightenment is F. religiosa. In S E Asian countries, many retaining walls and piers of overhead-bridges and flyovers are covered with the wall-hugging Ficus pimula. It remain fruitless and its leaves small until it has no more wall to climb. Then its stem thickens, the leaves grow large and fruits develop.
The Fruit
Whatever else may make the different species spectacular, one characteristic that distinguishes all figs is that one never sees any flowers on the tree. In fact, the Chinese word for the fig is mu fah guo', literally, "no flower fruit." So how does the fig tree produce fruits without flowers?
Biologically speaking, what we call the fig is not a fruit, but a syconium, a hollow fleshy housing. The flowers are found inside this syconium. At the bottom of the fruit is a small opening, called the ostiole. Every species of fig has at least one species of wasp dedicated to its pollination, and their life-cycles are timed to synchronize with the development of the fruit in manners that can only be described as amazing. Since different species of figs have different reproductive structures—some have only flowers of one sex while others have flowers of both sexes—the process of pollination and of the wasp's reproduction will be different. The discussion here will consider what happens in the Ficus carica, the species referred to in the Bible.
The story of Jesus cursing the fig tree that bore no fruits is puzzling to most people. Most people think it unreasonable that Jesus should expect to find fruit on the tree when, as Mark put it, "it was not the season for figs." The incident is recorded, with slight variation, by Matthew (21:17-20) and Mark (11:11-24). The texts of both records are reproduced below, but since it is Mark's remark about it not being the season for figs that creates our bewilderment, we shall focus on it in the explanation.
The Text of the Story
Matt 21:17-20:
17And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
18Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.
20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.
21Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
23Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"
24Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25John's baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?"
They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 26But if we say, 'From men'—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." 27So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."
Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
Mk 11:11-24:
11Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. 12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"
18The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. 19When evening came, they went out of the city.
20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"
22"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. 26But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.
Was it Reasonable to Look for the Fruit
when It was Not the Season?
(Note: Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptural references refer to the Mark passage.)
It might seem to some people that Jesus was being plain unreasonable to go up to a fig tree expecting to find fruits on it when it was not the season for figs (v13b). The answer may, in fact, be simpler. Two possible explanations may be given.
The young fruits of a mature tree appear on the tree fairly early in season, though they ripen and are best harvested during "the season for figs." A mature tree "in leaf" (v13a) should be expected to show a crop of young fruits. These immature figs are readily edible if not quite so good. But Jesus found none. With all its leaves the tree gave the impression of being fruitful when, in reality, it was not. In a very real sense, then, it was not Jesus who was un-reasonable in expecting it to be bearing fruits; the fig tree was!
The second explanation is slightly more involved. As explained in our study of its biology, the fig requires a specific species of wasp to pollinate it, and the two have developed a biological time-table that is synchronized to one another. The fruiting process occurs, of course, over the summer, but the wasps need to winter over somewhere. It has been suggested that the special kind of figs, called caprifigs, borne by the fig-tree serves as "winter quarters" for the wasps. If that is the case, even though it was not "the season" for fig, a normal fig tree should be expected to bear caprifigs, which though not a choice fruit for eating, can still be eaten. But this fig tree was not even fulfilling this despite being "in leaf."
What is the Point of the Story?
The story, however, cannot be understood only at the factual level, such as the question we had to resolve above. The story also has to be understood from the literary point of view, i.e., how the author tells the story. We now know that the biblical authors often order their material, include or highlight different details, and repeat certain words in order to emphasize what he feels important. One of the most important difference between Mark and Matthew in the telling of the story is that Mark intervenes his telling about Jesus' cursing of the fig tree (vv11-14) and its withering (vv20-26) with the lesson about prayers with the events at the temple (vv15-19), whereas Matthew tells of Jesus' cursing of the fig tree, complete with report of the tree's immediate withering (vv17-19) and the lesson about prayers (vv20-22), before moving on to the events at the temple (vv23-27). These differences do not point to Mark's and Matthew's historical accuracy and reliability as witnesses; rather they point to the differences in their purposes in telling the story.
Notice also how they introduce the story. Both set the events in Bethany (Matt 21:17, Mk 11:1, 11, 12). Most of us tend to ignore this little geographical detail as nothing more than a contextual indicator. The village of Bethany is mentioned twice in Matthew; once here (21:17) and once more in 26:6. We can, therefore, safely assume that Matthew meant his use of the place name in his story as indicating the historical setting of the events. What is remarkable, however, is that while Bethany is mentioned four times in Mark's Gospel, he uses three-quarters of them here in this story! This suggests strongly that Mark's interest in the place name is not incidental like Matthew's. As the immediate introduction to the story, he mentions twice Jesus coming to and about to leave Bethany (vv11 & 12):
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
The repetition is really un-necessary; their movement in and out of the village would have been completely discernable without it.
So, is the fact that Bethany—beth-te'ena—means "house of figs" important? Does Mark intend us to see a play on the name of the village? Is he saying, Jesus was in "the house of figs" and, therefore, has a right to expect to find figs, and yet when he goes up to a tree that has advertized its apparent fruitfulness with its leaves he finds none?
After this incident, Jesus goes to the temple in Jerusalem, and there he cleans out the tables and benches of the money changers and sellers of doves because the temple—"my house'—is supposed to be "a house of prayers for all the nations" (v17). Instead it had become a "den of robbers." Does Mark intend for us to make a comparison or a parallel here? Is he saying, just as the fig tree failed the expections of the "house of figs" so the temple had failed the expections of the "house of prayers"?
Finally, when the disciples finds the fig tree "withered from the roots" and reports it to Jesus, Jesus turns it into a lesson in prayers, about the need to have faith in God (v22-26). Is it Mark's intention here for us to draw parallels between this lesson in fulfilling prayers to the "robbers" taking up space in the "house of prayer" but turning it into a "den of robber" and to the "fig tree in leaf" making taking up space in the "house of fig" but turning out into a barren existence? In cursing the fig-tree and using it as an occasion for teaching about fulfilling prayers, was Jesus saying something significant about the temple and the priest and teachers of the law who "were looking for a way to kill him," when they were meant to be channels of divine grace and mercy?
Finally, what does all these say about us, about our prayers and our faith? What does it ask of us?
