Luke 13:8

Verse

‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it.

American Standard Version (1901)

And he answering saith unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

And he said, Lord, let it be for this year, and I will have the earth turned up round it, and put animal waste on it, to make it fertile:

Douay-Rheims 1899

But he answering, said to him: Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig about it, and dung it.

Free Bible Version

‘Master,’ the man replied, ‘please leave it alone for just one more year. I'll dig the soil around it and put down some fertilizer.

Geneva Bible 1599

And he answered, and said vnto him, Lord, let it alone this yeere also, till I digge round about it, and doung it.

King James (Authorized) Version

And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

One Unity Resource Bible

He answered, ‘Lord, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it, and fertilize it.

Translation for Translators

But the gardener replied to the owner, ‘Sir, leave it here for another year. I will dig around it and put manure around it.

Unlocked Literal Bible

The gardener answered and said, 'Leave it alone this year while I dig around it and put manure on it.

Noah Webster Bible

And he answering, said to him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it :

World English Bible

He answered, ‘Lord, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.

Young's Literal Translation

'And he answering saith to him, Sir, suffer it also this year, till that I may dig about it, and cast in dung;

Context

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

⁷So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’⁸‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it.⁹If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”

Sermons

Christianity on Christ Terms - Preaching

Paris Reidhead

1.1K

Summary

In this parable, Jesus tells of a fig tree that has not borne fruit for three years, and the owner wants to cut it down. However, the gardener pleads for one more year to cultivate and fertilize it, hoping it will bear fruit. This verse illustrates God's patience and mercy towards sinners, giving them time to repent and turn back to Him. It serves as a reminder of the importance of bearing spiritual fruit in our lives and the grace extended to us by God, who desires our growth and transformation rather than immediate judgment.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

he answering, &c.--Christ, as Intercessor, loath to see it cut down so long as there was any hope (see Luk 13:34). dig, &c.--loosen the earth about it and enrich it with manure; pointing to changes of method in the divine treatment of the impenitent, in order to freshen spiritual culture.

John Gill Bible Commentary

And he answering, said unto him, Lord,.... Which, if understood of God the Father, may intend the intercession of Christ with him, who not only intercedes for his elect, for those that are unconverted, that they may be converted; and for converted ones, for the carrying on of the work of sanctification; for fresh discoveries of pardoning grace; for consolation and support under trouble; for their final perseverance, and eternal glorification: but also for his enemies, for profane sinners, and for formal professors; for the sake of his own people among them, and for their preservation, and for the averting of divine judgments from them, at least as yet: and so the Jewish nation was spared for some time after this, though now deserving of immediate destruction. But rather, the intercession of the ministers of Christ, and other good men, may be here meant; who, as Abraham interceded for Sodom, and Moses and Aaron for Israel, so do they for a sinful nation, a barren and unfruitful church and people, and particular persons, that they may be spared, at least a little longer, as here: let it alone this year also; have patience one year more, or a little while longer. The Ethiopic version renders it, "until the winter", that being a time for digging about, and dunging of trees, as follows, till I shall dig about it, and dung it; these same phrases are used in the "Misna" (k), , "they dung and dig" in gardens of cucumbers, and gourds, until the beginning of the year:'' upon which their commentators say (l), that they carry dung into their gardens to moisten the earth, and dig about the roots of the trees, and lay them bare, and cover them again, and prune them, and smoke them to kill the worms. And by these phrases may be signified the various means Christ made use of by his own ministry, and by the ministry of his apostles, to make the Jews a fruitful people; and rather the means Christ's ministers make use of, as did the apostles with the Jews, to reach the cases of barren professors; as by "digging", striking at, and exposing some secret sin or sins, which are the root and source of their barrenness; showing them, that they have no root in Christ, nor the root of the matter in them; and declaring to them the insufficiency of a mere profession of religion to save them: and "dunging", which as it supposes want of heat, or coldness, which is the cause of barrenness, and signifies, that such professors are without spiritual life, and without spiritual heat, or real warmth of love to Christ, his truths, ordinances, and people, and discharge their duty in a cold and lifeless manner; so it may design the means they make use of to warm and fire them with zeal for God, and true religion; by preaching the soul quickening doctrines of the Gospel, and by laying before them the agreeableness of a becoming zeal, and the disagreeableness of a lukewarm spirit and disposition, an indolence and unconcern for the glory of God, and interest of Christ. (k) Sheviith, c. 2. sect. 2. (l) Jarchi, Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.