Mark 11:13

And seeing a fig-tree, &c.— The time of the year when this event happened, was undoubtedly three or four days before the passover at which our Saviour was crucified; and the passover that year fell in the beginning of April. Upon this it is inquired, "How would Christ expect to find figs on the tree at that season of the year? And what is the meaning of the Evangelist's saying, the time of figs was not yet?" I. In the first place it is asked, "How could Christ expect to find ripe figs on the tree in the latter end of March?" The plain answer is, because figs are ripe so soon in Judea; all the difficulty here has arisen from men's not considering the difference of the climate. Judea is a country vastly hotter than England, and there the fruits are brought forth and ripened much sooner than they are in our colder climate. The barley in Judea was ripe in March, and the wheat in April; we cannot therefore wonder if there were ripe figs in the beginning of April too. But this is not all; it can be directly proved, concerning fig-trees in particular, that in Judea they brought forth good figs, which were ripe as early as the passover, in the beginning of April. The proof, in short, is this: figs were ripe before summer,—summer is harvest-time,—harvest-time began at the passover,—therefore figs were ripe before the passover. Each of these propositions shall be briefly proved. I. Figs were ripe before summer. That there are two seasons of the year for figs is plain from hence, that the Scripture mentions the first time of figs, Hosea 9:10. Micah 7:1. These first ripe figs were fully ripe, for they would fall from the tree, if it was shaken by the wind, as it is written Nahum 3:12. That these first ripe figs were very good, we are informed by the prophet Jeremiah 24:2. These fig-trees had leaves before the summer in that country, as it is expressly said, Matthew 21:19. But concerning the fig-tree it should be noted, that it puts forth its fruit first, and its leaves afterwards; consequently, if its leaves, much more does its fruit come forth before summer; and that the fig-tree in Judea brought forth fruit before, is expressly said, Song of Solomon 2:11. Isaiah is more express, Isaiah 28:4 where what our translators call the hasty fruit, is the first ripe fruit, as they have well translated the same word in the places before quoted. Thus it appears, that the first ripe figs were very good, were fit to be eaten, and were ripe before summer. 2. The word summer, in Scripture, signifies the time of harvest. Compare Jeremiah 8:20 and Daniel 2:35. Those who have travelled into Egypt, the next country to Judea, inform us, that the summer in Egypt begins in March; whence we may conclude, that the summer in Judea began about the same time of the year. They then in Egypt cut down their corn, and immediately thrashed it; and that they immediately thrashed it also in Judea, is plain from their having loaves made of new corn for an offering at Pentecost. 3. That the harvest in Judea began at the passover is plain, because the Jews were required, on the second day after the passover, to bring a sheaf of the first fruits of their barley harvest, for an offering to God, Leviticus 23:10. Seven weeks after the passover was Pentecost, in the beginning of which seven weeks, it is expressly said, the corn began to be reaped, Deuteronomy 16:9. See also Leviticus 23:15 and Ruth 2:23. Ruth 2:4. From all this it follows, that figs in Judea were ripe before the passover; for figs were ripe and good before the summer or harvest began at the passover; therefore figs were ripe and good before the passover;—as was to be proved. Hence it appears, that the disciples might reasonably expect to find good ripe figs on a fig-tree three days before the passover; and our Lord appeared to expect them, that he might have the opportunity of strengthening his disciples' faith by the present miracle, and of affording them, and the church in after-ages, all the useful lessons resulting therefrom. It was the usual time for the first ripe figs, and therefore it was natural to expect that there should be figs upon this tree; and this was the more natural, because, as the Evangelist observes, there were leaves upon the tree, before which leaves the fruit always came forth, if the tree bore any fruit at all. The leaves then were naturally a token that fruit was to be found on the tree also, and thus it was natural to expect it. II. We now easily see how to account for the expression of St. Mark before us, which has been thought so extremely difficult; for the time of figs was not yet. While it was supposed that this expression signified "the time for trees to bring forth fruit was not yetcome," 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 figswas not yet come: it seemed unaccountable that Christ 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 since the true sense of the phrase, "The time of figs," has been discovered to the world by the learned Bishop Kidder, the matter is easy. The expression does not signify the time of the coming forth of figs, but the time of gathering in ripe figs, as is plain from the parallel expressions. Thus the time of the fruit, Matthew 21:34 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 this same matter only 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, Ch. Mark 12:2.Luke 20:10. 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 ripe. 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 come; and if the gathering time was not come, it was natural to expect figs upon all those trees which were not barren; whereas after the time of gathering figs, no one would expect tofind figs 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 what he said in the immediately following clause,—he found nothing but leaves; but he gives a reason for what he said in the clause before that, He came, if haply he might find any thing thereon; and it was a good reason for our Saviour's coming and seeking figs on the tree, because the time of gathering them in 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,—Ch. Mark 16:3 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; 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. See Hallet's notes on Scripture, vol. 2: p. 114 and Witsius's Meletemata.