τς --πΟ.
GAN’ ἐὰν μὴ µετανοῆτε, πάντες ὁμοίως ” ἀπολεῖσθε.
565 6. Ἔλεγε δὲ
'ταύτην τὴν παραβολήν: “Suny εἶχέ τις ἐν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι αὐτοῦ πεφυτευµένην + καὶ ἦλθε καρπὸν ζητῶν” ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ οὐχ εὗρεν. 7. εἶπε δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἀμπελουργόν, Ιδού, τρία ἔτη ὅ ἔρχομαι [ητῶν καρπὸν ἐν τῇ συκῇ ταύτῃ, καὶ οὐχ εὑρίσκω, ἔκκοψον αὐτήν: ἵνατί
καὶ τὴν γῆν καταργεῖ ;
8. ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς λέγει αὐτῷ, Κύριε, ἄφες
αὐτὴν καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔτος, ἕως ὅτου σκάψω περὶ αὐτήν, καὶ βάλω κοπρίαν δ: g. κἂν μὲν ποιήσῃ καρπόν: et δὲ µήγε, εἰς τὸ µέλλον
ἐκκόψεις αὐτήν.”
1Ο. "Hy δὲ διδάσκων ἐν μιᾷ τῶν συναγωγῶν ἐν τοῖς σάββασι»
1 µετανοησητε in SDLT. 3 πεφντ. before εν τω apm. in SBDLX.
5 After ern SBDLT have αφ ov (Tisch., ὅκοπρια in ΝΔΒΙ.Τ al. pl. (Tisch., W.H.).
marg.).
ωσαντως in BLM 1, 33 al. (vide below).
4 ζητων καρπον in all uncials. D has κοφινον κοπριων (W.H,
Τεις το μελλον before ει δε µηγε in BLT 33, 69, a better arrangement.
men and evil to good men. To our Lord it would not have appeared impossible that some of the best men in Israel might be involved in the two calamities here mentioned.
Vv. 6-9. Parable of the barren fig tree, peculiar to Lk., probably extem- porised to embody the moral of the preceding narratives; takes the place in Lk, of the cursing of the fig tree in Mt. and Mk.—Ver. 6. Συκῆν εἶχέν τις: a fig tree, quite appropriate and common in corners of a vineyard, yet not the main plant in such a place; selected rather than a vine to represent Israel, by way of protest against assumed inalienable privilege. ‘* Perish,’ Jesus had _ said once and again (vv. 3 and 5). Some hearers might think: What! the Lord’s elect people perish? Yes, replies Jesus in effect, like a barren fig tree cast out of a vineyard, where at best it has but a subordinate place.—Ver. 7. ἀμπελουργόν, the vine-dresser (ἄμπελος, ἔργον) here only in N.T.—i8ov, lo! as of one who has a right to οοπιρ]α]π.--- τρία ἔτη, three years, reckoned not from the planting of the tree (it is three years after planting that it begins to bear fruit), but from the time that it might have been expected in ordinary course to yield a crop of figs. Three years is not a long period, but enough to determine whether it is going to be fruit-bearing, the one thing it is there for. In the spiritual sphere in national life that cannot be determined so soon. It may take as many thousand
years.—€pxopat, I keep coming, the progressive present. The master comes not merely once a year, but again and again within the year, at the seasons when fruit may be found on a fig tree (Hahn). Cf. δουλεύω in xv. 20.---οὐχ εὑρίσκω, I do not find it. I come and come and am always disappointed. Hence the impatient ἔκκοψον, cut it out (from the root).—tva τί καὶ: καὶ points to a second ground of complaint. Besides bearing no fruit it occupies space which might be more profitably filled.i—katapyet (here and in Paul’s epistles), renders useless; Vulgate, occupat, practically if not verbally the right rendering. A barren fig tree renders the land useless by occupying valuable space.—Ver. 8. τοῦτο τὸ ἔτος, one year more; he has not courage to propose a longer time to an impatient owner.—xémpta (neuter plural from adjective κόπριος), dung stufis. A natural proposal, but sometimes fertility is better promoted by starving, cutting roots, so preventing a tree from running to wood.—Ver. 9. eis τὸ µέλλον: if it bear the coming year—well (ed ἔχει ιπάετείοοά).--ἐκκόψεις, if not, thou shalt cut it down—thou, not I. It depends on the master, though the vine- dresser tacitly recognises that the de- cision will be just. Hesympathises with the master’s desire for fruit. Of course when the barren tree is removed another will be planted in its place. The parable points to the truth taught in ver. 20.