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John Wesley, Notes On the New Testament (1755):
Either we may understand God the Father by
him that had the vineyard, and Christ by him that kept it: or Christ
himself is he that hath it, and his ministers they that keep it.
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The Fourfold Gospel:
This parable is closely connected with Lu
13:3,5, and Lu 12:58,59.
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
* fig-tree. Ps 80:8-13; Isa 5:1-4; Jer 2:21; Mt 21:19,20; Mr 11:12-14
* and he came. Lu 20:10-14; Mt 21:34-40; Joh 15:16; Ga 5:22; Php 4:17
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Robertson's Word Pictures:
Planted (pephuteumenên). Perfect passive participle of phuteuô,
to plant, an old verb, from phuton, a plant, and that from phuô, to
grow. But this participle with eichen (imperfect active of echô) does
not make a periphrastic past perfect like our English "had planted." It
means rather, he had a fig tree, one already planted in his vineyard.
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William Burkitt's Notes:
Our blessed Saviour, that he might excite
the Jews to the practice of the last mentioned duty of repentance, sets
forth his long-suffering with them, and forbearance towards them, by the
parable of the fig tree, which the Master of the vineyard had long
expected fruit there from, but found none.
Where note, 1. The great care that God takes to make poor sinners happy;
he plants them in his church, as in a vineyard, that by the cultivating
care of his ministers, and the fructifying influences of his Spirit,
they may be fruitful in good works.
Note, 2. That God keeps an exact account or reckoning, what means and
advantages every place and people have enjoyed; These three years have I
come seeking fruit, alluding to the three years of his own ministry
among them. God keeps a memorial how many years the gospel has been
amongst a people, how many ministers they have had, and how long with
them, what pathetical exhortations, what pressing admonitions, what
cutting reproofs; all are upon the file, and must be accounted for.
Learn, 3. That God expects suitable and proportionable fruit from a
people, according to the time of their standing in his vineyard, and
answering to the cost and culture which his ministers have expended upon
them, and the pains they have taken with them.
Note farther, 4. That although God does and justly may expect fruit from
such as are planted, in his vineyard, to with, the Christian church, yet
he expects it with much patience and forbearnace, waiting from year to
year, to see if time will work amendment. These three years I have come
seeking fruit, and found none.
Lastly, if after all the cost that God has bestowed upon a people by his
ministers and ordinances, they continue unfruitful, there is nothing to
be expected but excision and final destruction: Cut it down, why
cumbereth it the ground?
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Family Bible Notes:
No comment on this verse.
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1599 Geneva Bible Notes:
Great and long suffering is the patience of
God, but yet he eventually executes judgment.
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People's New Testament Commentary:
Had a fig tree. A common fruit in Palestine.
It represents here the Jewish nation.
Found none. The nation did not glorify God by fruitfulness in
righteousness.
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Albert Barnes' Commentary:
Vineyard. A place where vines were planted.
It was not common to plant fig-trees in them, but our Lord represents it
as having been sometimes done.
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Jamieson-Faussett Brown:
fig tree--Israel, as the visible
witness of God in the world, but generally all within the pale of the
visible Church of God; a familiar figure (compare Isa 5:1-7; Joh 15:1-8,
&c.).
vineyard--a spot selected for its fertility, separated from the
surrounding fields, and cultivated with special care, with a view solely
to fruit.
came and sought fruit--a heart turned to God; the fruits of
righteousness; compare Mt 21:33,34; Isa 5:2 5:2|, "He looked that it
should bring forth fruit"; He has a right to it, and will require it.
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Spurgeon Devotional
Commentary:
It was in good soil, and under the
gardener's care; it would therefore yield fruit, or prove itself to be
good for nothing.
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Adam Clarke's Commentary:
A certain man] Many meanings are given
to this parable, and divines may abound in them; the sense which our
Lord designed to convey by it appears to be the following:-
1. A person, tiv, God Almighty. 2. Had a fig tree, the Jewish Church. 3.
Planted in his vineyard-established in the land of Judea. 4. He came
seeking fruit-he required that the Jewish people should walk in
righteousness, in proportion to the spiritual culture he bestowed on
them. 5. The vine-dresser-the Lord Jesus, for God hath committed all
judgment to the Son, Joh 5:22. 6. Cut it down-let the Roman sword be
unsheathed against it. 7. Let it alone-Christ is represented as
intercessor for sinners, for whose sake the day of their probation is
often lengthened; during which time he is constantly employed in doing
every thing that has a tendency to promote their salvation. 8. Thou
shalt cut it down-a time will come, that those who have not turned at
God's invitations and reproofs shall be cut off, and numbered with the
transgressors.
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Matthew Henry Concise Commentary:
This parable of the barren fig-tree is intended to enforce the warning
given just before: the barren tree, except it brings forth fruit, will
be cut down. This parable in the first place refers to the nation and
people of the Jews. Yet it is, without doubt, for awakening all that
enjoy the means of grace, and the privileges of the visible church. When
God has borne long, we may hope that he will bear with us yet a little
longer, but we cannot expect that he will bear always.
