Library Home>Authors>Reuben Archer Torrey>The New Topical Textbook>Fig-Tree, the. (#142113)

Fig-Tree, the.

From: The New Topical Textbook

By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 1 min. read • grade level: 10

Produces a rich sweet fruit. Judg. 9:11¹¹But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? (Judges 9:11)

Not found in desert places. Num. 20:5⁵And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink. (Numbers 20:5).

ABOUNDED IN

Egypt. Psa. 105:33³³He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts. (Psalm 105:33). Canaan. Num. 13:23²³And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. (Numbers 13:23). Deut. 8:8⁸A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; (Deuteronomy 8:8).

Often grew wild. Amos 7:14¹⁴Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: (Amos 7:14). (marg.)

Sometimes planted in vineyards. Luke 13:6⁶He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. (Luke 13:6).

Propagated by the Jews. Amos 4:9⁹I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. (Amos 4:9).

Required cultivation. Luke 13:8⁸And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: (Luke 13:8).

Fruit of, formed after winter. SoS. 2:11, 13.

Leaves of, put forth, a sign of the approach of summer. Matt. 24:32³²Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: (Matthew 24:32).

Reasonableness of expecting fruit upon, when full of leaves. Mar. 11:13.

FRUIT OF

Eaten fresh from the tree. Matt. 21:18, 19¹⁸Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. ¹⁹And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. (Matthew 21:18‑19).

Eaten dried in cakes. 1 Sam. 30:12¹²And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. (1 Samuel 30:12).

Gathered and kept in baskets. Jer. 24:1¹The Lord showed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. (Jeremiah 24:1).

First ripe esteemed. Jer. 24:2²One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. (Jeremiah 24:2). Hos. 9:10¹⁰I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved. (Hosea 9:10).

Used in the miraculous healing of Hezekiah. 2 Kin. 20:7. Isa. 38:21²¹For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover. (Isaiah 38:21).

Sold in the markets. Neh. 13:15¹⁵In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. (Nehemiah 13:15).

Sent as presents. 1 Sam. 25:18¹⁸Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. (1 Samuel 25:18). 1 Chron. 12:40⁴⁰Moreover they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel. (1 Chronicles 12:40).

A species of, produced vile and worthless fruit. Jer. 29:17¹⁷Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. (Jeremiah 29:17).

Leaves of, used by Adam for covering. Gen. 3:7⁷And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. (Genesis 3:7).

Afforded a thick shade. John 1:48, 50⁴⁸Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. (John 1:48)
⁵⁰Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. (John 1:50).

Often unfruitful. Luke 13:7⁷Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? (Luke 13:7).

Failure of, a great calamity. Hab. 3:17¹⁷Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: (Habakkuk 3:17)

THE JEWS PUNISHED BY

God's breaking down. Hos. 2:12¹²And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. (Hosea 2:12).

Failure of fruit on. Jer. 8:13¹³I will surely consume them, saith the Lord: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them. (Jeremiah 8:13). Hag. 2:19¹⁹Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you. (Haggai 2:19).

Enemies devouring fruit of. Jer. 5:17¹⁷And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword. (Jeremiah 5:17).

Barking and eating of, by locusts, &c. Joel 1:4, 7, 12⁴That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten. (Joel 1:4)
⁷He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white. (Joel 1:7)
¹²The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men. (Joel 1:12). Amos 4:9⁹I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. (Amos 4:9).

ILLUSTRATIVE

(Barren,) of mere professors of religion. Matt. 21:19¹⁹And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. (Matthew 21:19). Luke 13:6, 7⁶He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. ⁷Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? (Luke 13:6‑7).

(Sitting under one's own,) of prosperity and peace. 1 Kin. 4:25. Mic. 4:4⁴But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. (Micah 4:4).

FRUIT OF, ILLUSTRATIVE

Of good works. Matt. 7:16¹⁶Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (Matthew 7:16).

(Good,) of saints. Jer. 24:2, 3²One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. ³Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. (Jeremiah 24:2‑3).

(Bad,) of wicked men. Jer. 24:2, 3-8²One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. (Jeremiah 24:2)
³Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. ⁴Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ⁵Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. ⁶For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. ⁷And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. ⁸And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the Lord, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: (Jeremiah 24:3‑8).

(First ripe,) of the fathers of the Jewish church. Hos. 9:10¹⁰I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved. (Hosea 9:10).

(Untimely and dropping,) of the wicked ripe for judgment. Isa. 34:4⁴And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. (Isaiah 34:4). Nah. 3:12¹²All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater. (Nahum 3:12). Rev. 6:13¹³And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. (Revelation 6:13).

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.

Previous Article

The New Topical Textbook

• Fig-Tree, the.

• First-Born, the.

• First-Fruits, the.

• Forgetting God.

• Forgiveness of Injuries.

• Forsaking God.

• Fortresses.

• Foundation.

• Fountains and Springs.

• Gad, the Tribe of.

• Genealogies.

• Gibeonites.

• Gift of the Holy Ghost, the.

• Gifts of God, the.

• Glorifying God.