rwp@Luke:13:6 @{Planted} (\pephuteumenˆn\). Perfect passive participle of \phuteu“\, to plant, an old verb, from \phuton\, a plant, and that from \phu“\, to grow. But this participle with \eichen\ (imperfect active of \ech“\) 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.
rwp@Luke:13:7 @{The vinedresser} (\ton ampelourgon\). Old word, but here only in the N.T., from \ampelos\, vine, and \ergon\, work. {These three years I come} (\tria etˆ aph' hou erchomai\). Literally, "three years since (from which time) I come." These three years, of course, have nothing to do with the three years of Christ's public ministry. The three years are counted from the time when the fig tree would normally be expected to bear, not from the time of planting. The Jewish nation is meant by this parable of the barren fig tree. In the withering of the barren fig tree later at Jerusalem we see parable changed to object lesson or fact (Mark:11:12-14; kjv@Matthew:21:18f.|). {Cut it down} (\ekkopson\). "Cut it out," the Greek has it, out of the vineyard, perfective use of \ek\ with the effective aorist active imperative of \kopt“\, where we prefer "down." {Why?} (\hina ti\). Ellipsis here of \genˆtai\ of which \ti\ is subject (Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 739,916). {Also} (\kai\). Besides bearing no fruit. {Doth cumber the ground} (\tˆn gˆn katargei\). Makes the ground completely idle, of no use (\kata, arge“\, from \argos\, \a\ privative and \ergon\, work). Late verb, here only in the N.T. except in Paul's Epistles.
rwp@Luke:13:8 @{Till I shall dig} (\he“s hotou skaps“\). First aorist active subjunctive like \bal“\ (second aorist active subjunctive of \ball“\), both common verbs. {Dung it} (\bal“ kopria\). Cast dung around it, manure it. \Kopria\, late word, here alone in the N.T.
rwp@Luke:13:9 @{And if it bear fruit thenceforth} (\k'an men poiˆsˆi karpon eis to mellon\). Aposiopesis, sudden breaking off for effect (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 1203). See it also in kjv@Mark:11:32; kjv@Acts:23:9|. Trench (_Parables_) tells a story like this of intercession for the fig tree for one year more which is widely current among the Arabs today who say that it will certainly bear fruit this time.
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