Matthew:21:18-22
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rwp @
Matthew:21:18 @{
He hungered } (\
epeinasen \).
Ingressive aorist indicative ,
became hungry ,
felt hungry (
Moffatt ).
Possibly Jesus spent the night out of doors and so had no breakfast .
rwp @
Matthew:21:19 @{
A fig tree } (\
suk
n mian \). "
A single fig tree " (
Margin of Rev .
Version ).
But \
heis \
was often used = \
tis \
or like our indefinite article .
See strkjv @
Matthew:8:10 ;
strkjv @
26:69 |.
The Greek has strictly no indefinite article as the Latin has no definite article . {
Let there be no fruit from thee henceforward for ever } (\
ou m
keti sou karpos gen
tai eis ton ai
na \).
Strictly speaking this is a prediction ,
not a prohibition or wish as in strkjv @
Mark:11:14 | (
optative \
phagoi \). "
On you no fruit shall ever grow again " (
Weymouth ).
The double negative \
ou m \
with the aorist subjunctive (
or future indicative )
is the strongest kind of negative prediction .
It sometimes amounts to a prohibition like \
ou \
and the future indicative (
Robertson ,
_Grammar_
,
pp .
926f .).
The early figs start in spring before the leaves and develop after the leaves .
The main fig crop was early autumn (
Mark:11:14 |).
There should have been figs on the tree with the crop of leaves .
It was a vivid object lesson .
Matthew does not distinguish between the two mornings as Mark does (
Mark:11:13 ,
20 |),
but says "
immediately " (\
parachr
ma \)
twice (
21:19 ,
20 |).
This word is really \
para to chr
ma \
like our "
on the spot " (
Thayer ).
It occurs in the papyri in monetary transactions for immediate cash payment .
rwp @
Matthew:21:21 @{
Doubt not } (\
m
diakrith
te \).
First aorist passive subjunctive ,
second-class condition .
To be divided in mind ,
to waver ,
to doubt ,
the opposite of "
faith " (\
pistin \),
trust ,
confidence . {
What is done to the fig tree } (\
to t
s suk
s \).
The Greek means "
the matter of the fig tree ,"
as if a slight matter in comparison with {
this mountain } (\
t
i orei tout
i \).
Removing a mountain is a bigger task than blighting a fig tree . "
The cursing of the fig-tree has always been regarded as of symbolic import ,
the tree being in Christ '
s mind an emblem of the Jewish people ,
with a great show of religion and no fruit of real godliness .
This hypothesis is very credible " (
Bruce ).
Plummer follows Zahn in referring it to the Holy City .
Certainly "
this mountain "
is a parable and one already reported in strkjv @
Matthew:17:20 | (
cf .
sycamine tree in Lk strkjv @
17:6 |).
Cf .
strkjv @
Zechariah:17:4 |.
rwp @
Matthew:21:22 @{
Believing } (\
pisteuontes \).
This is the point of the parable of the mountain , "
faith in the efficacy of prayer " (
Plummer ).
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