The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

VERS. XIX.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Found nothing thereon but leaves only.

THIS place is not a little obscure, being compared with Mark, who seems to say, that therefore figs were not found on this tree, because it was not yet the time of figs, o 1.1 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ▪ why then did our Saviour expect figs, when he might certain∣ly know that it was not yet the time of figs? And why, not finding them, did he curse the tree, being innocent, and agreeable to its own nature?

I. We will first consider the situation of this tree. Our Evangelist saith that it was in the way, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. This minds me of a distinction us'd very often by the Talmudists,

between 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, between the fruits of trees of common right, which did not belong to any peculiar Master, but grew in woody places, or in common fields; and the fruits of trees which grew in Gardens, Orchyards or Fields, that had a proper owner. How much difference was made between these fruits by the Canonists, as to ty∣thing and as to eating, is in many places to be met with through the whole Classis, inti∣tled 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Seeds. This fig-tree seems to have been of the former kind. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a wild fig-tree, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 growing in a place or field not belonging to any one in particular, but common to all. So that our Saviour did not injure any particular person, when he caus'd this tree to wither; but it was such a tree, that it could not be said of it that it was Mine or Thine.

II. He found nothing thereon but leaves, because the time of figs was not yet a great while. p 1.2

1. q 1.3 At what time in the seventh year do they forbear to lop their trees? The School of Shammai saith 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 All trees from that time, they bring forth (leaves.). The Gloss, the beginning of leaves is in the days of Nisan.

2. r 1.4 Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel saith, from the putting forth of leaves, till there be green figs, is fifty days; from the green figs, till the buds fall off, fifty days; and from that time till the figs be ripe are fifty days. If therefore the first putting our of the leaves was in the month Nisan, and that was five months time before the figs came to be ripe▪ it is plain enough that the figs of that year coming on, were not expected by our Saviour, nor could be expected.

That we may pursue the matter somewhat home, and make it appear that the Text of Mark, as it is commonly read for the time of figs was not yet, is uncorrupted.

I. We must first observe what is said about the intercalation of the year. They inter∣calate the year upon three accounts, For the green ear, for the fruit of the tree, and for Teku∣pha. s 1.5 Maimonides is more large; t 1.6 whom see. Now if you ask, what means the in∣tercalation for the fruit of the tree? The Gloss answers, If the fruit be not ripened till Pentecost is past, they intercalate the year; because Pentecost is the time of bringing the first fruits; and if at that time one should not bring them along with him, when he comes to the feast, he would be oblig'd to make another journy. But now this is not to be understood of all trees, but of some only, which put forth their fruit about the time of the Passover, and have them ripe at the feast of Pentecost. For thus Maimonides in the place cited. If the Connoil sees that there is not yet any green ear, and that the fruit of the trees which used to bud at the feast of the Passover, is not yet budded, (mark that, used to bud) moved by these two causes, they intercalate the year. Among these, the figtree can by no means be reckon∣ed: For since, our Saviour being witness, u 1.7 the putting forth of its leaves is a sign that Summer is at hand, you could not expect any ripe figs; nay (according to the Talmu∣dists,) not so much as the putting out of leaves, before the Passover. When it is before said, that Pentecost was the time of bringing the first fruits, it must not be so understood, as if the first fruits of all trees were then to be brought; but that before Pentecost it was not lawful to bring any: for thus it is provided for by a plain Canon, The first∣fruits are not to be brought before Pentecost. The inhabitants of Mount Zeboim brought theirs before Pentecost, but they did not receive them of them, because it is said in the Law, And the feast of harvest, the first fruit of thy labours which thou hast sowen in thy field. w 1.8

II. There are several kinds of figs mentioned in the Talmudists, besides these common ones; namely figs of a better sort, which grew in gardens, and Paradices. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Shi••hin. Concerning which the Tract Demai x 1.9 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, Among those things which were accounted to deserve lesser care, and among those things which were doubtful as to tything were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Shithin: which the Glosser tells us were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Wild figs. 2. There is mention also in the same place of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which, as some will have it, was a fig mixt with a plane tree 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 3. But among all those kinds of figs, they were memorable, which were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and they yet more, which were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which, unless I mistake, make to our purpose; not that they were more noble than the rest, but their manner of bearing fruit was more un∣usual. There is mention of these in Shiviith, y 1.10 in these words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 We will render the words in the paraphrase of the Glossers. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are white figs, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are also a kind of fig: the seventh yoar, (that is, the year of Re∣lease▪) is to those the second (viz. of the seven years following) to these, the going out of the seventh. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Put forth fruit every year, but it is ripe only every third year: so that on that tree every year one might see three sorts of fruit, namely of the present year, of the past, and of the year before that. Thus the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 bring forth ripe fruit in two years, &c.

Concerning 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 thus the Jerusalem Gemara. Do they bear fruit every year? Or once in three years? They bear fruit every year, but the fruit is not ripe till the third year. But

how may one know which is the fruit of each year? R. Jonah saith, by the threads that hang to them. The tradition of Samuel, makes little strings hang to it, &c.

III. The fruit of very many trees hung upon them all the winter, by the mildness of the weather, if they were not gathered, or shaken off by the wind: nay they ripened in winter: Hence came those cautions about tything. z 1.11 The tree which puts forth its fruit before the beginning of the year of the world (that is, before the beginning of the month Tisri, in which month the world was created) must be tythed for the year past: but if af∣ter the beginning of the world, then it must be tythed for the year coming on. R. Judan bar Philia answered before R. Jonah, Behold the tree Charob puts forth its fruit before the begin∣ning of the world, and yet it is tythed for the year following. R. Jissa saith, If it puts forth a third part before the year of the world, it must be tythed for the year past; but if after, then for the year following. R. Zeira answers before R. Jissa, sometimes Palm trees do not bring forth part of their fruit till after the beginning of the year of the world; and yet they must be tythed for the year before. Samuel bar Abba saith, If it puts forth the third part of its fruit before the fifteenth day of the month Shebat, It is to be tythed for the year past; if after the fifteenth day of the month Shebat; for the year to come. Hence that Axiom in Rosh hasha∣nah, a 1.12 The first day of the month Shebat is the beginning of the year for trees, according to the School of Shammai, but according to that of Hillel, the fifteenth day.

However, fig-trees were not among those trees that put forth their fruit after the be∣ginning of Tisri; for you have seen before out of the Talmudists, that they used to put forth their leaves in the month Nisan; and that their fruit used to be ripe in thrice fifty days after this. Yet perhaps it may be objected about them, what we meet with in the Jerusalem Gemara, at the place before cited. One gathers figs, (say they) and knows not at what time they were put forth, (and thereby is at a loss for what year to tythe them.) R. Jonah saith, let him reckon a hundred days backwards, and if the fifteenth day of the month Shebat falls within that number, then he may know when they were put forth. But this must be understood of figs of a particular sort, which do not grow after the usual manner; which is plain also from that which follows, For, they say to him, with you at Tiberias, there are Fig trees that bear fruit in one year: to which he answers, Behold, with you at Zip∣por, there are trees that bear fruit in two years. Concerning common fish-trees, their ordi∣nary time of putting out green Figs was sufficiently known; as also the year of tything them: but concerning those trees of another sort, which had ripe fruit only in two or three years, it is no wonder if they were at a loss in both.

IV. Christ therefore came to the tree, seeking fruit on it, (although the ordinary time of figs was not yet), because it was very probable that some fruit might be found there. Of the present year indeed, he neither expected, nor could expect any fruit, when it was so far from being the time of figs, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that it was almost five months off; and it may be doubted whether it had yet so much as any leaves of the present year. It was now the month Nisan, and that month was the time of the first putting out of leaves; so that, if the buds of the leaves had just peep'd forth, they were so tender, small, and scarce worth the name of leaves (for it was but the eleventh day of the month) that to expect figs of the same year with those leaves, had not been only in vain, but ridiculous. Those words seem to denote something peculiar, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ha∣ving leaves; as if the other trees thereabout had been without leaves, or at least, had not such leaves as promised figs. Mark seems to give the reason why he came rather to that tree, than to any other, namely because he saw leaves on it, and thereby hoped to find figs. For when he saw (saith he) a fig-tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon. From the leaves he had hopes of figs: these therefore certainly were not the leaves of the present spring, for those were hardly so much as in being yet; but they were either the leaves of the year past, that had hung upon the tree all winter; or else this tree was of that kind which had figs and leaves together hanging on it for two or three years, before the fruit grew ripe. And I rather approve of this latter sense, which both renders the matter it self more clear, and better solves the difficulties that arise from the words of Mark. This tree, it seems, had leaves which promised fruit, and others had not so; whereas had they all been of the same kind, it is likely they would all have had leaves after the same manner. But when others had lost all their leaves of the former year, by winds and the winter, and those of the present year were not as yet come out, this kept its leaves, according to its nature and kind, both Summer and Winter. Mark therefore in that clause, which chiefly perplexes In∣terpreters, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for the time of figs was not yet, doth not strictly and only give the reason, why he found no figs; but gives the reason of the whole action, namely, why on that Mountain which abounded with fig-trees, he saw but'one that had such leaves, and being at a great distance when he saw it, he went to it, expecting figs only from it. The reason, saith he, was this, Because it was not the usual time of figs: for had it been so, he might have gathered figs from the trees about him; but since it

was not, all his expectation was from this, which seemed to be of the kind of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which never wanted leaves or figs. For to take an instance in the tree 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That tree, (suppose) bore figs such a Summer, which hung upon the boughs all the following winter; it bore others also next Summer; and those, together with the for∣mer, hung on the boughs all this Winter too: the third Summer it bore a third degree; and this Summer brought those of the first bearing, to ripeness; and so onwards continu∣ally; so that it was no time to be found without fruit of several years. It is less there∣fore to be wondered at, if that which promised so much fruitfulness by its looks, that one might have expected from it at least the fruit of two years, did so far deceive the hopes it had raised, as not to afford one Fig, if that, I say, should suffer a just punish∣ment from our Lord, whom it had so much, in appearance, disappointed. An emblem of the punishment that was to be inflicted upon the Jews, for their spiritual barrenness and hypocrisie.

Notes

• o 1.1

  Mark XI. 13.
• p 1.2

  As before.
• q 1.3

  Bab. P••sac••in, fol. 52. 2.
• r 1.4

  Jerus. Sheviith fol. 35. 4.
• s 1.5

  Ba••. Sanhedr. sol. 11. 2.
• t 1.6

  Kiddush Ho∣desh. chap. 4.
• u 1.7

  Metth. XXIV. 32. ••
• w 1.8

  Exod. XXIII. 16. Biccurim, chap. 1. hal. 3.
• x 1.9

  Chap. 1. hal. 1
• y 1.10

  Chap 5. hal. 1
• z 1.11

  Jerus. She∣viith, sol 35. 4.
• a 1.12

  Chap. 1. hal. 1