John 17:12

17:12 When I was with them I kept them safe ¹  and watched over them ²  in your name ³  that you have given me. Not one ⁴  of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, ⁵  so that the scripture could be fulfilled. ⁶ 

Matthew 3:10

3:10 Even now the ax is laid at ⁷  the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 15:13

15:13 And he replied, ⁸  “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.

Matthew 21:19

21:19 After noticing a fig tree ⁹  by the road he went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “Never again will there be fruit from you!” And the fig tree withered at once.

Luke 8:13

8:13 Those ¹⁰  on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, ¹¹  but ¹²  in a time of testing ¹³  fall away. ¹⁴ 

Luke 13:7-9

13:7 So ¹⁵  he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, ‘For ¹⁶  three years ¹⁷  now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it ¹⁸  I find none. Cut ¹⁹  it down! Why ²⁰  should it continue to deplete ²¹  the soil?’ 13:8 But the worker ²²  answered him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertilizer ²³  on it. 13:9 Then if ²⁴  it bears fruit next year, ²⁵  very well, ²⁶  but if ²⁷  not, you can cut it down.’”

Luke 13:1

A Call to Repent

13:1 Now ²⁸  there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ²⁹ 

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ³⁰  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Hebrews 6:7-8

6:7 For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on ³¹  it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God. 6:8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed; ³²  its fate is to be burned.

Hebrews 6:1

6:1 Therefore we must progress beyond ³³  the elementary ³⁴  instructions about Christ ³⁵  and move on ³⁶  to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God,

Hebrews 2:1

Warning Against Drifting Away

2:1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

¹ tn Or “I protected them”; Grk “I kept them.”

² tn Grk “and guarded them.”

³ tn Or “by your name.”

⁴ tn Grk And not one.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

⁵ tn Grk “the son of destruction” (a Semitic idiom for one appointed for destruction; here it is a reference to Judas).

⁶ sn A possible allusion to Ps 41:9 or Prov 24:22 LXX. The exact passage is not specified here, but in John 13:18, Ps 41:9 is explicitly quoted by Jesus with reference to the traitor, suggesting that this is the passage to which Jesus refers here. The previous mention of Ps 41:9 in John 13:18 probably explains why the author felt no need for an explanatory parenthetical note here. It is also possible that the passage referred to here is Prov 24:22 LXX, where in the Greek text the phrase “son of destruction” appears.

⁷ sn Laid at the root. That is, placed and aimed, ready to begin cutting.

⁸ tn Grk “And answering, he said.”

⁹ tn Grk “one fig tree.”

¹⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹¹ sn This time of temporary faith represented by the description believe for a while is presented rather tragically in the passage. The seed does not get a chance to do all it can.

¹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

¹³ tn Traditionally, “temptation.” Such a translation puts the emphasis on temptation to sin rather than testing of faith, which is what the context seems to indicate.

¹⁴ sn Fall away. On the idea of falling away and the warnings against it, see 2 Tim 3:1; Heb 3:12; Jer 3:14; Dan 9:9.

¹⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the man’s response as a result of the lack of figs in the preceding clause.

¹⁶ tn Grk “Behold, for.”

¹⁷ sn The elapsed time could be six years total since planting, since often a fig was given three years before one even started to look for fruit. The point in any case is that enough time had been given to expect fruit.

¹⁸ tn The phrase “each time I inspect it” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied to indicate the customary nature of the man’s search for fruit.

¹⁹ tc ‡ Several witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ A L Θ Ψ 070 ˹³ 33 579 892 al lat co) have “therefore” (οὖν, oun) here. This conjunction has the effect of strengthening the logical connection with the preceding statement but also of reducing the rhetorical power and urgency of the imperative. In light of the slightly greater internal probability of adding a conjunction to an otherwise asyndetic sentence, as well as significant external support for the omission (א B D W ˹ Ï), the shorter reading appears to be more likely as the original wording here. NA²⁷ puts the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

²⁰ tn Grk “Why indeed.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

²¹ sn Such fig trees would deplete the soil, robbing it of nutrients needed by other trees and plants.

²² tn Grk “he”; the referent (the worker who tended the vineyard) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²³ tn Grk “toss manure [on it].” This is a reference to manure used as fertilizer.

²⁴ tn This is a third class condition in the Greek text. The conjunction καί (kai, a component of κάν [kan]) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

²⁵ tn Grk “the coming [season].”

²⁶ tn The phrase “very well” is supplied in the translation to complete the elided idea, but its absence is telling.

²⁷ tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text, showing which of the options is assumed.

²⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

²⁹ sn This is an event that otherwise is unattested, though several events similar to it are noted in Josephus (J. W. 2.9.2-4 [2.169-177]; Ant. 13.13.5 [13.372-73], 18.3.1-2 [18.55-62]; 18.4.1 [18.85-87]). It would have caused a major furor.

³⁰ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

³¹ tn Grk “comes upon.”

³² tn Grk “near to a curse.”

³³ tn Grk “Therefore leaving behind.” The implication is not of abandoning this elementary information, but of building on it.

³⁴ tn Or “basic.”

³⁵ tn Grk “the message of the beginning of Christ.”

³⁶ tn Grk “leaving behind…let us move on.”