The Song of Songs 7:12

7:12 Let us rise early to go to the vineyards,

to see if the vines have budded,

to see if their blossoms have opened,

if the pomegranates are in bloom –

there I will give you my love.

Isaiah 5:2-4

5:2 He built a hedge around it, ¹  removed its stones,

and planted a vine.

He built a tower in the middle of it,

and constructed a winepress.

He waited for it to produce edible grapes,

but it produced sour ones instead. ² 

5:3 So now, residents of Jerusalem, ³ 

people ⁴  of Judah,

you decide between me and my vineyard!

5:4 What more can I do for my vineyard

beyond what I have already done?

When I waited for it to produce edible grapes,

why did it produce sour ones instead?

Mark 11:13

11:13 After noticing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit ⁵  on it. When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

Luke 13:7

13:7 So ⁶  he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, ‘For ⁷  three years ⁸  now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it ⁹  I find none. Cut ¹⁰  it down! Why ¹¹  should it continue to deplete ¹²  the soil?’

Acts 15:36

Paul and Barnabas Part Company

15:36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return ¹³  and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord ¹⁴  to see how they are doing.” ¹⁵ 

¹ tn Or, “dug it up” (so NIV); KJV “fenced it.’ See HALOT 810 s.v. עזק.

² tn Heb “wild grapes,” i.e., sour ones (also in v. 4).

³ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁴ tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.

⁵ tn Grk “anything.”

⁶ 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.

⁷ tn Grk “Behold, for.”

⁸ 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.

⁹ 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.

¹⁰ 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.

¹¹ tn Grk “Why indeed.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

¹² sn Such fig trees would deplete the soil, robbing it of nutrients needed by other trees and plants.

¹³ tn Grk “Returning let us visit.” The participle ἐπιστρέψαντες (epistreyante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

¹⁴ tn See the note on the phrase “word of the Lord” in v. 35.

¹⁵ tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.b has “how they are” for this phrase.