Luke 13:7

13:7 So ¹  he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, ‘For ²  three years ³  now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it ⁴  I find none. Cut ⁵  it down! Why ⁶  should it continue to deplete ⁷  the soil?’

Romans 3:31

3:31 Do we then nullify ⁸  the law through faith? Absolutely not! Instead ⁹  we uphold the law.

Romans 6:6

6:6 We know that ¹⁰  our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, ¹¹  so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Galatians 5:4

5:4 You who are trying to be declared righteous ¹²  by the law have been alienated ¹³  from Christ; you have fallen away from grace!

[13:7]  ¹ 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.

[13:7]  ² tn Grk “Behold, for.”

[13:7]  ³ 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.

[13:7]  ⁴ 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.

[13:7]  ⁵ 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.

[13:7]  ⁶ tn Grk “Why indeed.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[13:7]  ⁷ sn Such fig trees would deplete the soil, robbing it of nutrients needed by other trees and plants.

[3:31]  ⁸ tn Grk “render inoperative.”

[3:31]  ⁹ tn Grk “but” (Greek ἀλλά, alla).

[6:6]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “knowing this, that.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[6:6]  ¹¹ tn Grk “may be rendered ineffective, inoperative,” or possibly “may be destroyed.” The term καταργέω (katargew) has various nuances. In Rom 7:2 the wife whose husband has died is freed from the law (i.e., the law of marriage no longer has any power over her, in spite of what she may feel). A similar point seems to be made here (note v. 7).

[5:4]  ¹² tn Or “trying to be justified.” The verb δικαιοῦσθε (dikaiousqe) has been translated as a conative present (see ExSyn 534).

[5:4]  ¹³ tn Or “estranged”; BDAG 526 s.v. καταργέω 4 states, “Of those who aspire to righteousness through the law κ. ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ be estranged from Christ Gal 5:4.”