Luke 3:9

3:9 Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, ¹  and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be ²  cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Exodus 32:10

32:10 So now, leave me alone ³  so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.”

Daniel 4:14

4:14 He called out loudly ⁴  as follows: ⁵ 

‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches!

Strip off its foliage

and scatter its fruit!

Let the animals flee from under it

and the birds from its branches!

Matthew 3:10

3:10 Even now the ax is laid at ⁶  the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 7:19

7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

John 15:2

15:2 He takes away ⁷  every branch that does not bear ⁸  fruit in me. He ⁹  prunes ¹⁰  every branch that bears ¹¹  fruit so that it will bear more fruit.

John 15:6

15:6 If anyone does not remain ¹²  in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, ¹³  and are burned up. ¹⁴ 

[3:9]  ¹ sn Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees. The imagery of an “ax already laid at the root of the trees” is vivid, connoting sudden and catastrophic judgment for the unrepentant and unfruitful. The image of “fire” serves to further heighten the intensity of the judgment referred to. It is John’s way of summoning all people to return to God with all their heart and avoid his unquenchable wrath soon to be poured out. John’s language and imagery is probably ultimately drawn from the OT where Israel is referred to as a fruitless vine (Hos 10:1-2; Jer 2:21-22) and the image of an “ax” is used to indicate God’s judgment (Ps 74:5-6; Jer 46:22).

[3:9]  ² tn Grk “is”; the present tense (ἐκκόπτεται, ekkoptetai) has futuristic force here.

[32:10]  ³ tn The imperative, from the word “to rest” (נוּחַ, nuakh), has the sense of “leave me alone, let me be.” It is a directive for Moses not to intercede for the people. B. S. Childs (Exodus [OTL], 567) reflects the Jewish interpretation that there is a profound paradox in God’s words. He vows the severest punishment but then suddenly conditions it on Moses’ agreement. “Let me alone that I may consume them” is the statement, but the effect is that he has left the door open for intercession. He allows himself to be persuaded – that is what a mediator is for. God could have slammed the door (as when Moses wanted to go into the promised land). Moreover, by alluding to the promise to Abraham God gave Moses the strongest reason to intercede.

[4:14]  ⁴ tn Aram “in strength.”

[4:14]  ⁵ tn Aram “and thus he was saying.”

[3:10]  ⁶ sn Laid at the root. That is, placed and aimed, ready to begin cutting.

[15:2]  ⁷ tn Or “He cuts off.”

[15:2]  ⁸ tn Or “does not yield.”

[15:2]  ⁹ tn Grk “And he”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been omitted in the translation in keeping with the tendency in contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[15:2]  ¹⁰ tn Or “trims”; Grk “cleanses” (a wordplay with “clean” in v. 3). Καθαίρει (kaqairei) is not the word one would have expected here, but it provides the transition from the vine imagery to the disciples – there is a wordplay (not reproducible in English) between αἴρει (airei) and καθαίρει in this verse. While the purpose of the Father in cleansing his people is clear, the precise means by which he does so is not immediately obvious. This will become clearer, however, in the following verse.

[15:2]  ¹¹ tn Or “that yields.”

[15:6]  ¹² tn Or “reside.”

[15:6]  ¹³ sn Such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire. The author does not tell who it is who does the gathering and throwing into the fire. Although some claim that realized eschatology is so prevalent in the Fourth Gospel that no references to final eschatology appear at all, the fate of these branches seems to point to the opposite. The imagery is almost certainly that of eschatological judgment, and recalls some of the OT vine imagery which involves divine rejection and judgment of disobedient Israel (Ezek 15:4-6, 19:12).

[15:6]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”