LUK 21:29-33

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29And he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. [21:30] When they throw out their buds, you see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. [21:31] So also you, when you see these things taking place, know that the kingdom of God is near. [21:32] Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place. [21:33] Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

In the world it was spoken into

In 1st-century Palestine, agrarian imagery like the fig tree would have been immediately familiar to Jesus' audience, as agriculture was central to daily life. The fig tree, in particular, was a symbol of prosperity and divine blessing in Jewish tradition (Micah 4:4, Zechariah 3:10). Its sprouting signaled the arrival of summer, a time of harvest and abundance. Jesus uses this natural phenomenon as a (parable or comparison), a teaching method common in Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts, to illustrate discernment. Just as people could predict summer by observing the trees, they could recognize the nearness of God’s kingdom by observing the signs He described. The mention of (generation) would have been understood as a reference to the current group of listeners, suggesting that these events would occur within their lifetime. The assertion that His (words) would endure, even as heaven and earth pass away, underscored the eternal authority of His message, contrasting with the transient nature of creation. This would have resonated deeply in a culture that valued enduring truth and divine promises.

›See the receipts

How other translations render this

LUK 21:29

KJV: And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
BSB: Then Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees.
Koinōnos: And he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees.

LUK 21:30

KJV: When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
BSB: When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near.
Koinōnos: When they throw out their buds, you see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.

LUK 21:31

KJV: So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
BSB: So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
Koinōnos: So also you, when you see these things taking place, know that the kingdom of God is near.

LUK 21:32

KJV: Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
BSB: Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
Koinōnos: Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.

LUK 21:33

KJV: Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
BSB: Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
Koinōnos: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

LUK 21:29

a parable:The word translated 'a parable' refers to a story or illustration drawn from everyday life, used to convey a deeper spiritual truth. It was a common teaching method that invited listeners to discover the meaning for themselves.

LUK 21:30

they may sprout:The phrase translated 'they may sprout' literally means to 'throw forth' or 'put out.' It vividly describes the sudden, visible emergence of leaves and buds, signaling new growth.

LUK 21:32

generation:The word translated 'generation' can refer to a group of people living at the same time, or more broadly, to a particular kind of people characterized by certain moral or spiritual qualities.

LUK 21:33

the words:The word translated 'the words' is a very rich term that can mean not just spoken words, but also a message, a teaching, a divine utterance, or even the underlying reason or principle behind something.