MAT 21:18-22

The Barren Fig Tree

18Early in the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, he was hungry.

19And seeing a single fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves only. And he said to it, "No longer will fruit ever come from you." And immediately the fig tree withered.

20When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither so instantly?"

21Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt within yourselves, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen.

22And everything you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

In the world it was spoken into

In the agrarian society of first-century Judea, fig trees were a common sight and a vital source of food. Their fruit symbolized prosperity and divine blessing, rooted in Jewish covenantal theology (e.g., Micah 4:4). A fig tree without fruit, especially during the season when it should bear, was seen as barren and useless, a metaphor for Israel’s spiritual condition. Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree would have been understood as a prophetic act, echoing Old Testament imagery where withered trees symbolized judgment (e.g., Isaiah 34:4). The disciples’ amazement at the tree’s immediate withering underscores the miraculous nature of Jesus’ authority, which operates instantaneously . His teaching on faith and doubt reflects a Jewish understanding of faith as trust in God’s power, while the mention of moving mountains draws on hyperbolic imagery common in rabbinic teachings to emphasize the limitless potential of unwavering faith. This event would have resonated deeply with Jewish listeners as a critique of Israel’s fruitlessness and a call to authentic faith.

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How other translations render this

MAT 21:18

KJV: Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
BSB: In the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry.
Koinōnos: Early in the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, he was hungry.

MAT 21:19

KJV: And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
BSB: Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.
Koinōnos: And seeing a single fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves only. And he said to it, "No longer will fruit ever come from you." And immediately the fig tree withered.

MAT 21:20

KJV: And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
BSB: When the disciples saw this, they marveled and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
Koinōnos: When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither so instantly?

MAT 21:21

KJV: Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
BSB: “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
Koinōnos: Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt within yourselves, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen.

MAT 21:22

KJV: And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
BSB: If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Koinōnos: And everything you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

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

Translator's notes

MAT 21:19

alone:The word translated 'alone' here emphasizes singularity and isolation, suggesting that the fig tree was uniquely barren among others, or that its barrenness was absolute.
certainly:The term used here, translated 'certainly,' carries the strong sense of 'never again' or 'no longer,' indicating a permanent cessation rather than just a strong affirmation.
withered:The word translated 'withered' here actually means 'instantly' or 'immediately,' describing the speed of the tree's withering rather than the state itself.

MAT 21:21

shall doubt,:The word translated 'shall doubt' implies an internal struggle or a state of being divided in one's judgment, rather than just a simple lack of belief.