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Luke 13:8
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 is the
transitional use of the postpositive conjunction DE, meaning “Then.” With this we have the
articular nominative masculine singular aorist deponent passive participle of the verb
APOKRINOMAI, which means “to answer.”
The article functions as a third person personal pronoun, meaning “he.”
The aorist tense is a constative/historical aorist, which views the action in its entirety as a
fact.
The deponent passive voice is passive in form but active in meaning with the subject (the
gardener) producing the action.
The participle is circumstantial and coterminous with the action of the main verb.
Then we have the third person singular present active indicative from the verb LEGW, which
means “to say: he said.”
The present tense is a historical present, which describes the past action as though
occurring right now for the sake of vividness or liveliness in the narrative. It is translated by the
English past tense.
The active voice indicates that the gardener produced the action.
The indicative mood is declarative for a simple statement of fact.
Next we have the accusative direct object from the third person masculine singular personal use
of the intensive pronoun AUTOS, meaning “to him” and referring to the owner of the
vineyard/orchard.
“Then, answering, he said to him,”

 is the vocative masculine singular noun KURIOS, meaning “Lord; Master; Sir.”
Then we have the second person singular aorist active imperative of the verb APHIĒMI, which
means “to let something happen; to allow something; to tolerate something/someone.”1
The aorist tense is a constative aorist, which views the action in its entirety as a fact.
The active voice indicates that the owner is requested to produce the action.
The imperative mood is an imperative of entreaty.
This is followed by the accusative direct object from the third person feminine singular personal
use of the intensive pronoun AUTOS, meaning “it” and referring to the fig tree. Next we have
the adverbial/adjunctive use of the conjunction KAI, meaning “also.” Then we have the
adverbial accusative of measure of extent of time from the neuter singular demonstrative
pronoun HOUTOS plus the article and noun HETOS, meaning “for this year.”
““Sir, allow it also for this year,”
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 is the preposition HEWS plus the genitive of time from the
1
BDAG, p. 157, meaning 5.
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Luke 13:8
masculine singular qualitative relative pronoun HOSTIS, meaning “until which time; until
when,” which can be simplified in English to simply “until.” Then we have the first person
singular aorist active subjunctive from the verb SKAPTW, which means “to dig.”
The aorist tense is a constative/futuristic aorist, which views the action in its entirety as a
fact.
The active voice indicates that the gardener will produce the action.
The subjunctive mood is used in where the action is contemplated as taking place at some
indefinite time in the future.
Next we have the preposition PERI plus the accusative of place from the third person feminine
singular personal use of the intensive pronoun AUTOS, meaning “around it” and referring to the
fig tree. Then we have the additive use of the conjunction KAI, meaning “and,” followed by the
first person singular aorist active subjunctive of the verb BALLW, which means “to throw; cast;
to put, place, apply.”2 The morphology of this verb is the same as SKAPTW (see above).
Finally, we have the accusative direct object from the neuter plural noun KOPRION, meaning
“dung, manure.”
“until I dig around it and apply manure;”
Lk 13:8 corrected translation
“Then, answering, he said to him, “Sir, allow it also for this year, until I dig around it and
apply manure;”
Explanation:
1. “Then, answering, he said to him,”
a. Jesus continues the parable with the response of the gardener or vinedresser to the
owner of the vineyard/orchard. The response to the owner’s demand to cut down the fig tree is
polite, thoughtful and gracious,
b. The two parties in this conversation are analogous to God the Father (the owner of the
fig tree) and the Son of God (the gardener or vinedresser).
2. ““Sir, allow it also for this year,”
a. The person inferior in authority makes a polite address to the owner of the fig tree.
The workman does this to show his respect for the authority of the owner’s wishes and his
ultimate willingness to do what he is told. By using the polite address, the gardener is indirectly
telling his boss, I will do whatever you say and do it without question or complaint, but consider
another possible course of action that might be better for you and for the fig tree.
b. The gardener suggests that the owner allow or permit the fig tree to continue to exist
for one more year, that is, let’s just give it one more chance. By analogy this one more chance
was the forty-year grace period from the resurrection of Jesus until the fall of Jerusalem. The
grace period for the fig tree has to equate to the grace period God gave the Jews before He cut
down their nation in 70 A.D. The grace period certainly includes the time from when Jesus
spoke this parable until His death, burial, and resurrection. But it also has to include time for the
application of the manure and allowing it to do its work, which is mentioned next.
2
BDAG, p. 163, meaning 3.
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Luke 13:8
3. “until I dig around it and apply manure;”
a. The gardener has a plan to try and fix the no fig problem, that is, the no spiritual fruit
problem in the nation of Israel. The gardener is going to dig a trench around the drip line of the
tree (the drip line is outer edge of where water drips off the leaves to the ground and soaks into
the ground at the outer limits of the root system), fill the trench with manure (fertilizer), cover it
back over with dirt, and give it a year to grow with the best possible nutrients. Obviously Jesus
is describing a common practice with which all the people listening were familiar.
b. Manure or fertilizer is designed to be a stimulant to the physical growth of the tree.
By analogy the coming of the Holy Spirit, the rise of the Church, the unique spiritual gifts of the
pre-Canon period of the Church Age and the gospel message of the apostles were all designed to
stimulate the spiritual response of Israel to the gospel. Just as the fertilizer stimulates the
physical growth of the tree, so the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts He brought were designed to
stimulate the spiritual response of Israel.
c. The first forty years of the Church Age saw the rise of Christianity with a phenomenal
display of temporary spiritual gifts (for example healing, prophecy, tongues) that were designed
to stimulate the Jews to envy, that is, the desire to become a part of that spiritual experience.
Paul mentions this in Rom 11:14, “if somehow, I might provoke to envy my race and might save
some from them.”
d. So by analogy, Jesus’ desire is to fertilize Israel with Jews who believe in Jesus and
have spectacular spiritual gifts, including the influence and empowerment of the Holy Spirit,
which might motivate them to believe in Him and join the spiritual party. It is the last great hope
for Israel. They can either join with other Jews who will believe in Christ or be destroyed (cut
down) as a nation. If the fig tree doesn’t produce fruit after this grace period, then nothing will
help it and it deserves to be cut down.
e. And before you get too uppity about your royal position in Christ, just remember that
we, the members of the Church, are God’s spiritual manure.
4. Commentators’ comments.
a. “The vinedresser asks to give the tree another chance to produce fruit within one more
year. He will carefully care for it and fertilize it. Additional digging is designed to loosen the
soil so moisture can get to the roots more easily. Perhaps additional care will yield fruit, even
though the tree has done nothing to deserve such special attention or offer such hope. The image
suggests God’s patience and alludes to the short time left for response. The tree faces removal if
its response does not change.”3
b. “The tree reminds us of God’s special goodness to Israel (Isa 5:1–7; Rom 9:1–5) and
His patience with them. God waited three years during our Lord’s earthly ministry, but the
nation did not produce fruit. He then waited about forty years more before He allowed the
Roman armies to destroy Jerusalem and the temple; and during those years, the church gave to
the nation a powerful witness of the Gospel message [that’s the fertilizer]. Finally, the tree was
cut down.”4
c. “The vineyard worker intercedes on behalf of the fig tree. Digging around a tree and
putting manure around it to fertilize it were common procedures, but fig trees usually did not
need manure; the worker does all he can to try to save the tree. Jewish teachers debated whether
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4
Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke: 9:51–24:53 (Vol. 2, pp. 1209–1210). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible Exposition Commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 224–225). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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Luke 13:8
Israel’s repentance could change the set time of the end, but they agreed that God could suspend
His judgment if He saw repentance.”5
d. “Just as the owner was prepared to feed it and give it another chance, so God was
prepared to allow Israel an opportunity for repentance.”6
e. “Jesus implied that his nation was having its last opportunity to make good before the
judgment of God would fall because of its rebellion and unproductiveness.”7
5
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Lk 13:8). Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press.
6
Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century
edition (4th ed., p. 1002). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
7
Pfeiffer, C. F., & Harrison, E. F. (Eds.). (1962). The Wycliffe Bible Commentary: New Testament (Lk 13:1).
Chicago: Moody Press.
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