And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The "digging around" and "putting on manure" aren't just rustic details; they show the intense effort and messy work involved in trying to bring life to something that's stubbornly unproductive. It highlights that God's patience isn't passive waiting, but an active, deliberate process of cultivation, even for those who seem beyond hope.
And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is telling a parable about a fig tree that isn't producing fruit. The owner wants to cut it down, but the vinedresser pleads for one more year, promising to tend to it specifically. This plea represents Christ's intercession for a people or individuals who are unfruitful, asking for more time and offering to use specific methods to help them produce fruit before judgment falls.
Imagine God, the owner of the vineyard, ready to give up on a struggling tree. But then, someone steps in, begging for just a little more time. Who is this intercessor, and what does their plea reveal?
In this parable, the vinedresser pleads with the 'Sir' (the owner of the vineyard) to spare the barren fig tree for one more year.
It's not enough to just wait. The vinedresser has a plan! What does 'digging around' and 'adding manure' actually mean for us today?
The vinedresser doesn't just ask for patience; he promises specific actions to help the tree bear fruit.
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While the vinedresser pleads for time, there's an underlying tension. What happens if, even after all this care, the tree still doesn't bear fruit?
The parable doesn't end with endless patience. There's a clear consequence for continued unfruitfulness.
This parable speaks to a specific, urgent period for Israel. The 'digging and dunging' represents not just general spiritual effort, but the intense, focused ministry of Jesus and the early apostles, a final season of grace before impending judgment.
c. 27 AD
Jesus' Baptism and Beginning of Ministry
Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, marking the start of His public ministry. This sets the stage for the parable's urgency, as the 'last year' begins.
c. 27-30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Galilean and Judean Ministry
Jesus travels, teaches, and performs miracles throughout Galilee and Judea. This period represents the concentrated 'digging and dunging' – intensive efforts to bring forth fruit from the chosen people.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The ultimate sacrifice is made. This event is central to the vine-dresser's intercession and the subsequent period of grace for Israel.
c. 30-40 AD
Early Apostolic Ministry
Following Pentecost, the apostles preach the Gospel, particularly to the Jews in Jerusalem and surrounding areas. This represents a continuation of the 'digging and dunging' – a final period of intense cultivation.
c. 40 AD
Paul's Conversion and Gentile Mission
The mission to the Gentiles intensifies, shifting focus away from solely the Jewish people. This marks a significant transition after years of focused cultivation on Israel.
66 AD
Outbreak of the First Jewish-Roman War
The Jewish revolt against Roman rule begins, escalating the judgment foreshadowed in the parable. This war directly leads to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
70 AD
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Roman army under Titus sacks Jerusalem and destroys the Second Temple. This fulfills Jesus' prophecy and the judgment implied in the parable for the unfruitful fig tree (the nation of Israel).
Jesus, the true Vinedresser, uses the imagery of a fruitful vine and its branches to illustrate the relationship between himself and his followers, emphasizing the necessity of bearing fruit.
Matthew 3:10John the Baptist's powerful warning echoes the Vinedresser's threat, highlighting that trees not producing good fruit are cut down and thrown into the fire, underscoring the seriousness of spiritual unfruitfulness.
Galatians 5:22-23This passage describes the 'fruit of the Spirit,' offering a clear picture of what true spiritual fruit looks like, contrasting with the barrenness the fig tree represents.
2 Peter 3:9Peter explains that the Lord's 'longsuffering' and delay in judgment is not neglect, but an opportunity for repentance, mirroring the Vinedresser's plea for more time for the tree to bear fruit.
Romans 8:19-22This passage speaks of creation's eager expectation for the revealing of God's sons, hinting at a cosmic desire for fruitfulness and redemption, aligning with the hope that the fig tree might yet produce fruit.
jfbLuke 13:8: "And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:"
- he answering, &c.—Christ, as Intercessor, loath to see it cut down so long as there was any hope (see Lu 13:34).dig, &c.—loosen the earth about it and enrich it with manure; pointing to changes of method in the divine treatment of the impenitent, in order to freshen spiritual culture.
pulpitLuke 13:8: "And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:"
Verse 8. - And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it. The last year - the year of grace they who listened to him then were living in. It was the last summons to repentance, the final reminder to the old covenant people that to their high privileges as the chosen race there were duties attached. They prided themsel…
The "digging around" and "putting on manure" aren't just rustic details; they show the intense effort and messy work involved in trying to bring life to something that's stubbornly unproductive. It highlights that God's patience isn't passive waiting, but an active, deliberate process of cultivation, even for those who seem beyond hope.
Jesus is telling a parable about a fig tree that isn't producing fruit. The owner wants to cut it down, but the vinedresser pleads for one more year, promising to tend to it specifically. This plea represents Christ's intercession for a people or individuals who are unfruitful, asking for more time and offering to use specific methods to help them produce fruit before judgment falls.
Jesus is telling a parable about a fig tree that isn't producing fruit. The owner wants to cut it down, but the vinedresser pleads for one more year, promising to tend to it specifically. This plea represents Christ's intercession for a people or individuals who are unfruitful, asking for more time and offering to use specific methods to help them produce fruit before judgment falls.
"And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”" — The "digging around" and "putting on manure" aren't just rustic details; they show the intense effort and messy work involved in trying to bring life to something that's stubbornly unproductive. It h…
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Last reviewed October 2026