Luke 13:7 Meaning and Explanation
“Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →After three fruitless years the owner tells the vinedresser to cut the tree down: why should it waste the ground?
What Does Luke 13:7 Mean?
The owner speaks to the dresser of his vineyard, the worker who tends it. Three years he has come seeking figs — patient, repeated visits, not one impatient glance — and three years found nothing. His sentence is the sober logic of any farmer: a barren tree only drains soil, sun, and space that fruitful trees could use.
The verse states the seriousness behind all the warnings of this chapter: privilege without fruit cannot stand forever. Yet even the sentence is spoken to the gardener, within a conversation where mercy will plead. God is not eager to cut down, but He is honest that barrenness has an end. The question the tree cannot ask — is anything growing? — is ours to answer while it is still called today.
Luke 13:7 in the Original Language
katargeo (καταργέω), 'cumbereth' -- to make idle or useless, wasting the ground it occupies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 13:7
What does Luke 13:7 mean?
After three fruitless years the owner tells the vinedresser to cut the tree down: why should it waste the ground?