Mark 11:13 Meaning and Explanation
“And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Seeing a leafy fig tree from afar, Jesus comes looking for fruit but finds only leaves, for the season of figs had not yet come.
What Does Mark 11:13 Mean?
A fig tree in full leaf advertised something to eat, for such trees ordinarily bear early knobs of edible fruit before the main summer crop. This tree, leafing ahead of its season, promised what it did not have. Jesus searches it and finds leaves only.
The tree becomes a living picture of the temple Jesus surveyed the evening before—splendid foliage, no fruit. The prophets had long figured Israel as a fig tree, and fruitlessness as the grief of the God who came seeking (Hosea 9:10; Jeremiah 8:13; Micah 7:1). The warning reaches every generation: leaves are not figs, and profession is not fruit. The Lord who draws near in hunger looks beneath appearance for the harvest of real devotion—prayer, mercy, justice, love.
Mark 11:13 in the Original Language
kairos (καιρός), 'time' -- the fitting or appointed season; the main fig crop was not yet due.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 11:13
What does Mark 11:13 mean?
Seeing a leafy fig tree from afar, Jesus comes looking for fruit but finds only leaves, for the season of figs had not yet come.