The plants of the Bible / [John Hutton Balfour].

  • John Hutton Balfour
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The plants of the Bible / [John Hutton Balfour]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Hezekiah was afflicted, and he recovered (2 Kings xx. 7 ; Isa. xxxviii. 21). Different crops of figs are produced during the year. Early figs appeared in spring—before the leaves ex- panded (Jer. xxiv. 2). Isaiah, Hosea, and Nahum refer to the early or first ripe figs [biJchurah], or the hasty fruits before the summer (Isa. xxviii. 4 ; Hosea ix. 10; Nahum iii. 12). “When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh ” (Matt. xxiv. 32). The early green fruit is alluded to in the Song of Solomon, ii. 13. Besides the forward figs of spring, there were also summer and autumn figs. When Jesus was proceeding from Bethany to Jerusalem, “ he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only” (Matt. xxi. 18, 19). The period was early (end of March or beginning of April), and, accord- ing to Mark, “ the time of figs was not yet ” (Mark xi. 13); still, as the tree was in full leaf, it might have been expected that some early figs would have been found. Finding no appearance whatever of fruit, how- ever, our Saviour said to the tree, “ Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.”
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