Mark 11:14

And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. AND JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO IT, NO MAN EAT FRUIT OF THEE HEREAFTER FOREVER. That word did not make the tree barren, but sealed it up in its own barrenness. See the notes at Matthew 13:13. AND HIS DISCIPLES HEARD IT - and marked the saying. This is introduced as a connecting link, to explain what was afterward to be said on the subject, as the narrative has to proceed to the other transactions of this day....

12-18 Christ looked to find some fruit, for the time of gathering figs, though it was near, was not yet come; but he found none. He made this fig-tree an example, not to the trees, but to the men of that generation. It was a figure of the doom upon the Jewish church, to which he came seeking fruit, but found none. Christ went to the temple, and began to reform the abuses in its courts, to show that when the Redeemer came to Zion, it was to turn away ungodliness from Jacob. The scribes and the chief priests sought, not how they might make their peace with him, but how they might destroy him. A desperate attempt, which they could not but fear was fighting against God....

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 21:18. Mark 11:11 INTO THE TEMPLE - Not into the edifice properly called “the temple,” but into the “courts” which surrounded the principal edifice. Our Saviour, not being of the tribe of Levi, was not permitted to enter into the holy or most holy place; and when, therefore, it is said that he went into the “temple,” it is always to be understood of the “courts” surrounding the temple. See the notes at Matthew 21:12. AND WHEN HE HAD LOOKED ROUND ABOUT UPON ALL THINGS - Having seen or examined everything. He saw the abominations and abuses which he afterw

EXPOSITION MARK 11:1 AND WHEN THEY DREW NIGH UNTO JERUSALEM, UNTO BETHPHAGE AND BETHANY, AT THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. St. Matthew (Matthew 21:1) says, "When they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage." St. Mark mentions the three places together, because Bethphage and Bethany, being near together, were also both of them close to Jerusalem. The distance from Jericho to Jerusalem (about seventeen miles) would involve a journey of about seven hours. The country between Jerusalem and Jericho is hilly, rugged, and desolate. It is from the height overhanging Bethany that the finest view of Jerusalem is gained. It appears from St. John (John 12:1)

AND JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO IT,.... The fig tree; a Jewish way of speaking, often used when nothing before is said; the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, leave out the word "answered", as they do also the word "Jesus"; and which is likewise omitted by the Vulgate Latin, though the other is retained: NO MAN EAT FRUIT OF THEE HEREAFTER FOR EVER; which is all one, as if he had said, as the other evangelist does, let no fruit grow on thee; for where no fruit is, none can be had, or eaten of. This tree may not only be an emblem of the Jewish people, who made a great show of religion, and enjoyed a great many privileges; and from whom, speaking after the manner of men, the fruits of good works, righteousness, and holiness, might have been hoped and looked for; when instead thereof, there was nothing but talk about them, and an observance of some insignificant rites and traditions of t...

PART III. THE SERVANT IN JERUSALEM PRESENTED AS KING AND REJECTED -- Chapter s 11-13 Chapter 11 __ 1. The Servant enters into Jerusalem. (Mark 11:1 .Matthew 21:1; Luke 19:28; John 12:12) 2. The fig tree cursed. (Mark 11:12. Compare with Matthew 21:19) 3. The Cleansing of the Temple. (Mark 11:15....

THE CURSING OF THE FIG-TREE. Though it is difficult to believe that Jesus spent only one crowded week in Jerusalem, Mk. here becomes confidently precise in chronology, and he tells the story of the fig-tree, distinguishing the stages in it, as if he were following exact recollections. On the first evening, Jesus surveyed the Temple, not as if He had never seen it before, but to determine His course of action. After looking round, He withdrew to Bethany. The next day occurred the incident of the fig-tree a difficult story, absent from Lk. One is tempted to suppose either that the parable of the barren fig-tree (Luke 13:6 *) has been transformed into incident, or, as HNT suggests, that the story grew round some conspicuous dead tree in the vicinity of Jerusalem. As Mk. relates it, it does not read even as an acted parable, symbolic of judgment on the fruitlessness of Judaism....

THE COMING OF THE KING (Mark 11:1-6)...

ANSWERED AND SAID. Hebrew Idiom. See note on Deuteronomy 1:41. NO MAN. No one. OF. Greek. _ek_ App-104. FOR EVER. Greek. _eis ton aiona._ See App-151. HIS DISCIPLES HEARD.. Divine supplement, here. They heard also the Lord's teaching as to the symbol. See Mark 11:20....

_answered and said unto it_ "arbori fructum neganti." Bengel. _No man eat fruit_ "_And presently_," i. e. _immediately_, writes St Matthew (Matthew 21:19), "the fig tree withered away," though the disciples did not notice it till the following morning. Thus our blessed Lord exhibited at once a Parable and a Prophecy _in action_....