Figs: The Biblical King of Trees

כִּי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְבִיאֲךָ אֶל־אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה אֶרֶץ נַחֲלֵי מָיִם עֲיָנֹת וּתְהֹמֹת יֹצְאִים בַּבִּקְעָה וּבָהָר׃

KEE a-do-NAI e-lo-HE-kha m’-vee-a-KHA el E-retz to-VAH E-retz NA-kha-lay MA-yim a-ya-NOT ut-ho-MOT yo-tz’-EEM ba-bik-AH u-va-HAR

For Hashem your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams and springs and fountains issuing from plain and hill;

אֶרֶץ חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה וְגֶפֶן וּתְאֵנָה וְרִמּוֹן אֶרֶץ־זֵית שֶׁמֶן וּדְבָשׁ׃

E-retz khi-TAH us-o-RAH v’-GE-fen ut-ay-NAH v’-ree-MON e-retz ZAYT SHE-men ud-VASH

a land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey;

וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל־פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר תָּבִיא מֵאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ וְשַׂמְתָּ בַטֶּנֶא וְהָלַכְתָּ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם׃

v-la-kakh-TA may-ray-SHEET kol p’-REE ha-a-da-MAH a-SHER ta-VEE may-ar-tz’-KHA a-SHER a-do-NAY e-lo-HE-kha no-TAYN LKAH v’-sam-TA va-TE-ne v’-ha-lakh-TA el ha-ma-KOM a-SHER yiv-KHAR a-do-NAI e-lo-HE-kha l’-sha-KAYN sh’-MO SHAM

you shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land that Hashem your God is giving you, put it in a basket and go to the place where Hashem your God will choose to establish His name.

וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה עֵינֵי שְׁנֵיהֶם וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי עֵירֻמִּם הֵם וַיִּתְפְּרוּ עֲלֵה תְאֵנָה וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם חֲגֹרֹת׃

va-ti-pa-KAKH-nah ay-NAY sh’-nay-HEM va-y’-DU kee ay-ru-MIM HEM va-yi-t’-PRU a-LEH t’-ay-NAH va-ya-a-SU la-HEM cha-go-ROT

Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths.

וַיֵּשֶׁב יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָבֶטַח אִישׁ תַּחַת גַּפְנוֹ וְתַחַת תְּאֵנָתוֹ מִדָּן וְעַד־בְּאֵר שָׁבַע כֹּל יְמֵי שְׁלֹמֹה׃

vai-YAY-shev y’-hu-DAH v’-yis-ra-AYL la-ve-TAKH eesh ta-KHAT gaf-NO v’-ta-KHAT te-e-NA-to mi-DAN v’-ad b’-AYR sha-VA kol ye-MAY sh’-lo-MO. (S)

All the days of Shlomo, Yehuda and Yisrael from Dan to Be’er Sheva dwelt in safety, everyone under his own vine and under his own fig tree.

וְיָשְׁבוּ אִישׁ תַּחַת גַּפְנוֹ וְתַחַת תְּאֵנָתוֹ וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד כִּי־פִי יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת דִּבֵּר׃

v’-ya-sh’-VU EESH TA-khat gaf-NO v’-TA-khat t’-ay-na-TO v’-AYN ma-kha-REED kee FEE a-do-NAI tz’-va-OT di-BAYR

But every man shall sit Under his grapevine or fig tree With no one to disturb him. For it was God the lord of Hosts who spoke.

אָסֹף אֲסִיפֵם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה אֵין עֲנָבִים בַּגֶּפֶן וְאֵין תְּאֵנִים בַּתְּאֵנָה וְהֶעָלֶה נָבֵל וָאֶתֵּן לָהֶם יַעַבְרוּם׃

a-SOF a-SEE-fem ne-UM a-do-NAI, AYN a-na-VIM ba-GE-fen v’-AYN t’-E-nim ba-t’-E-na, v’-he-a-LEH na-VAYL va-e-TAYN la-HEM ya-a-v’-RUM

I will make an end of them —declares Hashem: No grapes left on the vine, No figs on the fig tree, The leaves all withered; Whatever I have given them is gone.

כִּי־תְאֵנָה לֹא־תִפְרָח וְאֵין יְבוּל בַּגְּפָנִים כִּחֵשׁ מַעֲשֵׂה־זַיִת וּשְׁדֵמוֹת לֹא־עָשָׂה אֹכֶל גָּזַר מִמִּכְלָה צֹאן וְאֵין בָּקָר בָּרְפָתִים׃

ki-te-E-na lo-tif-RACH v’-AYN ye-VUL ba-ge-fa-NIM ki-KHESH ma-a-SEH-za-YIT u-sh’-DE-MOT lo-a-SA o-KHEL ga-ZAR mi-mikh-LAH tzo-AN v’-AYN ba-KAR ba-ro-FA-tim

Though the fig tree does not bud And no yield is on the vine, Though the olive crop has failed And the fields produce no grain, Though sheep have vanished from the fold And no cattle are in the pen,

כַּעֲנָבִים בַּמִּדְבָּר מָצָאתִי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּבִכּוּרָה בִתְאֵנָה בְּרֵאשִׁיתָהּ רָאִיתִי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם הֵמָּה בָּאוּ בַעַל־פְּעוֹר וַיִּנָּזְרוּ לַבֹּשֶׁת וַיִּהְיוּ שִׁקּוּצִים כְּאָהֳבָם׃

ka-a-na-VEEM ba-mid-BAR ma-TZA-tee yis-ra-AYL k’-vi-ku-RAH vit-ay-NAH b’-ray-shee-TAH ra-EE-tee a-vo-tay-KHEM HAY-mah BA-u va-al p’-OR va-yi-na-z’-RU la-BO-shet va-yih-YU shi-ku-TZEEM k’-a-ho-VAM

I found Yisrael [as pleasing] As grapes in the wilderness; Your fathers seemed to Me Like the first fig to ripen on a fig tree. But when they came to Baal-peor, They turned aside to shamefulness; Then they became as detested As they had been loved.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָעֵצִים לַתְּאֵנָה לְכִי־אַתְּ מָלְכִי עָלֵינוּ׃

va-yo-m’-RU ha-ay-TZEEM la-t’-ay-NAH, l’-khee AT mol-KHEE a-LAY-nu

So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’

וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הַתְּאֵנָה הֶחֳדַלְתִּי אֶת־מָתְקִי וְאֶת־תְּנוּבָתִי הַטּוֹבָה וְהָלַכְתִּי לָנוּעַ עַל־הָעֵצִים׃

va-TO-mer la-HEM ha-t’-AY-nah he-kho-DAL-tee et mot-KEE v’-et t’-nu-va-TEE ha-to-VAH, v’-ha-lakh-TEE la-NU-a al ha-ay-TZEEM

But the fig tree replied, ‘Have I stopped yielding my sweetness, my delicious fruit, that I should go and wave above the trees?’

וַיֹּאמֶר יְשַׁעְיָהוּ יִשְׂאוּ דְּבֶלֶת תְּאֵנִים וְיִמְרְחוּ עַל־הַשְּׁחִין וְיֶחִי׃

vai-YO-mer y’-sha-YA-hu, yis-U d’-VE-let t’-E-nim, v’-yim-r’-KHU al ha-sh’-KHEEN v’-YE-khi

When Yeshayahu said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the rash, and he will recover,”