כִּי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְבִיאֲךָ אֶל־אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה אֶרֶץ נַחֲלֵי מָיִם עֲיָנֹת וּתְהֹמֹת יֹצְאִים בַּבִּקְעָה וּבָהָר׃
For Hashem your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams and springs and fountains issuing from plain and hill;
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
Deuteronomy 8:7
אֶרֶץ חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה וְגֶפֶן וּתְאֵנָה וְרִמּוֹן אֶרֶץ־זֵית שֶׁמֶן וּדְבָשׁ׃
a land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey;
E-retz khi-TAH us-o-RAH v'-GE-fen ut-ay-NAH v'-ree-MON e-retz ZAYT SHE-men ud-VASH
Deuteronomy 8:8
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׃
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.
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
Deuteronomy 26:2
וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה עֵינֵי שְׁנֵיהֶם וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי עֵירֻמִּם הֵם וַיִּתְפְּרוּ עֲלֵה תְאֵנָה וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם חֲגֹרֹת׃
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.
Genesis 3:7
וַיֵּשֶׁב יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָבֶטַח אִישׁ תַּחַת גַּפְנוֹ וְתַחַת תְּאֵנָתוֹ מִדָּן וְעַד־בְּאֵר שָׁבַע כֹּל יְמֵי שְׁלֹמֹה׃
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.
1 Kings 5:5
וְיָשְׁבוּ אִישׁ תַּחַת גַּפְנוֹ וְתַחַת תְּאֵנָתוֹ וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד כִּי־פִי יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת דִּבֵּר׃
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.
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
Micah 4:4
וְנִבְחַר מָוֶת מֵחַיִּים לְכֹל הַשְּׁאֵרִית הַנִּשְׁאָרִים מִן־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת בְּכָל־הַמְּקֹמוֹת הַנִּשְׁאָרִים אֲשֶׁר הִדַּחְתִּים שָׁם נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃
And death shall be preferable to life for all that are left of this wicked folk, in all the other places to which I shall banish them—declares the lord of Hosts.
Jeremiah 8:3
כִּי־תְאֵנָה לֹא־תִפְרָח וְאֵין יְבוּל בַּגְּפָנִים כִּחֵשׁ מַעֲשֵׂה־זַיִת וּשְׁדֵמוֹת לֹא־עָשָׂה אֹכֶל גָּזַר מִמִּכְלָה צֹאן וְאֵין בָּקָר בָּרְפָתִים׃
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,
Habakkuk 3:17
כַּעֲנָבִים בַּמִּדְבָּר מָצָאתִי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּבִכּוּרָה בִתְאֵנָה בְּרֵאשִׁיתָהּ רָאִיתִי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם הֵמָּה בָּאוּ בַעַל־פְּעוֹר וַיִּנָּזְרוּ לַבֹּשֶׁת וַיִּהְיוּ שִׁקּוּצִים כְּאָהֳבָם׃
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.
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
Hosea 9:10
וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָעֵצִים לַתְּאֵנָה לְכִי־אַתְּ מָלְכִי עָלֵינוּ׃
So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.'
va-yo-m'-RU ha-ay-TZEEM la-t'-ay-NAH, l'-khee AT mol-KHEE a-LAY-nu
Judges 9:10
וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הַתְּאֵנָה הֶחֳדַלְתִּי אֶת־מָתְקִי וְאֶת־תְּנוּבָתִי הַטּוֹבָה וְהָלַכְתִּי לָנוּעַ עַל־הָעֵצִים׃
But the fig tree replied, ‘Have I stopped yielding my sweetness, my delicious fruit, that I should go and wave above the trees?'
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
Judges 9:11
וַיֹּאמֶר יְשַׁעְיָהוּ יִשְׂאוּ דְּבֶלֶת תְּאֵנִים וְיִמְרְחוּ עַל־הַשְּׁחִין וְיֶחִי׃
When Yeshayahu said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the rash, and he will recover,”
Isaiah 38:21
What do figs have to do with the Bible? More than you may realize.
That’s because the land of Israel was blessed but even more so through the seven traditional species (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates) as listed in Deuteronomy:
For Hashem your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams and springs and fountains issuing from plain and hill; a land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey; Deuteronomy 8:7-8
It was with these fruits that the ritual of the first fruits was performed in the Temple. The Torah commands the bringing of the first fruits from the period between the pilgrimage festivals of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles).
Thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that Hashem thy God giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket and shalt go unto the place which Hashem thy God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there. Deuteronomy 26:2
There is evidence that the common fig was among the first – if not the very first – plant species that were deliberately bred for agriculture in the Middle East, starting more than 11,000 years ago. This may have been why a fig leaf was mentioned as the first clothing mentioned in the Bible, covering up the nakedness of Adam and Eve.
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. Genesis 3:7
In prophecy, the fig tree is described as a place of pre- and post-redemption contentment:
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. I Kings 5:5
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. Micah 4:4
Conversely, the lack of figs symbolizes bad times experienced by Israel bereft of God’s blessings:
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. Jeremiah 8:13
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. Habakkuk 3:17
The fig tree is also symbolic of Israel itself – It often symbolized the health of the nation both spiritually and physically as prophesied by Hosea:
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. Hosea 9:10
It also symbolizes royalty denied as alluded to in the Book of Judges:
So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’ But the fig tree replied, ‘Have I stopped yielding my sweetness, my delicious fruit, that I should go and wave above the trees?’ Judges 9:10-11
The fig is also mentioned as a curative. A fig compress was used by Isaiah to cure King Hezekiah:
When Yeshayahu said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the rash, and he will recover.” Isaiah 38:21
The nutritional benefits of figs is affirmed by modern science, They are purported to be rich in minerals, especially potassium, iron, and calcium, and they contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Figs also contain phytosterols, which inhibit the absorption of dietary cholesterol, thus decreasing the total levels of cholesterol.
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