complete verse (Judges 9:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 9:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “The fig tree answered, ‘Should I really abandon making my good and sweet fruits and go and trouble myself going around ruling trees?’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “But the fig tree said,
    What! Should I abandon my good, tasty fruit
    to become king of the trees?’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The fig answered, ‘Do- I rather -choose to rule-over you (plur.) than to give tasty fruit? Never!’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘But the fig tree replied, ‘No! I do not want to stop producing my good sweet fruit, and rule over you other trees!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

fig

Two types of fig trees are mentioned in the Bible, the Common Fig Ficus carica (Hebrew te’enah) and the Sycomore Fig Ficus sycomorus (Hebrew shiqmah; see “Sycomore fig”). They are closely related. The common fig tree grows not only in Israel, but throughout the world in warm climates. In the Holy Land it was a common source of food; the fruit was eaten both fresh and dried. Sometimes the dried ones were pressed together to form flat “cakes” or blocks (Hebrew develah). But, just as important, the large leaves of the fig make it an excellent shade tree. However, the first use of the fig mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 3:7) was not for food or shade but for clothing; Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves for themselves to cover their nakedness.

The fig was probably domesticated in northwestern Turkey from a wild variety that grew there around 5000 years ago. Greek, Roman, and Egyptian records indicate that the fruits were popular. Figs are now grown especially in Israel, Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Portugal, as well as in the warm parts of the United States.

The fig is believed to be indigenous to western Asia and to have been distributed by humans and birds throughout the Mediterranean area. Remnants of figs have been found in excavations of sites traced to at least 5000 B.C.

The domesticated fig grows to about 5-8 meters (17-26 feet) and has a round crown and very deep and round roots. The trunk may grow to be more than 70 centimeters (2 feet) thick. Fig trees may grow to be several decades old, if they are well cared for. Figs are usually propagated by planting cuttings. The pollination of the flowers is an amazingly intricate process closely linked to the life cycle of a tiny wasp, and the fact that fig trees, like papayas and date palms, are male or female. (There are now some kinds of figs that produce fruit without pollination.) The fruits are about the size of a hen’s egg and can be green, yellow, purple, or brown depending on the type. They are sweet and soft and difficult to transport. For that reason most farmers dry the fruits before shipping them. The “fruit” of the fig is technically a strangely shaped flower. Noting the absence of a “real” flower, the ancient people of India called it a flowerless tree.

The common fig tree, along with the vine and the olive, is one of the three “top trees” for the Jews. The Bible refers to the fig over 270 times. The image of peace and happiness in Israel was “every man under his vine and under his fig tree” (1 Kings 4:25).

Wild figs are common throughout the tropical world; there are at least eight hundred species of Ficus, thirty-two in southern Africa alone. The banyan, peepul, and bo are all types of fig. The fruits of wild fig trees are not nearly as juicy or sweet as those of the domesticated ones. In many places people eat the fruit when they find it in the wild, but do not market it or cultivate the trees. Translators are urged to use the local word, and, if necessary, use a footnote to indicate the difference between the local one and the biblical one. Where it is not known at all, transliterations from a major language may be used in nonfigurative contexts.

Fig tree, Wikimedia Commons
Fig leaves, photo by Ray Pritz

Source: Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

Translation commentary on Judges 9:11

But the fig tree said to them …: Following the pattern of the previous response, the fig tree also declines the invitation of the other trees. Since this is a refusal, But is an appropriate connector here. In Hebrew the word for “olive tree” is masculine, while the word for fig tree is feminine, so the fig tree said is literally “she said the fig tree.” Translators will need to use whatever pronouns or agreement is necessary. In some languages trees belong to a special noun class category and will have their own special forms of agreement. For said see verse 9.9.

Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit…?: This is another rhetorical question. For Shall I leave, see verse 9.9. The same wording used there should be used here, whether an interrogative or statement form. My sweetness refers to the flavor of the fig and parallels “my fatness” of the olive tree. In many languages it will not be possible to speak abstractly of my sweetness. Translators may have to combine it with my good fruit by saying “my good sweet fruit” (Good News Translation). The general Hebrew word for good (tov), often found in this part of the book, could refer to size and sweetness and implies the fruit is good to eat.

And go to sway over the trees: See verse 9.9. It is important that the same wording be used throughout the fable since repetition is an important characteristic of this genre.

We can translate this verse as follows:

• But Fig Tree also declined their offer, saying, ‘How could I stop producing my good sweet fruit just to rule over some trees?’

• But the fig tree answered, ‘What, give up production of my good sweet fruit? I won’t give this up to rule trees!’

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .