This saying asserts that the servant who looks after his master will receive praise, just as surely as the gardener who looks after a fig tree will eat its figs.
“He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit”: “Tends” means “takes care of” or “cultivates.” If the “fig tree” is unknown, a local fruit tree that requires tending may be used. If there is no suitable local tree, a general term such as “a tree that bears fruit” may be satisfactory. This line is used as a comparison for the main thought in the second line.
“And he who guards his master will be honored”: “Guards” renders a word meaning to “take care of,” “protect,” or “watch over.” “His master” refers to the owner, employer, or person who has a servant. In some languages this person is called a “boss man.” “Be honored” means to receive praise, respect, or esteem.
A good model for the translation of this verse is: “Workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat its fruit. In the same way, workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded.”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 27:18:
Kupsabiny: “If you take care of a cow, it will take care of you, but/and if you guard the things of your master, he will reward you.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “The one who cares for the tree will also get to eat its fruit. Everyone will praise the one who cares for his master.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “If you (sing.) will-tend a fig tree, you (sing.) can-eat its fruit. (It is) like also if you (sing.) will-tend your (sing.) master, he will-honor you (sing.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The one who takes-care-of figs, he eats from its fruit. Likewise also the one who is resolute to serve his master will be praised.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
English: “Those who take care of fig trees will have figs to eat; similarly, servants who protect their master will be honored by him.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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.
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