Focused Passage

Matthew 21:18-22

The King Enters Jerusalem, Judges Fruitless Religion, and Exposes Rejected-Son Leadership

Matthew moves from messianic entry, to temple judgment and healing, to children’s praise and leader indignation, to the prophetic sign of the fig tree, to a challenge over Jesus’ authority, to parables exposing false obedience and murderous stewardship, and finally to Jesus’ declaration that the rejected stone becomes the cornerstone and the kingdom will be given to a fruit-bearing people.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

18In the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry.

19Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.

20When the disciples saw this, they marveled and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”

21“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 18

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionIn the morningΠρωῒG4404Adverbas [Jesus] was returningἐπανάγων*G1877Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingulartoεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularcityπόλινG4172Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularHe was hungryἐπείνασενG3983Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 19

Original words

-καὶG2532ConjunctionSeeingἰδὼνG3708Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularaμίανG1520Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singularfig treeσυκῆνG4808Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularbyἐπὶG1909PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularroadὁδοῦG3598Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularHe went upἦλθενG2064Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singulartoἐπ’G1909PrepositionitαὐτήνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person SingularbutκαὶG2532ConjunctionfoundεὗρενG2147Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularnothingοὐδὲνG3762Adjective - Accusative Neuter SingularonἐνG1722PrepositionitαὐτῇG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Feminine 3rd Person SingularexceptεἰG1487Conjunction. . .μὴG3361Adverb. . .μόνονG3440AdverbleavesφύλλαG5444Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralvvv〈Οὐ〉G3756AdverbMay you never bearγένηταιG1096Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 3rd Person Singular. . .εἰςG1519Preposition. . .τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Singular. . .αἰῶναG165Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular. . .ἐκG1537Preposition. . .σοῦG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person SingularfruitκαρπὸςG2590Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularagainμηκέτιG3371Adverb-καὶG2532ConjunctionHe saidλέγειG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-αὐτῇG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Feminine 3rd Person SingularAndκαὶG2532ConjunctionimmediatelyπαραχρῆμαG3916AdverbtheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingulartreeσυκῆG4808Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularwitheredἐξηράνθηG3583Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 20

Original words

WhenΚαὶG2532ConjunctiontheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluraldisciplesμαθηταὶG3101Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralsaw [this]ἰδόντεςG3708Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Pluralthey marveledἐθαύμασανG2296Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural[and] askedλέγοντεςG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralHow {did}ΠῶςG4459AdverbtheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine Singularfig treeσυκῆG4808Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularwitherἐξηράνθηG3583Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singularso quicklyπαραχρῆμαG3916Adverb
Verse 21

Original words

TrulyἈμὴνG281Hebrew WordI tellλέγωG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularyouὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural-δὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularrepliedἈποκριθεὶςG611Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular. . .εἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .αὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralifἐὰνG1437Conjunctionyou haveἔχητεG2192Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person PluralfaithπίστινG4102Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction{do} notμὴG3361AdverbdoubtδιακριθῆτεG1252Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 2nd Person PluralnotοὐG3756AdverbonlyμόνονG3440Adverbwill you doποιήσετεG4160Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person Pluralwhat was doneτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singularto theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularfig treeσυκῆςG4808Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularbutἀλλὰG235Conjunctioneven ifκἂνG2579Adverbyou sayεἴπητεG2036Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Pluralto thisτούτῳG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singular-τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularmountainὄρειG3735Noun - Dative Neuter SingularBe lifted upἌρθητιG142Verb - Aorist Imperative Passive - 2nd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionthrownβλήθητιG906Verb - Aorist Imperative Passive - 2nd Person SingularintoεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularseaθάλασσανG2281Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularit will happenγενήσεταιG1096Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 22

Original words

-καὶG2532ConjunctionIf you believeπιστεύοντεςG4100Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Pluralyou will receiveλήμψεσθεG2983Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 2nd Person PluralwhateverπάνταG3956Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural. . .ὅσαG3745Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural. . .ἂνG302Particleyou ask forαἰτήσητεG154Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person PluralinἐνG1722Preposition-τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularprayerπροσευχῇG4335Noun - Dative Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.