The Meaning of Luke 13:8 Explained

Luke 13:8

KJV: And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

YLT: 'And he answering saith to him, Sir, suffer it also this year, till that I may dig about it, and cast in dung;

Darby: But he answering says to him, Sir, let it alone for this year also, until I shall dig about it and put dung,

ASV: And he answering saith unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he answering  said  unto him,  Lord,  let  it  alone  this  year  also,  till  I shall dig  about  it,  and  dung  [it]: 

What does Luke 13:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 13:1-9 - Both Repentance And Fruitfulness Required
Our Lord did not hesitate to hang great lessons on passing events. It is a great art to lead men's thoughts from the outward and transient to the unseen and eternal. God often gives us texts in the happenings of His providence, and when men's hearts are awed and softened there is a conspicuous opportunity for striking home.
We have no right to suppose that sudden disasters prove the presence of special sin in those who are involved in them. Sin is avenged in this life, but rather in the natural sequences than by some sudden "act of God." Accidents are not necessarily punishments, and we who witness the sad fate of others have no right to congratulate ourselves on our moral or spiritual superiority. Instead of judging others, let us look to ourselves and repent.
The parable of the fig-tree, with its three years of effort to secure fruitfulness, was intended primarily for the Jewish nation favored with our Lord's three years of ministry. But it is of universal application. God is always seeking fruit; love is ever pleading, but sometimes may have to acquiesce in judgment. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 13

1  Jesus preaches repentance upon the punishment of the Galilaeans and others
6  The fruitless fig tree may not stand
10  He heals the crooked woman;
18  shows the powerful working of the word, by the parable of the grain of mustard seed,
20  and of leaven;
22  exhorts to enter in at the strait gate;
31  and reproves Herod and Jerusalem

Greek Commentary for Luke 13:8

Till I shall dig [εως οτου σκαπσω]
First aorist active subjunctive like βαλω — balō (second aorist active subjunctive of βαλλω — ballō), both common verbs. [source]
Dung it [βαλω κοπρια]
Cast dung around it, manure it. Κοπρια — Kopria late word, here alone in the N.T. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 13:8

Matthew 19:14 Suffer [ἄφετε]
Lit., leave alone. Compare Mark 14:6; Mark 15:36; Luke 13:8. Sir J. Cheke: Let these children alone. [source]
Luke 13:20 Whereunto shall I liken? [Τινι ομοιωσω]
This question alone in Luke here as in Luke 13:8. But the parable is precisely like that in Matthew 13:33, which see note for details. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 13:8 mean?

- And answering he says to him Sir let alone it also this the year until when I shall dig around and put [in] manure
δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς λέγει αὐτῷ Κύριε ἄφες αὐτὴν καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔτος ἕως ὅτου σκάψω περὶ καὶ βάλω κόπρια

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀποκριθεὶς  answering 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
λέγει  he  says 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
αὐτῷ  to  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Κύριε  Sir 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
ἄφες  let  alone 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἀφίημι 
Sense: to send away.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
τοῦτο  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ἔτος  year 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ἔτος  
Sense: year.
ἕως  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἕως  
Sense: till, until.
σκάψω  I  shall  dig 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: σκάπτω  
Sense: to dig.
περὶ  around 
Parse: Preposition
Root: περί 
Sense: about, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near.
βάλω  put  [in] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: βάλλω 
Sense: to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.
κόπρια  manure 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: κοπρία 
Sense: dung, manure.