Sycamore Fig

Biblical References

• 1 Kings 10:27; 2 Chronicles 1:15; 9:27: These passages record that in the time of Solomon cedars became as plentiful "as the sycomore trees that are in the vale" (1 Kings 10:27). Comparing cedars to so common a tree conveys the prosperity of the kingdom.
• 1 Chronicles 27:28: Among the holdings of King David, a separate official was placed "over the olive trees and the sycomore trees that were in the low plains."
• Psalm 78:47: The psalmist sings that God "destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost" in Egypt, a verse that recalls the ten plagues.
• Isaiah 9:10: The people of the northern kingdom of Israel boast, "the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars." The saying contrasts cheap sycamore-fig timber with costly cedar.
• Amos 7:14: Amos declares that he is not a professional prophet but "an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit."
• Luke 19:4: Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector of Jericho, climbs this tree because he is too short to see Jesus over the crowd.

Background

The sycamore fig is sensitive to frost and grows in warm lowlands such as the coastal plain and the Jordan Valley. Its fruit is smaller and less flavorful than that of the common fig and is thought to have been eaten chiefly by the poor. Its wood is light and durable and was used in construction; in ancient Egypt it was reportedly also used to make coffins.

The Hebrew word Amos used to describe his work is understood to refer to the practice of nicking or puncturing the fruit so that it ripens more quickly and becomes sweeter. The Septuagint likewise rendered the term with a word meaning "to scrape." The "sycamore" of English Bibles is a different tree from the plane trees and related trees called sycamores in Europe and America. It should also be distinguished from the "sycamine tree" (Greek sykaminos) of Luke 17:6.

Translation Issues in Korean Bibles

The Korean Revised Version, which preceded the New Korean Revised Version, rendered this tree as ppongnamu ("mulberry tree") both in the Old Testament and in Luke 19:4. The New Korean Revised Version changed Luke 19:4 to dolmuhwagwanamu ("sycamore fig"), but it reportedly retains ppongnamu in many Old Testament passages. More recent translations, such as the New Korean Standard Version, often render it dolmuhwagwa.

Interpretation and Debate

Amos was from Tekoa in the southern kingdom of Judah (Amos 1:1). Tekoa, however, lies in the highlands, where the sycamore fig does not grow well. For this reason some scholars suggest that he went down to lower regions seasonally to work. Opinions also differ as to whether Amos was a poor hired laborer or a man who owned livestock and orchards. Interpreters generally agree, however, that the point of the text is that he did not take up prophecy as a profession but came forward in response to God's call.

In preaching, the story of Zacchaeus is often read as illustrating the zeal of a man who set aside his dignity to seek Jesus, or as a picture of the grace of salvation. A tree in present-day Jericho is pointed out as "Zacchaeus's tree," but this identification is a pilgrimage tradition, not something the text itself states.

In the Korean Church

Because the Korean Revised Version was used for so long, the expression "the mulberry tree Zacchaeus climbed" remains familiar among Korean church members. The story of Zacchaeus is frequently taught in Sunday school lessons and children's sermons.