Chapter
Verse

Proverbs 27:18

ESV Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored.
NIV The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever protects their master will be honored.
NASB One who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And one who cares for his master will be honored.
CSB Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever looks after his master will be honored.
NLT As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit, so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded.
KJV Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
NKJV Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit; So he who waits on his master will be honored.

What does Proverbs 27:18 mean?

Whether found in the Bible or elsewhere, a "proverb" is a short statement of common sense or wisdom. These are not absolute rules, but they do represent typical cases. Here, Solomon (Proverbs 25:1) notes that diligence and hard work usually pay off. A person who puts in the necessary work will—in most cases—see the expected rewards of those efforts. Farmers can't reap crops unless they plant and tend to them. Athletes succeed because they've invested time and effort in training. An employee is more likely to be honored and promoted by an employer when they do good work. Any righteous effort to work hard, for the right things, will ultimately be rewarded by God (Ephesians 6:5–8).

Figs were an important source of food in the ancient world. When Jesus and His disciples came upon a fig tree that was barren, He cursed it (Matthew 21:18–19). In Amos 4:9 the Lord said He was chastising Israel to lead them to repent. He recalls: "I struck you with blight and mildew…your fig trees and your olive trees the locusts devoured; yet you did not return to me."
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