The Olive Tree Allegory

Treating the Decaying Olive Tree by Grafting and Transplanting

Jacob 5:7–9

The master instructs his servant to remove the dying branches, burn them, remove the new off shoots to plant elsewhere, and to graft in braches from a wild olive tree.

And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard saw it, and he said unto his servant:

“It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, go and pluck the branches from a wild olive–tree, and bring them hither unto me; and we will pluck off those main branches which are beginning to wither away, and we will cast them into the fire that they may be burned.

“And behold,” saith the Lord of the vineyard, “I take away many of these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will; and it mattereth not that if it so be that the root of this tree will perish, I may preserve the fruit thereof unto myself; wherefore, I will take these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will.

“Take thou the branches of the wild olive–tree, and graft them in, in the stead thereof; and these which I have plucked off I will cast into the fire and burn them, that they may not cumber the ground of my vineyard.”

Jacob 5:10

The servant does as instructed.

And it came to pass that the servant of the Lord of the vineyard did according to the word of the Lord of the vineyard, and grafted in the branches of the wild olive–tree.

Jacob 5:11–13

The master tells his servant to dig, prune, and nourish the tree, and then to graft the offshoots he removed to various locations in the vineyard.

And the Lord of the vineyard caused that it should be digged about, and pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant:

“It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I might preserve the roots thereof that they perish not, that I might preserve them unto myself, I have done this thing.

“Wherefore, go thy way; watch the tree, and nourish it, according to my words. And these will I place in the nethermost part of my vineyard, whithersoever I will, it mattereth not unto thee; and I do it that I may preserve unto myself the natural branches of the tree; and also, that I may lay up fruit thereof against the season, unto myself; for it grieveth me that I should lose this tree and the fruit thereof.”

Jacob 5:14

The servant does as instructed.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard went his way, and hid the natural branches of the tame olive–tree in the nethermost parts of the vineyard, some in one and some in another, according to his will and pleasure.