"his branch" or "her branch" in Mat. 24:32 & Mk. 13:28 - Time for Truth

"his branch" or "her branch" in Mat. 24:32 & Mk. 13:28
“His branch” or “Her branch”?
A man who calls himself Jovial is going around the internet clubs posting alleged errors he
thinks he has found in the King James Bible. Here is one of the “errors” he thinks he has found
in this great Book of the Lord. He posts:
Introducing Unecessary Gospel Conflicts
Sometimes inconsistant translation produces conflicts in places where the same text is common
to more than one place.
One of the most commonly cited reason for renouncing the faith by those who have read the
scriptures daily is contradictions in the New Testament. Is the KJV adding unnecessarily to
apostacy by poor translations?
Mistranslations, added text, and inconsistant translating have all caused the KJV version of the
Gospels to appear to conflict more than they do.
In Matt 24:32 = Mark 13:28, the KJV creates an unecessary conflict where
Matt 24:32 = "...when his branch..." (KJV) while
Mark 13:28 = "...when her branch..." (KJV)
Yet in the Greek, both verses read "authV", which is feminine, and thus both should read "her",
not "his" ! So in the Greek, Matt 24:32 = Mark 13:28 perfectly fine, but the KJV mistranslates
"her" in Matt 24:32 as "his". This pronoun replaces the word "fig tree (thV sukhV)", which is
feminine, adding confirmation that this should be "her", not "his". (End of comments by Jovial)
In Matt 24:32 = Mark 13:28, the KJV creates an unecessary conflict where
• Matt 24:32 = "...when his branch..." (KJV) while
• Mark 13:28 = "...when her branch..." (KJV)
Now to address this example -
The man who makes these comments does not himself believe that ANY Bible in ANY language
IS or ever was the complete, inspired and 100% historically true words of God. He has made his
own mind and personal opinions to be his “final authority” (subject to change at any moment, of

course) You might also take notice of the fact that our "scholar" has misspelled words here even
in his native English language. He several times misspelled the words 'unnecessary' and
'inconsistent'.
First of all, trees themselves actually ARE either the female or the male of their species, but most
fig trees are BOTH male and female.
This from The Puzzle of the Fig -
http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/economicbotany/Ficus/index.html
“Most species of figs in the world (the genus Ficus has more than 600 species) are monoecious
and have male and female flowers within a single syconium.”
Secondly, when you look at the context of this verse as found in the gospels it is clear that the
Lord Jesus is not talking about a specific fig tree, but of the fig tree in general. And fig trees, as
well as most trees, do have a male or female nature, but the fig tree is both male and female at
the same time. Even if some fig trees were ‘female’ and others were ‘male’, there STILL would
not be an error by referring to “her branch” versus “his branch” because we are not referring to
one specific fig tree as an individual, but to fig trees in general. This Jovial fellow is seeing
“errors” where none exist.
Thirdly, when this Bible corrector who himself does not have nor believe that ANY Bible in
ANY language IS or ever was the complete and infallible words of God, tells us that the word for
“fig tree” is feminine and thus “should read her” he reveals both his ignorance of languages and
how he has placed his own mind and understanding as his “final authority”, because most other
translations around today do not agree with him about this. Most modern translations do not say
“her branches” at all, but “its branches”, which would be a neuter and not feminine nor
masculine.
Just because a word in Greek or Hebrew or Spanish, French, German or in most of the world’s
languages is feminine, masculine or even neuter, has nothing to do with whether or not the object
itself is “feminine” or “masculine”. For example, the Greek words for “sword, hour, city, victory,
wood and fox” are all feminine. The words “world, mind, air, foot and horse” are all masculine.
Does this mean that all swords and foxes are female and all feet and horses are male? Or course
not. Greek and several other world languages also have a neuter gender. Words like “evening,
light, milk, bird and fowl” are all neuter. Does this mean that all birds are without a sexual
nature? Of course not.

Or if we look at the Spanish language (which I personally enjoy very much) we see that the
words for spoon (la cuchara) and table (la mesa) are feminine but the words for fork (el tenedor)
and dress (el vestido) are masculine. Does this mean that all spoons and tables are female but all
forks and dresses are males? Once again, of course not. This Bible critic is showing his
ignorance of how languages work from the get go.
Let’s take a closer look at not only the King James Bible, but other translations as well to see
how they handle this matter when referring to trees. The King James Bible as well as several
earlier translations and some modern ones as well often refer to trees and other things as “her,
his, or its”. The King James Bible does all three.
Matthew 24:32
HER - ASV - Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch, also Rotherham's
Emphasized bible 1902, the Bible in Basic English 1961, Emphatic Diaglott New Testament,
Updated Bible Version 2004.
ITS - ESV - "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch, as well as NASB, NIV,
NKJV
HIS - the King James Bible, the Bishops' Bible 1568, Coverdale's Bible 1535, Tyndale's N.T.
1525, Wycliffe's Bible 1395 - "Whanne his braunche is now tendir", English Jubilee Bible 2000,
Mark 13:28
HER - Geneva Bible 1587 - "When her bough is yet tender, and it bringeth foorth leaues, King
James Bible 1611, Revised Version 1881, ASV 1901, Whistone’s New Testament, Rotherham's
Emphasized Bible 1902 - "When, already, her young branch, becometh tender, Updated Bible
Version 2003,
ITS - NKJV, NIV, NASB, RSV, ESV
HIS - Wycliffe Bible 1395 - “Whanne now his braunche is tendre”, Tyndale 1525 - "When his
braunches are yet tender", Coverdale 1535 -"Wha his braunch is yet teder,", Bishops' Bible 1568
THE - Young's - "when THE branch may already become tender, Hebrew Names Version,
Douay-Rheims 1582, New Life Bible 1969
Other Verses about the Fig tree
Song of Solomon 2:13 - The fig tree putteth forth HER green figs, and the vines with the tender

grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Hosea 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the
fig tree at HER first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame;
and their abominations were according as they loved.
Joel 2:22 - Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for
the tree beareth HER fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
Revelation 6:13 -And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her
untimely figs, when SHE is shaken of a mighty wind.
Trees themselves are sometimes characterized as masculine and sometimes as feminine. In fact,
this IS the nature of most trees God has made. Trees are also sometimes referred to in the King
James Bible as “it”. All three uses of “his” or “her” or “its” are perfectly accurate and there are
no contradictions, as this Bible critic imagines.
Genesis 1:11 -And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit
tree yielding fruit after HIS kind, whose seed is in ITSELF, upon the earth: and it was so.
Genesis 2:17 -But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of IT: for in
the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Psalm 1:3 - And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth HIS fruit
in his season; HIS leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Song of Solomon 2:3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the
sons. I sat down under HIS shadow with great delight, and HIS fruit was sweet to my taste.
Song of Solomon 2:13 - The fig tree putteth forth HER green figs, and the vines with the tender
grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Jeremiah 17:8 -For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out HER roots
by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but HER leaf shall be green;
Ezekiel 31:8 -The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like HIS
boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like HIS branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was
like unto him in his beauty.

Ezekiel 34:27 - And the tree of the field shall yield HER fruit, and the earth shall yield HER
increase,
Daniel 4:14 - He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off HIS branches, shake
off his leaves, and scatter HIS fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from HIS
branches:
Hosea 9:10 - I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the
fig tree at HER first time:
Hosea 14:6 -HIS branches shall spread, and HIS beauty shall be as the olive tree, and HIS smell
as Lebanon.
Matthew 12:33 -Either make the tree good, and HIS fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and
HIS fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by HIS fruit.
Luke 6:44 -For every tree is known by HIS own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor
of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
Revelation 22:2 -In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree
of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded HER fruit every month: and the leaves of
the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Now, let’s sum up the argument once again.
“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye
know that summer is nigh.” Matthew 24:32
When you look at the context of this verse as found in the gospels it is clear that the Lord Jesus is
not talking about a specific fig tree, but of the fig tree in general. And fig trees, as well as most
trees, do have a male or female nature, but the fig tree is both male and female at the same time.
Even if some fig trees were ‘female’ and others were ‘male’, there STILL would not be an error
by referring to “her branch” versus “his branch” because we are not referring to one specific fig
tree as an individual, but to fig trees in general. This Jovial fellow is seeing “errors” where none
exist. The King James Bible is always right. Accept no substitutes.
All of grace, believing the Book, Will Kinney