The Branches of the Allegory of the Olive Tree

This chart is very helpful in understanding the allegory of the olive tree from Jacob 5.  It helps to keep organized what happens to the main tree and the branches that are grafted in elsewhere.  That main tree which represents the house of Israel is introduced in verse 3: “For behold, thus saith the Lord, I will liken thee, O house of Israel, like unto a tame olive-tree.”  This tree is the main tree of the story, but there are also several branches from it that are grafted in elsewhere that reappear several times in the allegory: “I take away any of these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will” (v8).  These branches appear to represent the Israelites, like Lehi, who were led away from the people at Jerusalem to start their own people. 

The first of these branches is introduced in verse 20: “And it came to pass that they went forth whither the master had hid the natural branches of the tree, and he said unto the servant: Behold these; and he beheld the first that it had brought forth much fruit; and he beheld also that it was good.”  It was planted in a “poor spot of ground” and it was doing well when they first checked on it, and they stored up the fruit.  The second branch of the main tree that is planted elsewhere is described in these words: “Look hither; behold I have planted another branch of the tree” (v23).  It was planted in a spot that “was poorer than the first,” and this first time when they went to check on it, it had “brought forth much fruit.”   After this second branch we are told of a third branch in these terms, “And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said again unto his servant: Look hither, and behold another branch also, which I have planted; behold that I have nourished it also, and it hath brought forth fruit” (v24).  Like the first two, they found that it had brought forth fruit, but the word “much” was not used to describe it. 

               It is not clear in my mind whether the next verse, verse 25, describes yet a fourth branch or is a continuation of the description of the third branch from verse 24.  We read, “And he said unto the servant: Look hither and behold the last. Behold, this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long time, and only a part of the tree hath brought forth tame fruit, and the other part of the tree hath brought forth wild fruit; behold, I have nourished this tree like unto the others.”  If this “last” branch is different than the third branch of verse 24, then that third branch is never mentioned again.  This is the interpretation that is used in the diagram, as can be seen from the fact that the third branch is missing from the third and fourth visit columns.  In my mind it seems more likely, though, that there were only three branches to begin with and that the “last” branch of verse 25 is the third branch of 24.  This would then make the mention of the branches in verses 20-25 match verse 39 when they are mentioned again, “And it came to pass that they went down into the nethermost parts of the vineyard. And it came to pass that they beheld that the fruit of the natural branches had become corrupt also; yea, the first and the second and also the last; and they had all become corrupt” (v39).  This verse suggests that there were only three total, and at this stage—the time of the apostasy—they were all corrupt.  Whether there were three or four is really not important, but what is central to the message of this allegory is that the Lord knew and cared deeply for all of them as He does for all of His children.